Recognizing National PTSD Awareness Month

Hannah Kolstad
ECB Publishing, Inc.

National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month began as National PTSD Awareness Day, which was formerly recognized on June 27. It was originally instituted by the U.S. Senate in 2010 in recognition of Staff Sergeant Joe Biel, who had severe trauma following extensive service in Iraq. Biel took his own life as a result of PTSD. In 2010, the U.S. Senate responded by dedicating Biel’s birthday, June 27, in honor and recognition of Biel and the many others who suffer or have suffered from PTSD. Later, in 2014, the day was adapted into National PTSD Awareness Month, recognized nationally during the entire month of June.
During this crucial month, it is important to be aware of what PTSD is, as well as its symptoms and the effect it has on its victims. PTSD is much more prevalent than many Americans are aware of, and it affects different people differently. Knowing some of the common causes and symptoms can help those with family members or friends suffering from PTSD have a positive impact on these loved ones as they overcome the disorder.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a psychological disorder prevalent in those who have experienced some sort of notable traumatic event. This event could fall into any of a wide range of categories, including abuse, sexual assault, war, bullying and more. PTSD usually does not appear until long after the trauma occurs, though it has been known to be sudden as well. When PTSD does rear its head, it forces the victim to confront or cope with his or her trauma through a series of negative symptoms, responses and behaviors.
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), PTSD is typically characterized by four primary symptoms, though not all symptoms must be present for an accurate diagnosis.
1. Intrusion: Those with PTSD will often have intrusive thoughts related to the traumatic event. These can be in the form of sudden vivid flashbacks or nightmares in which the traumatic event is alive in their brain, occurring repeatedly in unwanted succession, causing the victim extreme distress. Intrusion often occurs suddenly and can be triggered by any object or activity remotely related to the traumatic event. For example, a soldier with PTSD from his time on the battlefield may experience intrusion in response to a car backfiring, which is interpreted by his brain as a gunshot.
2. Avoidance: PTSD victims usually choose to avoid circumstances that may trigger intrusive thoughts. These could include specific places, activities, conversations or even certain people. Those with PTSD are often emotionally and physically withdrawn from friends and family. Victims may not recognize exactly what prompts this distance to be imposed, but if it prevents intrusion, it is viewed as necessary. Avoidance may also include an unwillingness to open up about the traumatic event, even to those who want to help or just listen. Talking about the trauma can be too painful and scary for the victim, so they internalize their thoughts about it instead.
3. Alterations in cognition or mood: PTSD is an emotional disorder, and symptoms will therefore typically reveal themselves emotionally rather than physically. This often means that the victim’s mood, as well as the way they view the world mentally, is affected by their trauma. Depression, negative opinions of self as well as others, intense fear, anger, guilt, emotional and physical detachment and constant self-reproach are all examples of cognitive alterations that occur because of PTSD. Alongside avoidance, these alterations can cause PTSD victims to withdraw from family and friends as an increased sense of mistrust overtakes their reality.
Those with PTSD often view their surroundings through a contorted lens, and the loving, caring individuals in the victims’ lives can be misconstrued as having negative intentions.
4. Alterations in reactivity: PTSD victims often behave abnormally in positive and negative situations alike. They react rather than respond. This reactivity includes increased irritability, self-destructive and reckless behavior, outbursts of anger and other behaviors. Certain situations, often non-threatening ones, can trigger a fight-or-flight response in someone with PTSD, in which their body automatically evaluates a stressful situation and physiologically prepares to either fight the stressor or flee it. In this instance, they react to the response triggered in their body, rather than evaluating the circumstances and responding calmly to it.
How should you respond to PTSD in a loved one?
Anyone can get or have PTSD. It is a bitter, though natural, response to something traumatic. Also, everyone is unique. An event that traumatizes one person may not evoke the same response in another person. It is important to recognize this as we go through National PTSD Awareness Month with our friends and family.
Contrary to popular opinion, there are numerous ways you can help a loved one suffering from PTSD.
• Emotional support and availability are key. Always be willing to listen to the victim’s concerns and be a comforting presence in their life. Often, a PTSD victim will use normal conversation as a method of coping with trauma.
• Be patient. Frustration and anger with the victim for his or her moods and behaviors will not help them get better. Rather, it is important to be calm and collected, allowing the victim to work through his or her trauma at their own pace.
• Avoid making assumptions about someone’s feelings and emotions. Not everyone experiences PTSD the same way. Some victims will have symptoms that others will not. Let them tell you what they are thinking and feeling, rather than assuming their responses to their trauma.
• Understand what PTSD is and its symptoms. You aren’t expected to be a psychologist or a doctor, but it can be helpful to have a basic knowledge of what PTSD is and how it manifests itself in its victims. This will help you be more understanding and patient with your loved one as they overcome PTSD.