National PTSD Awareness Day 2019 is meant to increase awareness about PTSD throughout the country and the world. Many people are affected by PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) on some level due to an event that happened in their past. Events that can cause PTSD can be anything – something that may have a profound effect on one person may not have an impact on another. It is essential to have compassion for people that develop PTSD and make sure they have the support to treat it and get better. Finding trauma informed care is essential when seeking treatment.

National PTSD Awareness Day 2019

This year, National PTSD Awareness Day is June 27th. Groups all over the country will be raising awareness for the entire month of June about PTSD through flyers, events, and openly talking about PTSD with others. Much of the time, people with PTSD don’t actually realize that they have it and that it is affecting their lives.

Overall, get out there this June and spread awareness about national PTSD awareness day. Anyone that has experienced any type of trauma from a bicycle accident as a kid to serving in the military later in life can develop PTSD. Being aware of the condition and how it is affecting you and the ones you love is the first step in alleviating the lingering pain from past trauma in your life.

Symptoms of PTSD

Signs that you may have PTSD show up in some of the tell-tale symptoms of the disorder. Symptoms fall under three general categories internal re-exposure to traumatic events from the past, avoiding situations and events that remind you of the trauma from the past, and hyper-aroused responses resulting from the repeated internal exposure.

It is as if traumatic events from the past live in full in the mind, only to be unlocked by specific triggers, leaving the affected person as distressed as they had been during the original event.

For example, in addition to distress upon re-exposure, symptoms include:

• Physical reactions (nausea, sweating, pounding heart)
• Flashbacks (during the day, or in the form of nightmares)
• Unable to connect to others
• Emotionally detached
• Memory loss about the original trauma
• Avoiding situations that remind you of the event

PTSD Treatment

A lot of the time, people don’t seek out PTSD only treatment. Many people only find out about their diagnosis when they are seeking therapy for other things such as substance abuse or depression. Being fortunate enough to have targeted trauma treatment when you are in the throes of a substance abuse problem is pivotal to your long-term success with sobriety.

For example, here are some conventional treatments for PTSD:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Neurofeedback Therapy
• Life Skills Training
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

In essence, different strokes for different folks, as they say, but these are treatments that have been shown to help people presenting PTSD, and are an excellent place to start your journey to recovery. There is help out there; you just have to find it and put in the work. You can lead the life that you deserve, free from substances and pain.

In conclusion, get out there and talk to people about National PTSD Awareness Day 2019. If you know someone affected by PTSD that needs help, call AspenRidge Recovery Fort Collins at (866) 957-6941. We offer a range of services for people with PTSD and co-occurring conditions.