June is PTSD Awareness Month

June is recognized as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month and throughout this month, Providence’s Well Being Trust joins organizations and advocates who are raising awareness about the prevalence of PTSD and sharing information and resources that lead to a better quality of life.

According to the American Psychological Association, PTSD is a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, or rape or who have been threatened with death, sexual violence or serious injury. 

Facts about PTSD 

According to the National Center for PTSD:

• About 6 out of every 100 people in the United States will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
• Nearly 12 million adults in the U.S. have PTSD during a given year. 
• About 8 of every 100 women will develop PTSD sometime in their lives compared with about 4 of every 100 men. 

Signs and Symptoms
In most cases, a mental health provider, such as a psychiatrist of psychologist,  diagnoses PTSD. The assessment usually includes answering questions about one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Some of the symptoms of PTSD may include: 

• Flashbacks of trauma 
• Intrusive thoughts 
• Avoidance of people or places related to trauma/event 
• Insomnia 
• Sudden bursts of anger/frustration 
• Depression 
• Numb or blunted emotions