Why is PTSD Awareness Important?
- Maimoonah Naveed
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
By: Maimoonah Naveed
PTSD is often associated with soldiers returning from war zones. However, it doesn't only affect veterans, it can affect anyone who has undergone a traumatic event. But what exactly is it?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric disorder that can develop after someone experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), symptoms must last for more than a month and cause significant distress or impairment in daily functioning for a PTSD diagnosis. The symptoms of PTSD range from having flashbacks, to mental health issues. The symptoms are usually divided into 4 categories, which are:
Intrusion – unwanted and distressing memories, nightmares, or flashbacks.
Avoidance – efforts to avoid thoughts, people, or places that bring reminders of the trauma.
Negative changes in thinking or mood – persistent feelings of guilt, shame, numbness, or detachment from others.
Changes in physical and emotional reactions – hypervigilance, sleep problems, or being easily startled
(Mayo Clinic, 2023).
These symptoms usually last more than a month and make it hard to go about daily life.Anyone can get PTSD, including kids, teens, and adults. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your life looks like. But some individuals are more likely to develop PTSD, especially if they’ve experienced repeated and prolonged trauma, don’t have much support, or already struggle with mental health.
Teens can get PTSD from things like bullying, abuse, or even constant stress at home. The problem is, a lot of people don’t talk about it, or they don’t realize what they’re feeling is actually PTSD. That’s why awareness is so important.
Talking about PTSD and mental health openly helps reduce stigma. There’s nothing wrong or broken about someone with PTSD.It means they’ve been through something difficult, and their brain is still trying to process it. The good news is that PTSD is treatable. With therapy, support, and sometimes medication, many people are able to manage their symptoms and heal over time. There are different types of therapy that have been proven to help people with PTSD. One common type is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns. Another is Exposure Therapy, where a person slowly and safely faces reminders of the trauma to reduce fear and anxiety over time. There’s also EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which uses guided eye movements to help the brain process traumatic memories in a less painful way.
In the end, PTSD isn’t just something that happens to veterans or people in movies. It’s a real condition that affects real people, including teens in our schools, communities, and possibly even our own homes. By learning more and being compassionate, we can help create a world where people with PTSD feel seen, supported, and hopeful.
Sources:
American Psychiatric Association. (2023). What is PTSD?
Mayo Clinic. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
National Center for PTSD. (2023). PTSD Basics.
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