PTSD can be fought back.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Veterans who suffer from PTSD, short from post-traumatic stress disorder, will be offered the support and assistance they need during the PTSD awareness month.
Statistics have shown that in 2014, over half a million veterans were suffering from PTSD after the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns. Furthermore, a previous study from the 1980s regarding Vietnam veterans established that 9 percent of the women and 15 percent of the men had PTSD during that period, and around 27 percent of women and 30 percent of men had suffered from PTSD after Vietnam.
After 15 years, another study found that there was only a slight drop off. Another important aspect is that some people may have PTSD for 30 years without even realizing it until hopefully, they find out that there are experts that can help them improve the quality of their lives.
This disorder might lead to severe consequences, such as destroying a family, a relationship, or even the connections with relatives and close friends.
Worse, the present statistics look bad because only half of the people suffering from PTSD seek treatment, whereas the rest of them do not even realize that they suffer from this disorder, or they think that they can deal with it on their own. According to Allan Perkal, a member of the local chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, a stigma still exists. Plus, some veterans think that seeking help is a sign of weakness which is totally wrong.
Admitting the fact that you need help is no shame. We are humans, so we rely on each other to live and prosper. Veterans are encouraged to understand that God made all of us to help one another not to hide in our shells.
A Town Hall meeting will be held Saturday by the North Carolina Council of VVA at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center on the A-B Tech campus. During the event, veterans together with their families will benefit from a large variety of services and support from experts and fellow veterans who will have the purpose of encouraging every participant.
Moreover, community-based organizations will provide veterans with information tables set up. The Town Hall meeting will begin and noon. For additional information, people are asked to call Perkal at (808) 383-7877 or visit VVA-NC.org. Many will attend the Saturday event to increase PTSD awareness and make veterans understand that there is no shame in accepting help.
Image Source:Static Flickr