June brings PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness Month, highlighting this mental health condition that develops after terrifying, life-threatening events like combat, disasters, accidents or assault. Symptoms include nightmares, intrusive thoughts, emotional flashbacks, and avoiding trauma memories.
The National Center for PTSD notes approximately 6% of the U.S. population experiences PTSD at some point, though many recover after treatment. Annually, around 5% of adults (roughly 13 million Americans in 2020) grapple with PTSD. Women are more prone, with an 8% lifetime risk compared to 4% for men, partly due to the nature of traumatic events like sexual assault.
Wellconnect offers FREE counseling to ECPI’s staff and full-time students. Thanks to their partnership to better help, Wellconnect boasts therapists fluent in up to 56 languages. In addition to online therapy, you still have access to face-to-face counseling, in-the-moment support, financial and legal consultations, resource referrals and more. Code: T246
If you have experienced a traumatic event and are suffering from symptoms of PTSD, please see the following support resources:
- NIH Employee Wellness Resources
- NIMH Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- NIMH Coping with Traumatic Events
- NIMH Health Publications: PTSD
- HHS Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: National Center for PTSD
- PTSD Bytes Podcast – “Join us for “bite-sized” episodes featuring practical information you can use or share.”