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June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day

PTSD is a complex disorder caused by experiencing or witnessing trauma, which can originate from many events — potentially an accident, combat, a natural disaster, or an assault — but there are other ways PTSD symptoms can arise. A trained professional must diagnose PTSD, based on symptoms like hypervigilance, mood swings, recurring and involuntary flashbacks to the trauma, and avoidance. The condition was once attributed only to returning combat veterans, but more and more the condition is diagnosed in those who have experienced violent crime or lived through catastrophic events. According to PTSD United, 20% of adults in the United States who have experienced a traumatic event suffer from PTSD. You can help by educating yourself and others about the illness, and sharing help with those who might need it.