PTSD Awareness and Veteran Support
Help support our funding initiative through this campaign. We are hoping to grow our facilities to help support children and families of the military and others affected by PTSD.
Mitchell Frankel
Director of Government Services
2nd Lieutenant US ARMY National Guard
Understanding PTSD and Treatment Options
Anyone can go through a traumatic event (or trauma). In fact, about half of all men and women will experience at least one trauma, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault, in their lives. It’s normal to think, act, and feel differently than usual after a traumatic experience, but if those reactions don’t improve after a few weeks or months, it may be posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you or someone you know is having a difficult time moving past a trauma, take the steps to learn about PTSD and how to get help.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health concern that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. About 8 million adults have PTSD during a given year, and this is only a small portion of those who have gone through a trauma. Although we all react to a traumatic event, most people see their symptoms and stress lessen over time.
Symptoms
Everyone’s response and experience after a trauma is different, but people with PTSD have four main types of symptoms; reliving or re-experiencing the event, avoiding situations that remind them of the event, hyperarousal or being on guard, and negative changes in beliefs and feelings. Not everyone who experiences a trauma develops PTSD, but for those who do, it can have a serious impact on their life, work, and relationships.
PTSD Treatment Works
Just like a physical injury, PTSD usually doesn’t get better if it isn’t treated. Without proper care, the symptoms may even get worse over time. PTSD treatment works and can help people make sense of their trauma, learn skills to better handle negative thoughts, feelings, and reconnect with people they care about.
PTSD TREATMENT DECISION AID:
This decision aid helps you learn about effective PTSD treatment options. You can read about the treatments or watch videos explaining how they work. You can even build a chart to compare the treatments you like most. At the end, you will get a personalized summary.
Veteran Suicide Awareness
Over the 2 decades from 2001 through 2020, the Veteran population decreased by 24.6%, from 25.7 million to 19.4 million. In the same years, the non-Veteran U.S. adult population increased by 27.2%, from 186.6 million to 237.3 million. In this context, it is important to assess suicide mortality rates, which convey the incidence of suicide relative to the size of the population.
Veterans Crisis Line
The Veterans Crisis Line’s new number—Dial 988 then Press 1—gives Veterans in crisis a shorter, easier-to-remember way to get support as quickly as possible.
You don’t need to be an expert to make a difference in the life of a Veteran. Anyone can spread the word. Start by making sure all the Veterans in your life know about this new number.
Families of the Fallen Fund
Our men and women in uniform are always at the ready to protect our freedom, our safety, and security. When they give the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms, Athletes for Children is there to help families and children in the best way possible to help with all aspects of loss. We have a mandatory amount of general funds and donations which we will donate to families and other 501c3 non-profits specifically helping veteran families in their time of need.
Wounded Warrior Programs
The military provides specialized wounded warrior programs designed to help wounded, ill, and/or injured service members transition back to duty or civilian life. Each service branch has its own program. While the programs do not focus on medical issues, they do help service members and their medical teams develop a comprehensive recovery plan that addresses specific rehabilitation and recovery goals.
Dogs and the Military
A guide dog is trained to assist blind and visually impaired people by avoiding obstacles. A service dog is trained to help those with physical or hearing disabilities by alerting deaf and hearing-impaired individuals to a variety of household sounds or by assisting in the performance of a wide variety of tasks depending on need and training (e.g. balance, retrieving, or pulling a wheelchair). VA will pay for veterinary care and the equipment (e.g. harness and/or backpack) required for optimal use of the dog.
https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Four-Legged-Fighters/