Nowadays, there are so many different celebrations, sometimes on the same day, such as “National (fill in the blank) Days.” There are plenty of fun ones like National Taco Day, National Dog Day, and many more. But there are many more heartfelt ones that deserve the spotlight as well.
June 27th comes with several holidays. One of them is National PTSD Day. So in honor of this day, here are a few facts about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in case you have no idea what it is.
PTSD occurs when someone experiences a traumatic event. These can include a school shooting, assault, natural disaster, car crash, military casualties, and many more.
The person needs to experience PTSD symptoms for a month minimum to be officially considered a person living with PTSD. This can include nightmares, avoidance of a certain place or person, fight or flight syndrome, and hyperawareness, just to name a few.
Triggers are different for each person, but they are what sets off someone as they “relive” the event that caused the trauma. It could be a smell, song, voice, or place. Triggers can also change over time.
Here’s the reality about living with PTSD, whether you have the diagnosis or not: You have good and bad days, just like with any other condition.
You may feel as “normal” as possible on some days, experiencing no triggers at all. But on other days, one thing could set your trauma off. This can send you into a rabbit hole for a set amount of time, making you relive and rethink things you want to forget.
If there’s one thing I could tell those who are fortunate enough not to have this looming in the back of their minds, it would be this: Do not undermine someone who says they’ve experienced trauma.
Some people can get over the event and never think about it again. They may also not feel as if it’s setting them off. However, for those of us who struggle to convince ourselves that we are safe at the moment, it’s not that easy.
So never tell us to “just get over it.” You wouldn’t tell someone who lost their child to just “get over it.” You also wouldn’t tell someone with depression to be happy. So why would you tell someone who was a victim of a school shooting to just “move on and forget?”
It’s not that simple.
For those who personally know someone with PTSD, here’s something to know: Every one of us deals with flashbacks in different ways.
Some of us need someone right there with us, reminding us that we’re safe and no longer in that situation. Others need time to refocus and just “reset.” It can be a very scary thing to watch and experience.
Personally, I hate when someone sees me when I’m triggered and freaking out. I would rather step away for a minute and compose myself than have them watch me have a meltdown and feel helpless. Sometimes, I end up calling or texting someone to distract my mind, which usually regrounds me.
Plus, never be offended if we don’t want to tell you what we’re thinking or what spurred the PTSD to begin with. Some can talk about it without feeling any negative effects. But others might be set off just by thinking about it. It’s already hard to accept that we had no control over the event. So to see someone’s reaction to what happened and knowing we then have to comfort them because they can’t figure out what to say to us makes things even worse for us.
We are not trying to play victim either.
We cannot control when we experience triggers or how we react to certain situations. I’ve had to tell many people over the years not to come up behind me because of how I’ll react, worrying I might hit them in self-defense. You have to be willing to accept that as survivors, we sometimes modify everyday things to prevent a flashback.
One thing I can say about PTSD is the support you do receive from others. When people gather together after a mass casualty to stand against what happened, it shows incredible bravery and strength. Showing your strength and not letting the perpetrator or natural disaster win is the bravest thing you can do.
With the amount of hate and hurt in the world right now, more and more people are beginning to understand what it means to live with trauma. So for this upcoming date, find some friends and rally support for those who are healing. PTSD does not define us, but it does mold us into someone stronger and more resilient.
Featured image via Anastasiya Vragova on Pexels
