For almost 4 decades I have read too much, lived through too much and have learned way more than I ever wanted to know about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sure, some of it was worth it when I was reading clinical books and most of the early research conducted, and sometimes, even hopeful articles when people found their voice to speak out. After all, the only way people will understand that surviving something changes you, is to talk about it, instead of feeling as if you have to hide all of it. Sorry but as far as I’m concerned, after surviving over ten events myself, I find it appalling whenever anyone suggests any of us should feel ashamed of surviving something that almost killed us. Reporters have been turning that victory into defeat!
A Study Shows PTSD Carries A Stigma For Veterans – Regardless Of Whether They Suffer From It
“But the percentage of [respondents] who believe this was extremely surprising and really disheartening.”
Estimates on the actual prevalence of PTSD among veterans from the Gulf War and the post 9/11 era run between 12 and 20%, Neil-Walden said.
Those misperceptions have real-world consequences.
Many patients describe awkward questions about combat, Neil-Walden said. And when people find out she deployed overseas with the Air Force, Neil-Walden gets asked the same thing.
“There’s always an assumption that you’ve seen or done something horrific,” she said.
Farren pins some responsibility for the misperception on portrayals in movies and television, which may depict veterans as homeless or suffering from severe PTSD.
“I know that you’re trying to make the public aware that we have our challenges and that PTSD is real – and it is – but I think it’s so overdramatized in one direction,” she said.
“I don’t think they show enough of the middle of the road or the well-treated PTSD,” Farren said. “And I’m concerned in the long-term that will hurt the working prospect of veterans.”
When do they stop feeding it and start reporting that it isn’t just veterans who end up with PTSD? According to the National Center for PTSD, there are 15 million Americans a year! And that is just the adults. Police officers, firefighters and other emergency responders battle the traumas that they try to save us from and then wonder why they have it. Anyone who survives traumatic events is never the same and some are left with scars they need help to heal. Simple as that. Until we actually face the facts and start making sure that reporters stop perpetuating the stigma, we are all doomed to remain under the delusion there is something wrong with us. Instead of celebrating the fact we lived and the event lost, we have been forced into silence.
The truth is, some people are afraid of veterans who may, or may not have PTSD, only because they don’t have a clue how many others around them all the time have PTSD and they will never know it. This has happened to all of us because reporters want to jump on what is popular. All the events, fundraisers and groups popping up all over the country focus on veterans, so reporters settle for what they think will get the most people to read the article. In other words, they are using veterans for attention and not interested in any type of public service that will help solve a huge problem for all of us!
Signs of PTSD from COVID-19: How the pandemic has affected mental health
“To talk about PTSD, especially with COVID, we might want to back up a little bit and talk about the terms, stress, and trauma because they both exist in the term post-traumatic stress disorder,” said Dr. Matthew Wagner, director of behavioral science at Meritus Health.
If you have PTSD, we need to start some kind of movement to get better attention than veterans have gotten so they will know they are not alone. They are just humans and surrounded by others who are also trying to heal from what they survived. The stigma will live on as long as reporters perpetuate the pain instead of the cure!
Remember, it’s your life…get in and drive it!
#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD
Reporters seek damage to report. That’s it in a nutshell. They have recently have gone against an impact statement regarding self and daughter, not to identified for the sake of safety from peddo incarcerated. News reporter decided to digitally distribute stories with reference to our identity, after promising to remove it in writing a year ago. Am onto this with PTSD and a crown negligence prosecutor. On behalf of anyone who cannot overcome PTSD, for the sake of your story becoming cash to a stranger, and are affected furthermore, this mumma ain’t happy, and is fighting to the protective end.