(Radio Iowa) – June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD Awareness Month. Winnebago County Veterans Affairs Director Mary Lou Kleveland says many people are unaware that there is a condition. “The condition was thought to only affect combat veterans, but now they’ve found that its for anybody who has experienced violent crime, lived through a catastrophic event, had any kind of trauma,” she says.
Kleveland says many cases are never reported. “The problem is that most people don’t seek treatment because of the stigma and the fear. But there’s 20% of the adults who basically suffer from PTSD. The good news is that it’s highly treatable, but again, that stigma and fear. We have a mental health crisis in this country and nobody wants to talk about it a lot of the time. So I just want to bring the awareness that there is help and there’s treatment for it.,” Kleveland says.
Kleveland stated that there are things to look for which may be indicators or symptoms of P-T-S-D. “Reliving the memories of the event over and over again. Avoiding anything that reminds you of the event. Oftentimes trouble sleeping, nightmares and flashbacks, mood disturbances such as anxiety and depression, hyper-vigilance.
Constantly looking around your surroundings looking for danger, being anxious or on edge, irritability, memory loss,” she says. Kleveland says anyone suffering from P-T-S-D should know there are also solutions to help you. “There is a crisis line available to anyone. Just dial 9-8-8 and for the veterans out there, it’s 9-8-8 and press 1 and you will be directly connected to another veteran who can talk with you,” she says. “They’re going to understand you better than anybody else and they’re going to be able to hook you up with appropriate resources.”
Kleveland encourages those suffering to use the resource.
