As a society, we are messing up. Two decades ago, we were struggling to come to terms with the importance of mental health and understanding things like Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. But today, we make the assumption that every veteran must have it. It’s causing harm and as a collective military community, we need to be at the forefront of addressing it.
I am a licensed social worker and practicing therapist. When I am assessing civilian patients for potential PTSD, I hear the reality of how they associate the diagnosis. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “but I’m not a veteran or anything” it would blow your mind. Either that, or they attribute it to something catastrophic.
So, let’s unpack PTSD so we can all understand what it is – and what it isn’t.
It’s identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM is what clinicians utilize for diagnosing and understanding disorders) as something that impacts people who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event or series of them. The American Psychiatric Association estimates that 1 in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime and it’s more prevalent in women than men.
Here are some examples of things that can trigger PTSD:
- Natural disasters
- Serious accidents
- Terrorist acts
- War/Combat
- Rape/Sexual assault
- Bullying
- Intimate partner violence
- Historical trauma
Left untreated, PTSD can absolutely wreak havoc on someone’s life. From intrusive thoughts, depression, flashbacks, nightmares to experiencing extreme detachment to others – it’s a lot. While we want to encourage treatment and that PTSD is absolutely curable, we want to make sure it’s not a blanket diagnosis given without the facts.
Though the risk is higher for veterans who’ve been to combat than the average American, it isn’t everything. Though there is no shame in working through PTSD and receiving the diagnosis, for veterans the assumption can and does change how those around them perceive their wellness.
I encourage you not only to ,understand the disorder but help spread the word that it isn’t a forever diagnosis and that it does not apply to every combat veteran. We all have the potential to develop this diagnosis in our lifetimes but it is possible to struggle well through it.