National PTSD Awareness Day

National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day

June 27th is National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day. About half of all women and 60% of men have experienced trauma, and of those 20% and 8%, respectively, have developed PTSD. Sexual and physical abuse are traumatic events, and children who experience it may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. 

Symptoms of PTSD

• constant thoughts about the event 

• nightmares about the event

• emotional triggers 

• refraining from thinking or talking about the trauma

• hypervigilance in order to protect oneself from trauma

What is PTSD? According to the NCPTSD, PTSD is "an anxiety disorder resulting from exposure to a single traumatic event or multiple traumatic events, such as sexual or physical assault, natural or man-made disaster, and war-related combat stress." 

The likelihood of a child developing PTSD after abuse depends on multiple factors such as the intensity of the trauma and amount of support they received after the event.

Children with PTSD can live positive, healthy lives and it is important they receive support. To learn more about resources for children who have experienced due to trauma from abuse offered in Jefferson Parish, please call the JCAC at 504-364-3857. 
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Please visit the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder's website:
http://www.nctsn.org/resources/public-awareness/national-ptsd-awareness-day#q2

To learn more about PTSD, follow this link to a booklet created by the Department of Veteran Affairs and the NCPTSD: 
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/understanding_ptsd/booklet.pdf

Learn more about abuse related condition from the Adult Surviving Child Abuse webpage: http://www.asca.org.au/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=45