June marks the month of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) awareness; a condition which approximately 300,000 service members currently suffer from (RAND, 2008). PTSD is considered a silent, invisible injury that is common in wounded warriors who have been exposed to traumatic events while performing their military responsibilities.
The Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD is challenging service professionals, families and services members to ‘Take the Step’ in raising PTSD awareness this month by offering a four-week informational guide to PTSD learning. Each week the center offers tools to understanding this invisible wound found in so many returning service members.
Whether you are a health care professional, family member or friend of a warrior who may be suffering from PTSD it is important to encourage public awareness and to provide assistance to those impacted by the condition.
This post was uploaded by Rachel Brauner of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Wounded Warrior Program and is part of a series of Military Family Caregiving posts published on the Military Families Learning Network blog.