Did you know that mental problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addiction go hand in hand? Did you also know that you can spread awareness for this disorder on National PTSD Awareness Day? In truth, not enough people know about PTSD awareness day. The more that you know, though, the more that you can participate.
What Is PTSD?
Firstly, let’s cover PTSD on a general scope. It’s a condition that occurs after you experience a traumatic event. Such occurrences can include but aren’t limited to, events such as:
- War
- Car crashes
- Sexual assault
- Natural disasters
- Shootings
- Social embarrassment
Thankfully, the brain has mechanisms to deal with traumatic events. Unfortunately, these mechanisms could fail to process these events correctly. As a result, you may relive the traumatic events, which causes emotional distress.
What Is National PTSD Awareness Day?
As the name suggests, this is a single day for spreading awareness of this disorder. It takes place every year on June 27. In fact, the U.S. Senate officially launched it in 2010.
However, some people don’t refer to it as National PTSD Awareness Day anymore. The reason is that, in 2014, the U.S. Senate started to dedicate the whole month of June to this disorder. Then, National PTSD Awareness Month was born. Despite that, some organizations still do specific things on June 27.
How Does PTSD Link to Addiction?
The main reason for the connection between PTSD and addiction is that people try to self-medicate. In fact, most of them don’t seek help for PTSD, so they have to deal with the condition themselves. In most cases, they simply take drugs to numb the feelings that PTSD causes.
Over time, drug abuse leads to addiction. However, treating only one of these problems leaves people vulnerable to relapse. That’s why they should look for dual diagnosis treatment Los Angeles has to offer. This treatment can help them overcome not only addiction but also PTSD.
How Can You Help Raise Awareness
Regardless if you think of national PTSD awareness as a day or month, it’s important to do your part. The best way for you to spread the word is to visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. On its official website, you can take the pledge to do your part in spreading awareness.
Also on this website, you can download a package that helps you spread the word. This National PTSD Awareness Day package is full of helpful information that you can print out and use. It even comes with a calendar for different topics that you can cover for all 30 days of June.
You can even visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to partner up with an organization. Among its list of organizations are also groups that you can join. It’s just another way to take your pledge to the next level.
Find Out More About How PTSD Affects Addiction
At Casa Palmera, we pay close attention to National PTSD Awareness Month. The reason is that we understand the connection between mental illness and addiction. In addition, we provide a wide range of addiction treatment services Los Angeles needs, such as:
- Residential rehab
- Intensive outpatient treatment
- Outpatient treatment rehab
- 12-step rehab
- Family therapy
Learn more about what you can do to support National PTSD Awareness Day. Contact us today.
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