June
June is both Pride month and PTSD Awareness month.
Pride is a yearly celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. The first Pride parade was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which galvanized the movement. Pride is so much more than a flag, a parade, or a pretty rainbow. It was born of a need to celebrate this communities right to exist, to acknowledge that they are here, that their experiences are valid, that there are reasons to celebrate themselves and their communities. This year San Diego’s Pride Parade will be held 7/13/19.
June is also national PTSD Awareness month. In 2010 Congress named June 27th as National PTSD Awareness Day. Much of the attention around PTSD is directed towards those who have or are serving in the military, as there is s strong link between PTSD and suicide and studies have shown that anywhere between 10-30% of veterans experience PTSD in their lifetime.
It is also important to remember, however, that there are many people who experience PTSD as the result of other experiences and that they need support as well. In the US, approximately 7% of the adult population will experience PTSD in their lifetimes, with women twice as likely as men to experience it.
And there is often the misconception that PTSD is not treatable. But that is simply not true. There are a variety of therapies out there that have proven to be quite helpful in reducing symptoms or eliminating PTSD altogether. My particular training is in EMDR and I have found it to be a powerful tool in helping my clients let go of the pain of their past, live more fully in the present and develop hope for the future.
