National PTSD Awareness Day: 5 Insightful Quotes About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

National PTSD Awareness Day is observed every year in the United States on June 27 to educate people about post-traumatic stress disorder.

PTSD is a mental health condition that people develop after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. According to the PTSD Foundation of America, an estimated 7.8% of Americans experience PTSD at least once in their lives.

There are 4 stages of PTSD –

• Impact stage – This occurs immediately after the event and during this stage, people struggle to come to terms with what happened.
• Denial stage – In this stage, people continue to experience feelings that are brought on by memories of the event, but they try to avoid the emotions.
• Short-term recovery stage – In this stage, people attempt to adjust to everyday life. However, intrusive thoughts continue to make their lives difficult.
• Long-term recovery stage – People continue to deal with the after-effects of the trauma but with treatment and help from loved ones, individuals can return to a calmer life.

On this day, here are a few insightful quotes on PTSD, courtesy Healthy Space and Art With Impact -

• "Trauma is personal. It does not disappear if it is not validated. When it is ignored or invalidated the silent screams continue internally heard only by the one held captive. When someone enters the pain and hears the screams healing can begin." ― Danielle Bernock
• "There is no timestamp on trauma. There isn't a formula that you can insert yourself into to get from horror to healed. Be patient. Take up space. Let your journey be the balm." ― Dawn Serra
• "PTSD nightmares aren't always exact replays of the event. Sometimes they replay the emotions you felt during the event, such as fear, helplessness, and sadness." –Alice Cariv
• "Always remember, if you have been diagnosed with PTSD, it is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is proof of your strength, because you have survived!" – Anonymous
• "It becomes difficult to deal with everyday life because you have hid your soul in a dark corner so it doesn’t have to face the dangerous world of the Trauma. Without your soul, you are only half a person, a machine who is constantly running from reality." – Amy Oestreicher