Real Talk: Mental Health By Hope Phifer & Carmen Croucher, LPCC, NCC The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD www.vvsd.net/cohenclinics
Do Not Let Avoidance Stop You From Seeking PTSD Treatment Avoidance. We have all experienced it. Avoidance is defined as the action of keeping away from or not doing something. It is often associated with strong negative beliefs about what has occurred or what will occur, and these beliefs are often out of proportion compared to the actual risk. As we recognize Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month this June, intended to raise public awareness, and reduce the stigma associated with the disorder, it is important to better understand some of the hallmark symptoms of PTSD including avoidance; avoidance of thoughts, memories, and triggers to limit emotional pain. Before we go any further, think about it this way: distress is a normal reaction to an abnormal event and only evolves to an actual diagnosis of PTSD if the symptoms persist and do not resolve. So, in other words, it is normal for individuals with traumatic exposure to experience distressing symptoms. However, those symptoms should improve significantly within one to three months after the exposure. PTSD is a mental health challenge that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a lifethreatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. Avoidance of treatment could be the result of the many misconceptions that exist about PTSD. In June 2021, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a national network of mental health clinics for post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families, revealed findings of its America’s Mental Health PTSD Pulse Survey, which looked at Americans’ general knowledge and understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults conducted by The Harris Poll, offers a broad overview of Americans’ perceptions of PTSD. Among the highlights: • Two-thirds (67%) of Americans believe the Majority of Veterans Experience PTSD 10
WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / JUNE 2022
