Nearly 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War, many Americans still believe untrue stereotypes about veterans and PTSD.
The general public’s lack of understanding about PTSD feeds into the stigma that prevents people in need of mental healthcare from seeking care.
These are the FACTs about PTSD:
1. Not all veterans or military members have or will ever develop PTSD.
2. PTSD is not a veteran-only issue. PTSD can affect veterans and civilians alike.
3. PTSD is NOT just related to combat / deployments. (People often associate PTSD with direct exposure to military combat, but in reality, traumas that lead to PTSD can take many forms such as a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assaults.)
- and, most importantly -
4. PTSD treatment works! There are many effective treatments for PTSD.