June is PTSD Awareness Month: Inspiring understanding, support and hope

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can happen after someone experiences, sees or hears about a traumatic event. It can be caused by a single trauma or by many traumatic events and is diagnosed by a licensed medical professional based on specific signs, symptoms and behaviours.

Everyone reacts to trauma differently — even when faced with the same event. There is no shame in a PTSD diagnosis. The symptoms you might be experiencing are a natural human response to overwhelming stress or trauma. For members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the demands and dangers of their roles often increase the risk of experiencing traumatic events that can lead to PTSD. This not only affects the individual, but can deeply impact their Families as well.

Learning more about PTSD and its symptoms can be an important first step in navigating its impacts. Explore these resources offering information and strategies to help manage the effects of PTSD on your life and the lives of those you care about:

• PTSD and some treatment options: Overview of PTSD, including causes, symptoms, how it’s diagnosed and information on therapies and treatments.
• Parenting with PTSI resources: Two practical guides co-created with Veteran Family members to help parents talk about PTSI with their children.
• Public safety personnel and posttraumatic stress injuries: Educational resources and videos providing coping tips and strategies for people living with PTSI, including information on peer support and the impacts on Families.
• MindKit: A mental health education hub for young Family members of Canadian Veterans living with a PTSI, including hands-on tools, comics, videos and more.
• Resources for Families and friends: Overview of the effects of PTSD on the Family, including coping strategies and resources.
• Resources for children and youth: Information and resources for children with a Family member experiencing PTSD and coping tips for children dealing with secondary trauma stress.

Related information

• Neurofeedback: A promising new treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Fact sheet about how neurofeedback works to heal parts of the brain impacted by trauma
• Mind Beyond the Mission: Episode 10 – Posttraumatic growth — with RCMP Veteran Jason Anderson: Listen to our conversation about how traumatic experiences can sometimes spark posttraumatic growth that can foster openness, strength and compassion.
• A guide to moral injury for Veterans and Families: Understand what moral injury is, how it is different from PTSD, and next steps
• National Collaborative on PTSD and Related Mental Health Conditions: Convened by Atlas and the Canadian Institute on Public Safety Research and Treatment, the National Collaborative on PTSD aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge about PTSD between organizations that serve the military, Veteran and PSP communities and their Families.