Traumatic Experiences Community Check-In 1 June 2020

Traumatic Experiences Community Check In June 1, 2020

The focus of todays check-in will be stigma related to mental illness and PTSD in particular. This topic was recommended by one of you and I would like to thank them for choosing such a wonderful topic to address and focus on. There are many individuals who experience stigma from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This can be a debilitating condition since the symptoms often lead to incredible emotional distress. Individuals with PTSD can often experience negative issues with relationships, work, or school.Individuals with PTSD may also be more likely to develop other disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or substance abuse. Availability does exist for effective treatment of PTSD and other disorders, but these treatments are only helpful if they are sought out by someone with the disorder. Unfortunately, this does not always occur.

Stigma- A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance,quality or person.

A study showed that among a large group of people with a variety of diagnoses (i.e., major depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders), fewer than 30 percent actually sought out treatment. Individuals with PTSD may be particularly reluctant to seek help.

Stigma refers to associating negative qualities with having a mental illness. For example, a person with a mental illness may be wrongly viewed (and may even view themselves) as being weak or "damaged." This perception leads to feelings of shame or embarrassment. Stigma may be particularly pronounced among military service members with a psychological disorder. For example, one study found that among United States service members returning from Bosnia, 61 percent strongly agreed with the idea that disclosing a mental illness would harm their career. In addition, 43 percent strongly believed that admitting to having a psychological condition would cause other people to not want to be around them.

Having a psychiatric disorder or a history of mental illness is not a sign of weakness or a reason to feel ashamed. Mental health conditions are common and many of the factors that cause a psychological disorder are completely out of a person's control. There is no evidence that disorders develop as a result of someone not being strong enough. There are many effective treatments available for mental illness and ways to learn how to cope with your symptoms.

I do hope you all are implementing positive coping techniques to address the symptoms of suffering traumatic experiences today and everyday. I will now ask you these four questions of you all:

How are you feeling today?

What coping techniques do you all use to cope with the symptoms of suffering trauma?

What, if any, stigma have you felt in regards to your individual struggles.

Can you think of any ideas for Wednesdays Check-in topic?

I know I normally ask three questions but I felt the need to ask a fourth one today. I have experienced stigma first hand and do not wish these thoughts on anyone. I do hope you all have a better today than yesterday, in hopes for a better and brighter tomorrow my friends!

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