On Memorial Day, we honor the men and women who died in military service. At NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania, we not only remember those who gave their lives for our country, but those who returned home. Many soldiers who return from war have a hard time adjusting to "normal life" once again. Some of these returning vets experience Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).PTSD is an illness that causes a person to feel stressed and afraid after a dangerous or traumatic event -- such as war, a hurricane or an accident -- is over. Oftentimes, the symptoms don't begin until several months after the event.
In recent months, NAMI has placed significant focus on veterans returning from war. We featured a cover story on veterans in the most recent edition of our newsletter, The Voice.
At our annual education conference on April 18, our morning session was dedicated to PTSD. We also offered an afternoon workshop on PTSD. This workshop attracted the most attendees of any of the workshops offered this year. Attendees learned more detailed information on what PTSD is, how to identify it and what treatments are available.
For more information, contact us at info@namiswpa.org or 412-366-3788. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
