June Is PTSD Awareness Month: Signs, Treatment and Support

Each June we recognize PTSD Awareness Month, a chance to raise public understanding and support for those affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD can cause distressing symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, heightened startle responses, sleep disruption, difficulty concentrating, social withdrawal, and risky or impulsive behavior. These effects can be debilitating for the person experiencing them and can also strain families, workplaces, and communities.

PTSD Awareness Month highlights that, although PTSD can feel overwhelming, evidence-based treatments and support are available. Recovery is possible, and no one needs to face PTSD alone.

Below we review what PTSD is, how it shows up, who it affects, and the treatments and supports that help people heal. We also summarize the history and purpose of PTSD Awareness Month and how it encourages care and connection.

History of PTSD Awareness Month

PTSD has been officially recognized since the 1980s and was long associated primarily with military service and post-war experiences. While veterans and active service members still experience PTSD at somewhat higher rates than the general population, PTSD can arise after many kinds of trauma and affects people across all walks of life.

PTSD awareness efforts began to take formal shape with PTSD Awareness Day on June 27, 2010, established in memory of Staff Sergeant Joe Biel, a National Guard member with PTSD who died by suicide. Several years later, the U.S. government expanded that recognition so that the entire month of June is observed as PTSD Awareness Month. Today, national and local organizations use the month to promote education, reduce stigma, and encourage access to care.

Importance of PTSD Awareness Month

PTSD is more common than many realize—affecting roughly 12 million people in the U.S. at various times. One central goal of PTSD Awareness Month is to improve public knowledge about how common PTSD is, what symptoms to look for, and how to access help. Suggested awareness activities often include sharing resources, encouraging symptom screening, and promoting community supports.

Raising awareness helps reduce stigma and isolation. As licensed mental health professionals point out, greater awareness can encourage people to recognize symptoms earlier and seek evidence-based treatment. It also helps friends, family members, employers, and community leaders understand how best to support someone who is coping with trauma.

Understanding PTSD

PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. This includes combat, serious accidents, natural disasters, interpersonal violence, abuse, medical emergencies, and other life-threatening or deeply distressing experiences. Both adults and children can develop PTSD.

Not everyone exposed to trauma develops PTSD; research indicates that a portion of the population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Symptoms may appear immediately after the event or emerge months later. A formal diagnosis typically requires symptoms to persist for at least one month and to significantly interfere with daily functioning—at work, in school, or in relationships.

Common symptoms include intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, persistent negative thoughts, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, irritability, sleep problems, and avoidance of reminders of the trauma. Triggers—people, places, sounds, or situations that remind someone of the trauma—can provoke intense emotional or physical reactions.

PTSD affects diverse populations: veterans and emergency responders, of course, but also children, survivors of abuse, refugees and asylum seekers, medical workers, and others exposed to repeated or severe stress. Groups with limited access to healthcare, such as low-income families or older adults, can be particularly vulnerable to untreated trauma and its long-term effects.

Impact of PTSD on individuals and communities

When left untreated, PTSD can have profound consequences for both physical and mental health. It can disrupt sleep, concentration, and the ability to manage daily stressors, and it can interfere with work, school, and relationships. Avoidance behaviors may lead to social isolation and loneliness. In addition, long-term stress linked to PTSD is associated with higher risks for cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and metabolic conditions.

PTSD also affects loved ones and caregivers. Symptoms such as emotional instability, withdrawal, and impulsive reactions can strain relationships and create a cycle of misunderstanding and distance. At the community level, untreated PTSD contributes to economic and social burdens—through increased healthcare costs, lost productivity, unemployment, and disability.

Research has estimated substantial economic impact related to PTSD, driven by medical care, lost work, and disability. Public awareness, better access to evidence-based treatment, and expanded community supports can reduce this burden and improve outcomes for individuals and families.

Treatment and support for PTSD

The core message of PTSD Awareness Month is that effective treatments exist. Evidence-based approaches typically combine psychotherapy with therapies that address both body and mind. Many people benefit from trauma-focused psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), including trauma-focused CBT, and therapies that work with bodily responses to trauma, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

Other therapeutic options include brainspotting and immersive therapies like virtual reality exposure, which can be useful in specific cases. Community supports and peer groups—both in-person and online—play an important role in recovery by reducing isolation and providing practical and emotional support.

Medication can be a helpful adjunct for some people. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as venlafaxine (Effexor) are commonly used when appropriate. Treatment plans are most effective when tailored to the individual and coordinated with a trained clinician.

Role of PTSD Awareness Month in therapy and healing

PTSD Awareness Month aims to normalize conversations about trauma, reduce shame, and encourage people to seek support. Open discussion helps people realize they are not alone and that professional help can lead to meaningful improvements.

If you want to support someone with PTSD, listen without judgment, validate their experience, and encourage professional treatment when appropriate. Awareness efforts also focus on connecting people to care: despite a noticeable lifetime risk of PTSD for many adults, a significant share of people with PTSD symptoms do not receive treatment. Increasing awareness, screening, and access to trauma-informed care helps close that gap.

If you are looking for specialized care, seek clinicians experienced in trauma and PTSD. It may take meeting a few providers before you find the right fit. For those exploring options, Grow Therapy lists therapists trained in trauma-informed approaches and evidence-based PTSD treatment.