Help us Help them:

Please Help us Help them:

Are you one of those people that look at what is going on in the world and think, “that’s not right, something should be done about that” Or say, “I wish I could help”?

Well here is your chance to help. Since Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was recognized as a disorder in 1980 there have been organizations established to assist people with this silent killer. Unfortunately, P.T.S.D. is an invisible epidemic and there are more people suffering from P.T.S.D.  today than ever before and not enough resources to help those afflicted with it. It is said that an estimated 70 percent of adults in North America  have experienced a traumatic event at least once in their lives and up to 20 percent of these people go on to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or  P.T.S.D.

The most prominent group that suffers from P.T.S.D. is our Military; I’m sure you’ve seen the news clips, the movies, the documentaries and can understand why.  You may even be one of them or are related to or know someone that has served, or that has been traumatized. Then you are already aware of the dilemma that faces those seeking help. It’s not just our Military that suffers from P.T.S.D., but right now they are the majority. 

Here are some staggering facts.

An estimated 5 percent of North Americans – more than 13 million people – have P.T.S.D. at any given time. Approximately 8-9 percent of all adults, That’s about one in 13 people, will develop P.T.S.D. during their lifetime.

Outside of the Military, it’s estimated that 1 out of 10 women will get P.T.S.D. at some time in their lives. Women are about twice as likely as men to develop P.T.S.D. This may be due to the fact that women tend to experience interpersonal violence (such as domestic violence, rape or abuse) more often than men.

Almost 17 percent of men and 13 percent of women have experienced more than three traumatic events in their lives.

The estimated risk for developing P.T.S.D. for people who have experienced the following traumatic events is:

·         Rape (49 percent)

·         Severe beating or physical assault (31.9 percent)

·         Other sexual assault (23.7 percent)

·         Serious accident or injury; for example, car or train accident (16.8 percent)

·         Shooting or stabbing (15.4 percent)

·         Sudden, unexpected death of family member or friend (14.3 percent)

·         Child’s life-threatening illness (10.4 percent)

·         Witness to killing or serious injury (7.3 percent)

·         Natural disaster (3.8 percent)

How does this affect me?

Well you have read the statistics and as I am sure most of you are aware that on any given day, an accident or something totally unexpected may happen and we pray that it doesn’t involve you. But, that is not always the case. The statistics don’t lie. If we aren’t already part of those statistics, we could be tomorrow. We’re not fortune tellers, we can’t predict the future, but I am sure most of us have some kind of insurance in place just on the freak chance something does happen. Just as I am sure that the people of New York just thought it was just another sunny Tuesday morning before the Twin Towers were hit. It is a day that everyone that saw it will remember for the rest of their lives.

How can I help now?

We have to ensure that resources are in place and organizations that treat those that suffer from P.T.S.D are properly equipped to do their work.  Then we have to help the people that have put themselves in harm’s way to protect us and our freedoms first. That is our Military. Secondly, we have to look after our First Responders because they are the people that are running into the danger that we are running from. Finally, we have to make certain that every person that has ever been traumatized and seeks help gets it.

By supporting the This Flag Flies Free campaign and sharing it with your friends, you will be doing just that. Everything has to start somewhere, so let’s get this started and bring an end to the suffering right here at home.

You won’t be saying something should be done about this, you will be saying, I did something about it.