If someone told me that by college, I would recognize similarities in my mental health to that of a cis-white male veteran, I would have ignored them and laughed.
Me? A quirky millennial Black woman, from a middle-class single parent home?
Relating with a veteran, of ALL people? NOPE!
“What’s the similarity?”
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Which according to the American Psychological Association, women are 2x more likely to have! And when adding the intersectionality of being a minority, there are other negative mindsets that deter women from seeking help. For example, as a Black woman growing up, I witnessed the “Strong Black Woman” narrative being presented. Not realizing until later that trauma is at the root of said narrative (usually as a cover to not discuss PTSD.)
Growing up in MD, I knew the importance of military service, but that PTSD was synonymous with veterans too. 9/11 made that clearer, with the back-to-back wars producing an influx of veterans returning home with PTSD. Quickly society shined a spotlight on male veterans specifically, from portrayals on TV shows and movies, to funding for PTSD research, and just an increased interest nationwide.
As the years went on, other groups came into the spotlight for having PTSD such as: police officers, survivors of sexual assault or other types of abuse, refugees, immigrants, and many more. While this showed the wide spectrum that PTSD has in terms of who it affects, it’s still focused primarily on those with severe trauma. Soon everyone classified trauma in a one-size fits all box, ignoring that trauma presents itself in simple ways too.
It’s Just A Phase! I’ll Grow Out Of It!
As a teenager during this period, trying to figure out my mental health, every time PTSD came up, I negated the idea because I thought my experiences “weren’t bad enough.” When I stepped back and stopped looking at mental health through society’s lens, THEN could I transparently explore my trauma.
Growing so much over the years, I’ve learned to empower my true self, that was hidden behind a mountain of trauma. Because trauma does not define a person, instead providing a blueprint for nurturing a growing the person hiding behind it all.
“YOU Get Trauma! & YOU Get Trauma! Trauma for EVERYONE!”
With the entire world having experienced collective trauma in 2020, old, outdated narratives of PTSD and mental health are FINALLY DYING. But there’s still TONS of work to do since many continue to downplay their trauma, and don’t seek treatment for PTSD. June is PTSD Awareness Month and I highly encourage you to take a step back and evaluate if you’re downplaying any experiences that are trauma. By downplaying them and not recognizing it’s a bigger issue, you’re setting yourself up to get burned out more quickly and continue to have the symptoms control your life.
Like any mental illness, PTSD is not one size fits all, taking multiple trials and errors to find the best path for recovery. I can tell you, though, that working on even one aspect of your trauma can make a vast difference in your life.
You get so used to living in whatever cycle you’re in, no matter how uncomfortable it is. To where you aren’t even trying to get out of that dark place. Challenge yourself to get out of those negative cycles and explore how you can flip the script!