In This Issue

Feature Topic

Help Someone You Love on PTSD Awareness Day

If someone close to you has been diagnosed with PTSD, it can be hard to know how to support them. At the same time, it’s important to remember that PTSD also affects family and friends — and it’s normal for you to struggle, too.

Here’s the good news: there’s a lot you can do to help your loved one heal, strengthen your relationship — and take care of yourself too. Things may not go back to exactly the way they were before, but they can get better — even if your loved one has been struggling for years.

Here are some ways you can support a loved one who has with PTSD — but the strategies and tips may be helpful for supporting anyone who has experienced trauma.

Find out as much as you can about PTSD

Knowing how PTSD affects people may help you understand what your family member is going through. The more you know, the better you and your family can handle PTSD.

• Learn about PTSD and how it affects friends and family members in this new 16 page, full color booklet Understanding PTSD: A Guide for Family and Friends English | Español (PDF)
• Find out about PTSD treatment and compare treatment options with the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid

Offer to go to doctor visits with your family member

You can help keep track of therapy appointments and/or medications, and you can be there for support. If your loved one is getting Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy, learn about ways you can help during treatment:

• Cognitive Processing Therapy: helping during treatment (PDF)
• Prolonged Exposure: helping during treatment (PDF)

Get Support

A support system will help your family member get through difficult changes and stressful times. A support system for you will help you be there for your loved one in the best ways possible.

• Download PTSD Family Coach (ITunes iOS) – a free mobile app that helps support family members of those living with PTSD.
• Contact Coaching Into Care: a free service that assists family members and friends with concerns about the mental health and well-being of the veteran in their life. Call 1-888-823-7458.

CONNECT to resources that can help. Give support. Get support. You can make a difference today in someone's life. For many people, it can be hard to reach out for help. Read tips on how to overcome barriers to care and know that there is support for family and friends too.

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For Providers

Consult with PTSD Experts

The PTSD Consultation Program offers free PTSD consultation to any provider who treats Veterans in any setting.

This program is now open to Community Providers.

PTSD Lecture Series

• July 18: Balancing Clinical Flexibility while Preserving Efficacy in Delivering EBPs for PTSD, Tara Galovski, PhD

Mark your calendar: Third Wednesday of the month at 2pm ET and download a calendar reminder to save the date.

Subscribe

Sign up to receive monthly emails that include a registration link and instructions for joining the live lectures.

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PTSD Research

Stay Up-To-Date

Are you staying up-to-date with the latest research developments in PTSD? Learn about best practices in PTSD assessment and treatment at the National Center for PTSD website. We provide many tools you can use to better help your patients with PTSD. The National Center also offers free PTSD Continuing Education opportunities for health care professionals.

During PTSD Awareness Month, please encourage your colleagues to subscribe to these publications from the National Center for PTSD:

• Clinician's Trauma Update - Online
• PTSD Research Quarterly
• PTSD Lecture Series Updates

Share the PTSD Monthly Update

Help Raise PTSD Awareness and forward this update to others so they can subscribe. We send one update per month to keep you informed of the latest PTSD developments.

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PTSD in the News

What is PTSD? Dr. Sonya Norman talks to Health.com about Ariana Grande’s PTSD symptoms a year after the Manchester bombing. Read more.

Thank you,

The Staff of VA’s National Center for PTSD

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