Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder during PTSD Awareness Month [Video]

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month, and mental health experts want you to understand the signs and symptoms.

Those experts say understanding what people diagnosed with PTSD go through is important, especially when it comes to using the term in conversation. There are several symptoms of traumatic stress, including intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and trouble sleeping.

These are all normal reactions from someone who has suffered a traumatic event. However, if these symptoms last for longer than a month, then someone may have PTSD.

PTSD is a term some people may loosely throw around to describe a bad experience, but one clinical psychologist says that’s not a good idea.

“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is very debilitating,” says clinical psychologist Dr. Josh Klapow. “We have to be careful about using diagnostic terms to refer to something as a bad experience for folks who suffer from PTSD that is …