PTSD Awareness Month: No, It's Not Just a Veteran's Issue
June is PTSD Awareness Month, and let’s get one thing straight—PTSD doesn’t wear a uniform. It doesn’t look like one thing, and it doesn’t belong to one group.
Yes, veterans are affected. But so are survivors of abuse, assault, accidents, medical trauma, and natural disasters. It’s time to widen the lens and talk about the millions of people walking around with trauma that doesn’t show up on the surface.
What PTSD Actually Is (Not Just in the Movies)
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that develops after a person experiences or witnesses a terrifying or traumatic event.
Symptoms can include:
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Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares
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Hypervigilance and exaggerated startle response
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Emotional numbness or detachment
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Avoidance of triggers or reminders
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Mood swings, anger, and anxiety
Some people get diagnosed days after trauma. Others? Years. It’s not a timeline—it’s a landmine.
Who Actually Gets PTSD? (Spoiler: Anyone Can)
Roughly 1 in 11 people will be diagnosed with PTSD at some point. Here are some groups that face even higher risks:
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Veterans and active-duty military
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Sexual assault and domestic violence survivors
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First responders (EMTs, firefighters, police)
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Medical trauma survivors (ICU patients, COVID-19 long haulers)
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Children who have faced neglect, abuse, or major loss
Trauma doesn’t discriminate, and neither does PTSD.
The Teal Ribbon: Subtle, But Strong
The teal ribbon is the official symbol for PTSD awareness. It stands for healing, resilience, and visibility.
When you wear a teal ribbon pin, you’re doing more than accessorizing:
You’re saying: "I believe you. I see you. I support your healing."
The Stigma? Still Alive and Well
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People with PTSD are still told to "toughen up."
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Many therapists aren’t trauma-informed.
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Survivors are gaslit into silence or shame.
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And worst of all? Some people still think PTSD is just an excuse.
We need to end that. Yesterday.
These Orgs Are Getting It Right
We’re not affiliated, but here’s who we trust to be doing the work:
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National Center for PTSD (ptsd.va.gov): Leading research and education
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Give an Hour (giveanhour.org): Free mental health support for trauma survivors
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The Trevor Project (thetrevorproject.org): LGBTQ+ youth support and crisis intervention
How You Can Actually Help
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Educate yourself about PTSD and trauma responses
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Ditch the harmful language (no more "get over it")
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Support trauma-informed therapy and resources
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Wear the teal ribbon pin to start conversations that matter
Awareness is only useful if it leads to empathy. Empathy is only useful if it leads to action.
Why Our Pins Matter
Our PTSD Awareness Pins aren’t for decoration—they’re declarations.
Teal Ribbon Enamel Pins
Clean, strong, visible support.
Survivor Ribbon Pins
Because surviving trauma is a daily act of courage.
Fuck PTSD Pins
They’re for the warriors. The survivors. And the allies who refuse to look away.
Replace Silence With Support
This June, don’t just throw around buzzwords like "resilience."
Be the person who gets it. Who listens without fixing. Who cares without conditions. And who wears teal like it means something.
Because to someone fighting PTSD, it absolutely does.