PTSD Screening Day: Take the first step

June 27 is National PTSD Screening Day

June 27 is National PTSD Screening Day. The National Center for PTSD is encouraging Veterans and others who experienced trauma to start the conversation about recovery. Learning whether you have symptoms that might be PTSD is an important step to getting the treatment you deserve.

Giving it a name helped Navy Veteran Tia Christopher. “When I was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), I wouldn’t say that I was surprised,” Christopher said. “I was relieved, because that meant I wasn’t crazy. And I was glad there was a name for it.”

What is PTSD?

At some point, most people will experience or witness a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident or sexual assault. Some will go on to develop PTSD, a mental health problem that involves reliving the traumatic event, avoiding reminders of it, having more negative thoughts and feelings, and feeling on edge or on the lookout for danger.

The only way to know for sure if you have PTSD is to talk to a professional, like a primary care doctor or mental health care provider.

“PTSD is treatable, and it’s a normal response to trauma, not a sign of weakness,” said Dr. Paula Schnurr, executive director of the National Center for PTSD. “If you have PTSD, you can get help.”

What is a PTSD screen?

Taking a PTSD self-screen is a step toward recovery. A short set of questions that helps you understand if your feelings and behaviors are related to PTSD. One screening questionnaire is the Primary Care PTSD Checklist (PC-PTSD-5) 5 questions. After a brief question about whether you’ve experienced a traumatic event, it asks how that experience may have affected you in the past month.

After taking the PTSD checklist, you add up your “yes” answers. If your score is 3 or more, you may have PTSD. The next step is to schedule an appointment to speak with a healthcare provider.

If you answered yes to 1 or 2 questions, and are bothered by your symptoms, you can still make an appointment. A health care provider can help you make a plan to manage the things that continue to bother you since the trauma.

“Screening is an important first step, but it’s just the beginning,” said Schnurr. “Anyone can get PTSD—and everyone can get treatment for PTSD.”

Next steps & helpful resources

You don’t need to wait for June 27—the PTSD self-screen is available anytime. If the results of your screen suggest you may have PTSD, there are different routes you can take. Explore treatment options through the updated PTSD Treatment Decision Aid, which also includes the PTSD screen. You may want to find a mental healthcare provider. There are Veteran-specific services at every VA medical center. And if you’re not sure how to start the conversation with a provider, you can tell them you completed a PTSD screen or take a copy of your screen with you.

If you’re not ready to reach out to a provider, there are resources that can help you learn more. The newly updated PTSD Coach app can help you learn about and manage your symptoms. You can also hear from Veterans who turned their lives around with PTSD treatment at AboutFace. The Veterans who share their stories on the site know what recovery looks like from the inside.

Maybe you are concerned about a family member or friend. If you’ve noticed symptoms of PTSD or a change in behavior, you can encourage them to screen for PTSD or support them as they go through treatment for PTSD. The Understanding PTSD: A Guide for Family and Friends booklet may be helpful.

“Oftentimes family and friends will notice a change in a trauma survivor, and they can be a great source of comfort and support,” Schnurr added. “It’s very common for Veterans to enter treatment because of their family.”

No matter the type of trauma you experienced—or when it happened—treatment can help. If you think you’re experiencing symptoms of PTSD, take the self-screen and reach out to a provider today.

As Army Veteran Sherie Warner shared, “If you are struggling, it’s ok to ask for help. No matter what you had to deal with out there, you deserve the help… Take back your life.”

Additional resources

Visit the National Center for PTSD’s website to learn more about PTSD treatment, PTSD Awareness Month and PTSD Screening Day.