I’ve been networking more than usual in an effort to get the word out about my upcoming book. When I explain what my memoir is about, I usually tell people that I have PTSD.
Before I can continue on, more often than not I’m asked the following question; “Did you serve?”
On the one hand, I absolutely love that people ask me this question because to me it shows an increased awareness and appreciation for our troops and what many are going through as a result of their service. On the other hand, it reminds me of one of the reasons I wrote my memoir—to educate people about PTSD.
PTSD is not limited to the military, and I have no doubt that most people understand that. However, it’s so easy to find a memoir or an article written by a veteran with PTSD, and I’m certain that’s why I’m asked this question all the time.
Let’s look at some facts. There are 24.2 million Americans who suffer from PTSD. Of those people, 300,000 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have PTSD. Even though that number does not include veterans from the Gulf, Vietnam and Korean wars, it’s clear to see that the vast majority of people with PTSD are not veterans. Simple math tells us that over 23 million non-military citizens of our country have PTSD. That’s a lot of people!
I praise all of our military servicemen and servicewomen for sharing their experiences, and I will feel incredibly honored when my memoir is sitting on a shelf next to these brave stories. For everyone else who is suffering from PTSD and never served in the military and who feel like they don’t have stories to inspire them, I want them to know that they are not alone.
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