Today is #PTSD Awareness Day. It's not only veterans who suffer from it, but regular people and journalists. For me, it started in Iraq after I covered a multiple suicide bombing. As the death and destruction piled up over the months, it got harder to function outside a war zone
I only felt normal when I was surrounded by chaos. I would have panic attacks when out in a normal city. Eventually I got help and after that I was very careful when covering conflict to look at my mental health and those of my colleagues.
News organizations have gotten alot better in helping journalists who suffer from PTSD. There is less stigma. But managers should also be aware that suffering from PTSD doesn't mean you shouldn't or can't cover conflict again.
Alot of the fear of talking about PTSD comes from the worry that it will adversely impact your career. That's why I'm speaking out today and have been very public about my experience with PTSD.
If you think you have PTSD -- get help. Talk to someone about it because it can take over your life. But I am also here to say, *my experience* was that you can recover and adopt ways to protect your mental health.
You aren't weak if you get #PTSD. You aren't damaged. You are human. You have experienced something terrible and you are trying to process it. Like a physical hurt, that requires work and rehabilitation and support. Reach out and get help.
All that said, I still don't like fireworks. Thanks for reading to the end. #PTSDAwarenessDay
