PTSD Treatment Works: Cohen Veterans Network Shares #TruthsAboutTrauma for PTSD Awareness Month

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Jun 16, 2022, 10:19 ET

CVN Survey: Nearly One in Four (23%) Americans believe PTSD is Not Treatable

STAMFORD, Conn., June 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This June, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN), a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves post-9/11 veterans, service members and their families through a nationwide system of mental health clinics, is sharing #TruthsAboutTrauma for PTSD Awareness Month. The public health awareness campaign, which will be shared across the network's social media channels, aims to dispel misconceptions about PTSD and PTSD treatment to help reduce the stigma associated with the disorder and encourage those experiencing it to seek help.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. Last year, CVN revealed findings from its America's Mental Health PTSD Pulse Survey, which looked at Americans' general knowledge and understanding of PTSD. It found a number of strong misconceptions about the disorder on everything from symptoms to treatments, including:

Nearly one in four (23%) Americans believe PTSD is not treatable

The survey also captured a snapshot of the military-connected community's perception of, and experience with PTSD vs. those without a military affiliation, including:

Military-connected Americans (35%) are nearly 2x more likely than those without a military affiliation (18%) to think that PTSD is not treatable

However, PTSD is treatable. In fact, there are multiple treatment options that have been proven effective for treating PTSD. These include Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which are both research-supported, short-term effective therapies for addressing symptoms of the disorder. PE helps those engaged in the therapy to process traumatic events by gradual repeated exposure to trauma-related memories, emotions, and situations. While CPT targets ways of thinking that might keep people "stuck" in their PTSD.

"It is so important for people to realize that treatment for PTSD is available, and that it works," said Cohen Veterans Network President and CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan. "People experiencing PTSD do not have to suffer. To move more people towards life-changing therapy, we must continue to dispel the myths that exist around PTSD and work to destigmatize the disorder."

CVN provides high-quality, accessible mental health services to post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and military family members through its 21 Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics across the country. Since its inception in 2016, the network has treated more than 31,000 individuals. Treatment is available for a wide variety of mental health challenges including PTSD, depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, anger, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems, and children's behavioral problems. Care is available in person or via CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy.

Follow Cohen Veterans Network on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for various #TruthsAboutTrauma throughout the month of June.

ABOUT COHEN VETERANS NETWORK

Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) is a 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, operating a network of outpatient mental health clinics in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. It was established in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen with a commitment of $275 million to build the network. Learn more about CVN here.

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network