PTSD - Vets, Women, and Children (especially Chicago)

We often associate PTSD with our hero veterans returning from war zones, and they certainly deserve the best treatment and empathy we can provide. In addition, there are two other groups who suffer higher proportionate PTSD incident rates. Those are women who have been subjected to trauma (often violence, rape, etc.) and inner city children/teens - who witness violence on a daily basis in our domestic war zones. 

PTSD is 3X more common in women - mainly due to violence (including rape) against women. In fact, one of out ten women experience some form of PTSD during their lives. 

Equally alarming, PTSD rates among inner city children who witness violence is estimated at 35%. I have seen this first hand at the Colbeth Clinic in Chicago. Our clinical workers will see PTSD symptoms in children as young as 4 years old. Can you imagine your child suffering at the age of four with PTSD? This is unthinkable while 5 miles up the road in Chicago's north shore the biggest worry a parent has is - will their child make a traveling sports team or be in enrolled in advanced placement classes. 

While I don't want this blog to be political in nature - I can't help but point out how our politicians (both parties) are failing our inner city children and families in an unimaginable way. We know Chicago is a War Zone killing hundreds each year - but we don't think about the hundreds of thousands of children and adults suffering from PTSD in the same war zone. 

PTSD is an enormous issue in America with over 24 Million sufferers. You are likely close to someone or interact with someone who is suffering from PTSD. There are many private resources and some public resources dedicated to the treatment of PTSD.

I encourage everyone to support our Vets, but don't forget about the violence against women and those inner city children (and adults) suffering from PTSD. I hope someday our politicians don't forget about these two other groups, as they deserve the same access to treatment resources as anyone suffering from PTSD. 

Douglas Colbeth