National PTSD Day recognizes those affected by the disorder

June 27 is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Day (Source: London Police Services)

London, Ont. -

June 27 is National PTSD Day – a day to recognize those affected by a traumatic event.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is, "a mental illness. It involves exposure to trauma involving death or the threat of death, serious injury, or sexual violence.

The day is set aside to bring awareness and education to eliminate stigma associated with PTSD.

Signs of the disorder can include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Reliving memories of the traumatic event
• Feeling anxious or on edge
• Avoiding people or things that remind you of the event
• Isolating or detaching yourself from other people

According to the CMHA's website, "while most people experience trauma at some point in their life, not all traumatic experiences lead to PTSD. We aren’t sure why trauma causes PTSD in some people but not others, but it’s likely linked to many different factors. This includes the length of time the trauma lasted, the number of other traumatic experiences in a person’s life, their reaction to the event, and the kind of support they received after the event."

London Police Services remind those affected to seek help and talk to a health care professional through a Tweet, Sunday including a link to the Boots on the Ground website which offers peer support for first repsonders.

The London Police Association also tweeted a compelling video from an officer discussing the impact of PTSD and how it came about for him.