Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is common. There are approximately three million cases in the United States per year, and I am one of those three million cases that will be disagnosed by the end of 2016. I am not one to discuss such personal issues often, however, I recently realized that, unless you have experienced PTSD, it is hard to understand.

I was sitting with a very close friend of mine, a friend who had been present after the traumatic event that caused my PTSD. He had asked if I wanted to go somewhere, and I said,"No. That will trigger my anxiety. Let's go somewhere else." He then responded by stating,"I don't understand how you have PTSD." In the moment I was dumbfounded. He knew my experience, triggers, and the emotional responses that I have when I am triggered. Then, my amazement at his stupidity, turned into anger. Was he questioning the legitimacy of my illness? Did he see my experience as something I should've gotten over by now? since then, I have been filled with another emotion entirely. I am filled with embarrassment. People are not educated on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so I am taking this opportunity to educate anyone who takes the time to read this article.

Post Traumatic Stress DIsorder can be caused by a variety of things. Bullying, sexual assault, physical or mental abuse, or any event that is traumatic or terrifying can cause a person to develop PTSD. It can last for any length of time, from a month to the rest of the victim's life. PTSD can be characterized by flashbacks and anxiety accompanied by extreme physical and emotional responses.

The most important thing that I have learned from my PTSD is that we, as people, need to stop devaluing each other's emotions and experiences. No individual journey on this earth is identical to another. You don't have to understand where somebody's feelings come from or why they exist to respect them. They are there, and they are just as real as your own.