Mille Lacs County Chief Deputy discusses trauma, June is PTSD Awareness month.

The Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota shared a message on Facebook for PTSD Awareness month in June, encouraging people to reach out if they need help. PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition triggered by a traumatic experience with symptoms that can include nightmares, flashbacks, uncontrollable thoughts and severe anxiety. PTSD is a term that, I think, everybody knows, but I think they tend to attribute it only to certain types of people: military veterans and law enforcement, said Chief Deputy Kyle Burton. But there’s also people out there in our communities that are victims of crimes that also suffer from it. I think it’s important for us all to remember that you never know what kind of day somebody is having, and you don’t know what they’ve been through, Burton said. The sheriff’s office pointed to the Invisible Wounds Project, a free and confidential support line for veterans, first responders and front-line medical providers. Don’t wait till it is too late before you reach out! It’s ok to not be ok and ask for some help, the sheriff’s office said.