Montezuma County will host a seminar for military veterans with PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, this weekend.
Held at the County Annex on Chestnut Street from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 22, the PTSD seminar is hosted by Montezuma County Veteran Services. Veterans Administration officials from the Farmington Vet Center present the informational seminar.
Veterans and their family members are encouraged to attend. To ensure adequate refreshments are available, officials urge participants to RSVP by calling (970) 564-2779 or (970) 565-7155.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 1 in 5 veterans deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom are diagnosed with PTSD in a given year. Up to 30 percent of Vietnam-era veterans are estimated to suffer from PTSD in their lifetime.
In addition to combat experience, PTSD can also be brought on by sexual trauma while in the military.
Among veterans who use VA health care, about 1 in 4 women have reported sexual assault while in the military and more than half reported sexual harassment.