Uncovering PTSD: Part 1 “I wasn’t the only one.”
By: Kyle J Smith, Marketing Intern
What do our neighbors living in poverty in the urban core of Kansas City, MO, have in common with veterans returning from war? They experience PTSD at the same rate, according to a paper from the National Institutes of Health.
Studies show that veterans returning from war experience Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at a rate of 10-30%. It comes as no surprise to the team here at Reconciliation Services that our neighbors, who experience alarmingly high rates of eviction, exposure to violence, unemployment, limited access to mental health services, and barriers to so many life-stabilizing resources, experience PTSD at the same shocking rate as post-combat veterans.
We see it every day amongst our clients, often as a result of witnessing violence, which is rampant in Kansas City, MO – there are currently more homicides this year, 72, than there were this time last year. In a recent survey of our client guests here at RS, nearly 60% reported witnessing violence regularly and just over 50% reported having been victims of violence themselves.
This collective community-based trauma is inseparable from personal traumas, like childhood sexual assault or witnessing a fatal accident, which is more prevalent amongst people experiencing poverty. Nearly all (99%) of our client guests live below the federal poverty line–$26,200 for a family of 4 (adjusted for size of household).
We have been working to reconcile economic and racial disparities in this community for 30 years. In 2011, we started our first therapy group for women in an effort to address the root causes and the effects of poverty, violence, disinvestment, lack of education, racism, and homelessness that had left deep scars in our community. Through our REVEAL (Restore, Engage, Value, Encourage, Act, Lead) Program, we now offer Individual therapy for men and women, group therapy for men and women, and support groups for men and women dealing with PTSD and depression.
While these scars can be invisible to the naked eye, much of the pain and turmoil we are seeing across our country right now is evidence of the presence of trauma and its effects, exacerbated by the recent murder of George Floyd by a police officer and so many other instances of police brutality against people of color, increased stress and uncertainty caused by COVID-19 (the damage of which is felt acutely in African American communities), and the huge (and growing) unemployment rate nationwide.
These scars are also a very real, hurtful part of the everyday life of the people we serve and our neighbors here at RS. According to a paper from the The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “There is increasing evidence that the direct experience of racism and race-based stressors is a strong predictor of emotional distress, psychiatric symptoms, and the development of PTSD.”
In Jackson County, Missouri, 1 in 10 adults suffer serious mental illness and 40% of those are untreated, according to the Health Forward Foundation. Untreated PTSD can lead to a host of other problems including depression, alcohol and drug abuse, and difficulties at work and in personal relationships.
There are currently about 8 million people in the United States with PTSD. PTSD can affect anyone who has had a traumatic event in their life. According to the National Center for PTSD, which is spearheading PTSD Awareness Month in June, at least half of Americans have had a traumatic event in their lives. Of people who have experienced trauma, about 1 in 10 men and 2 in 10 women will develop PTSD.
For the month of June, we’ll be exploring the topic of PTSD on our blog, the effects it's had on our neighbors and community, and how through our REVEAL Mental Health Program clients like Cassandra have been able to begin healing from past traumas.
Cassandra first came to RS after returning home from incarceration. She joined our women’s support group and realized that other people were suffering too. “I heard a lot of other girls speak about their pain and what they were going through,” said Cassandra. “So I decided to open up and tell a little bit of my testimony.”
Under the guidance of our Mental Health Services Manager and Clinical Therapist, Sylvia Goodloe, LCSW, Cassandra was able to move past her pain and begin to heal. She said she could feel a difference, “To know I wasn’t the only one. That I do have a life. That I do have a chance. I let go. I’m free.”
Getting proper treatment for PTSD and starting a path to healing like Cassandra can be difficult for many of our neighbors who suffer from combinations of mental and behavioral health issues, underemployment, lack of insurance, housing insecurity, and social isolation (often due to lack of reliable transportation). Add to that stigmas about mental health care, particularly in the African American community, and the turmoil of navigating the complex web of social service agencies, and as a result too many of our neighbors go without the help they need to thrive.
That’s why at RS, our work has always centered around building relationships with our neighbors. It all started with food 30 years ago when our primary outreach work was feeding the hungry. That effort has since grown to our donate-what-you-can cafe, Thelma’s Kitchen – our starting point for reconciliation. By building trust with our neighbors, we are able to take a “stealth mental health” approach, moving from helping meet immediate needs for food or social services to addressing deeper mental and emotional health through our therapeutic services.
Recognizing and effectively treating PTSD also helps break down the intergenerational cycle of poverty facing our community, empowering individuals to improve their well-being and become advocates for themselves and their neighbors. We celebrate even the smallest step forward for our neighbors so that more people can shed tears of joy like Cassandra and proclaim, some for the first time, “I’m free.”
** Check out our blog each week in June as we explore the causes and effects of PTSD in low-income urban communities like ours, the evidence-based treatments we are using to help our client guests find healing, and the incredible strength it takes to seek healing and reconciliation.