Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Young Men of Color

When most people hear “PTSD,” they think of veterans. However, a recent California Endowment action brief redefines the term and explains how boys and men of color are not getting the treatment of PTSD that they need. “While many people picture trauma as involving violence, abuse, or a disaster, just as many fail to realize […]

Local Vets struggle with PTSD, addiction

Emily took a bullet in the helmet while a combat medic in Afghanistan. She helped many lives while in active duty. But things got harder when she returned to California. She returned she started relying on drugs and pills to get through each day. “About one in 10 veterans seen by Veterans Affairs (VA) returning […]

Op-Ed: Trigger warnings won’t help us grow

Kallayan Thuch hoped to graduate college into a world where open discussions could occur spontaneously on a variety of subjects. Instead, she says, people have begun to employ the notion of trigger warnings as a means of censorship. “The truth is that the people who cry trigger at every opportunity also help discredit those who truly do have […]

Not just a veterans’ problem: PTSD strikes children

Anyone can develop a disabling reaction to trauma. Far from being exclusive to military veterans, children and teens exposed to traumatic events early in their lives are at high risk of developing post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Boyle Heights youth David Torres became homeless when he was 12 years old. “Some people it affects a lot stronger, […]

Tony Zapata’s patriotism is working for veterans

Tony Zapata, a 69-year-old Vietnam veteran and Boyle Heights resident, found his calling working with and advocating for veterans. He works with soldiers struggling with addictions and other mental health issues like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Finding housing and services for vets is a priority for Zapata in his work. “The system right now is flooded with young men coming back, and it’s […]

PTSD isn’t just for veterans

Youth Radio reports on a new medical study seeking therapies to heal the teen brain’s emotional trauma caused by violence at home and in the community. This piece was originally aired on NPR’s All Things Considered.