You might not always see it, but many of your colleagues, friends, and maybe even you, are carrying invisible wounds. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) doesn’t always look how people expect it to. It’s not just something that affects veterans or those who’ve lived through the extraordinary. Sometimes it’s born from experiences that quietly break a person down over time. It could be bullying, a toxic work environment, medical trauma, or childhood adversity.
That’s why National PTSD Awareness Day on 27th June matters. It’s a much-needed reminder to pause, reflect, and bring compassion into our workplaces and relationships. At PMAC, we see first-hand how trauma shows up at work–in burnout, in withdrawal, in short tempers, in the people who are trying their best but still feel like they’re failing. PTSD can make daily life feel like a battlefield, even when everything looks ‘fine’ on the outside.
By raising awareness, you help create a space where healing becomes possible. This day gives all of us an opportunity to understand the struggles of those living with PTSD, and to ask an essential question: What can I do – as a colleague, a manager, or simply as a human being, to make life safer for someone who’s hurting?
What is National PTSD Awareness Day & Why Should You Care?
National PTSD Awareness Day, observed on 27th June each year, is a powerful reminder to pause and reflect on the silent struggles many people face. In the UK, thousands live with post-traumatic stress. Not just veterans, but also those affected by domestic abuse, workplace bullying, serious accidents, medical trauma, or childhood adversity.
You might be working with someone who’s struggling. Or living with them. Or loving them. PTSD doesn’t just affect the person who’s experienced trauma. It touches families, friendships, and entire communities.
This day matters because awareness is the first step toward compassion. When you begin to understand what someone with PTSD might be going through, you’re better placed to support them at work, at home, and in everyday life.
What Does PTSD Look Like?
PTSD doesn’t have one face. It can show up in quiet, hidden ways that are often misunderstood. While some people might associate it with flashbacks or panic attacks, many live with more subtle, chronic symptoms that affect their daily functioning. And for those with complex PTSD, often linked to prolonged or repeated trauma, the impact can run even deeper.
According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, around 1 in 10 people in the UK will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Many don’t even realise they have it, they just know something feels “off”.
Common symptoms include:
- Hypervigilance – always feeling ‘on edge’, even in safe environments
- Sleep disturbances – frequent nightmares or trouble falling and staying asleep
- Emotional numbing – struggling to feel joy, connection or intimacy
- Intrusive memories – flashbacks, distressing thoughts, or sudden physical reactions to reminders of the trauma
- Avoidance – steering clear of people, places, or situations that feel triggering
- Irritability or anger – often misunderstood as moodiness or poor attitude
- Low self-worth – particularly in complex PTSD, where long-term trauma can deeply affect how someone sees themselves
In the workplace or at home, these might look like:
- Withdrawing from social interactions
- Struggling with concentration or memory
- Difficulty coping with feedback or change
- Overworking as a way to stay distracted
- Feeling constantly overwhelmed by everyday tasks
PTSD can make even the most routine parts of life feel unsafe. And because trauma responses are often invisible, it’s easy for people to feel isolated or “too much” for others to handle. But they’re not. They’re responding in the only way their nervous system knows how, and awareness is the first step toward meeting that with empathy rather than judgement.
How You Can Support Someone with PTSD
You don’t need to be a therapist to make a difference. Often, it’s the small, consistent acts of care that create the biggest impact. Whether you’re a colleague, friend, or family member, you can help someone with PTSD feel less alone.
Practical ways to support someone:
- Listen without pressure. Let them share on their terms. You don’t need to fix anything, just be present.
- Respect boundaries. Don’t push them to talk or take part in things that feel unsafe.
- Stay calm and steady. Predictability helps regulate a nervous system that feels constantly on alert.
- Learn the signs. Notice what triggers distress and what helps bring calm.
- Avoid judgement. Phrases like “just move on” or “it wasn’t that bad” can be deeply harmful.
- Encourage support. Gently signpost to therapy, peer support, or trauma-informed services.
If you’re a manager or employer, consider:
- Offering flexible working hours or remote options
- Making room for regular breaks and mental health days
- Creating a psychologically safe culture where vulnerability isn’t punished
- Bringing in trauma-informed training (such as PMAC’s workshops) to educate your team
Healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in connection. When you offer that connection with patience and care, you become part of someone’s recovery even if you never see the full extent of what you’ve helped them carry.
Making the Most of National PTSD Awareness Day
Awareness without action can fall flat. National PTSD Awareness Day gives you a real opportunity to show up. Not just with words, but with care, curiosity and commitment.
Here’s how you can make the day meaningful, whether at work or in your community:
- Start a real conversation. Ask your team or your family what they understand about PTSD. It doesn’t need to be formal, just honest.
- Share resources. Signpost to charities like Combat Stress, Mind, or PTSD UK, and share articles (like this one) that offer insight and support.
- Check your culture. If you’re in a leadership role, take a moment to ask: “Is our workplace trauma-informed? Or do we expect people to push through silently?”
- Invite someone to speak. Whether it’s a lived experience speaker or a trauma-informed trainer, hearing from real voices changes perspectives.
- Wear a teal ribbon. It’s a simple symbol of solidarity and a quiet way to let others know you’re safe to talk to.
- Practice patience. If someone cancels plans, seems distracted, or isn’t themselves, offer understanding not frustration.
These aren’t one-off gestures. They’re habits of empathy, and when built into your daily life, they send a powerful message: You don’t have to pretend. You’re allowed to feel. And you’re not alone.
Final Thoughts: Awareness is Where Healing Begins
PTSD is not a weakness. It’s a response to experiences that overwhelmed a person’s ability to cope. And for many, it’s a quiet, daily fight to feel safe in a world that once hurt them.
National PTSD Awareness Day isn’t just about raising awareness. It’s about choosing compassion over judgement. It’s about slowing down, listening deeply, and recognising that even when someone looks fine, they might be carrying a weight you’ll never fully see.
At PMAC, we believe change begins with understanding, and continues with action. Whether you’re a friend, a manager, or someone simply trying to do better, your care matters more than you know.
You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to show up gently, consistently, and with heart. That’s how healing begins.