In 2007, June 27th was selected as the National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day in honor of the late Staff Sergeant Joe Biel and in 2014, the Senate named the month of June National PTSD Awareness month. Light Up To Live is dedicated to our Veterans is on a mission to help those suffering from the effects of PTS, traumatic brain injury, tissue injury, pain and depression.
What Is Post-Traumatic Stress?
The American Psychological Association defines Post-Traumatic Stress as an anxiety problem that develops after extremely traumatic events, such as combat, crime, an accident, or natural disaster. PTS survivors may experience feelings of reliving the event through intrusive memories, flashbacks, and nightmares. Those struggling may also experience disruptive anxiety they didn’t have before as well as avoid anything that reminds them of the trauma.
Veterans and PTSAccording to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that PTS afflicts about 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans who served in Iraqi, 12 out of every 100 100 Gulf War Veterans have PTS in a given year and an estimate that about 30 out of every 100 of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.
PTS Awareness
According to PTSDUnited.org, approximately 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. That percentage equates to about 223.4 million people. It’s estimated that up to 20% of that population will go on to develop PTS. Today, the number of individuals who have previously or are currently struggling with PTS equates to about 44.7 million. Join us in taking the pledge to help raise PTS awareness!
How Light Up To Live is Helping
Light Up To Live Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) public charity based in Addison, TX and founded by Randall and Sherry Reed. As a military family, they are dedicated to raising awareness about the members of our U.S. Armed Forces and Veterans living with the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), tissue injury, pain and depression. The foundation funds polychromatic light therapy systems that have been shown to increase blood flow in the body and reduce associated minor pain for active military and Veterans that we identify could most benefit from its use. Light Up To Live helps connect these military members and their families to other organizations that are in alignment with our mission to provide direct aid and assistance. We want to light a path to better health.
How You Can Help
You can help by joining forces with us through sponsoring, donating, or volunteering. We have three events that we invite you to attend.
Funds raised from these events directly support our mission to provide polychromatic LED Light Therapy Systems to Veterans as well as our funding of Service Dogs trained specifically for Veterans with PTS, TBI, and physical injuries.
If you or someone you know is experiencing PTS, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs can provide you with more information, a number to call for help, or the option to chat online with a counselor.
Those experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings are urged to contact the Suicide Crisis Hotline (1-800-273-8255). The Suicide Crisis Hotline has a specific resource for Veterans.