As the back-to-school season approaches, I always catch myself feeling anxious. The anxiety could be due to sport tryouts, wondering whether I have classes with friends, or even just general anxiety about a new school year. I have also experienced this feeling of anxiety due to starting a new year at a brand-new school. Growing up as an "Air Force Brat" comes with a lot of challenges...

PTSD is a collection of symptoms that occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic experience. It is important to understand that these experiences are very individualized but all include threats of or actual harm to oneself or others, experiencing or witnessing the injury or death of another person as well as sexual violence. These are broad categories due to the individualized nature of the experiences and later coping. If after a traumatic event the following symptoms persist, someone might consider an evaluation and treatment for PTSD.  Symptoms include varying degrees of irritability, depression and suicidal feelings, hypervigilance, hyperarousal, flashbacks, nightmares, persistent memories, intrusive thoughts as well as significant impacts on sleeping, eating, relationships, occupation and social interactions. 

Hope and Healing recognizes the many burdensome challenges faced by our LGBTQIA+ community members when seeking adequate healthcare, resources, and community support. We also recognize the fatal impact that these barriers are making on the health and well being of LGBTQIA+ individuals, specifically among young people.

Key findings from The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health include the following statistics: