JUNE 2024  brain awareness month   

June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's. 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia, it kills more than breast cancer & prostate cancer combined. In 2023, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation $345 billion. Of the total lifetime cost of caring for someone with dementia, 70% is borne by families either through out-of-pocket health and long-term care expenses or from the value of unpaid care.

Coffee with a Cause  june 2024     

Cognition is the leading category of disability in Colorado. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age. Some factors can increase the chance someone will have PTSD. For example, having a very intense or long-lasting traumatic event or getting injured during the event can make it more likely that a person will develop PTSD.

There are currently about 12 million people in the United States living with PTSD. People with PTSD often have co-occurring conditions, such as depression, substance use, or one or more anxiety disorders. There are many different treatment options for PTSD. "Getting better" means different things for different people. For many treatments can get rid of symptoms. Others experience fewer symptoms or feel their symptoms are less intense.

Disability & Health U.S. State Profile Data: Colorado | CDC

NIMH » Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (nih.gov)

PTSD Basics - PTSD: National Center for PTSD (va.gov)

Coffee with a Cause  june 2024  

PTSD among veterans and crime victims is often easier to identify or self-identify due to documentation and diagnostics. They also have trained professionals looking to treat PTSD and organizations who help advocate and support their programs. Meanwhile NAMI reports 65% of Americans still believe there are stigmas associated with mental health conditions and / or seeking treatment. This is a key consideration over-looked as it pertains to patients and caregivers with PTSD who are more likely to be misdiagnosed or self-diagnosed as just tired or depressed.

While more often associated with combat or crime PTSD can result after trauma caused by accidents, caregiving, chronic medical conditions and disabilities. But, the triggers and traumas experienced by patients, parents and professionals are often more difficult to qualify and document. Research from the NIH and others indicates that in fact PTSD has greater prevalence among select groups compared to the general population including: parents of children with Autism, family caregivers to older adults with Alzheimer's and dementia, and cardiac patients and heart attack survivors to name a few.  

Resilience and burden in caregivers of older adults: moderating and mediating effects of perceived social support - PMC (nih.gov)

Autism Parents May Be At Risk For PTSD (disabilityscoop.com)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Cardiac Patients: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Considerations for Assessment and Treatment - PMC (nih.gov)

Remember a balanced approach uses verified data to identify problems and to propose actionable solutions. Only those willing to have difficult conversations can solve difficult problems. The first step to solving any problem is accepting the data indicating a problem... not blaming the messenger or method of delivery.

So join us for Coffee with a Cause and let's keep the conversation going each month with more data and actionable real life solutions!