The Auburn University Center for Governmental Services is giving hope to those with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The center is partnering with departments across the state for a conference to help those struggling with PTSD in the wake of various traumas.
The conference, titled "PTSDisorder to PTSGrowth," is scheduled for Thursday and Friday at Fort Whiting Armory in Mobile.
State leaders felt a PTSD conference was necessary given the rise of hardships touching the lives of so many.
"PTSD is a major issue today, and we are anticipating there will be lots of cases across communities," said Don-Terry Veal, director of AUCGS. "Of course, we have had some recent cases of hurricanes, tornados and natural disasters, so the issue of trauma has been a conscious concern for us.
"The fact that we will now have more returning veterans from various wars such as those coming from Afghanistan, Iraq and other places, we know that this is an effort we need to be involved in as a community."
PTSD is often associated with the military, and while veterans are a major group dealing with the illness, the leaders of the conference don't want to forget others with symptoms.
"Think of the trauma that has been experienced in our state through the tornados," said Toby Warren, chairman of PTSGrowth Resiliency National Committee for the Military, Veterans, Families and Children. "We are saddled with trauma all around us, and sometimes we don't even know it. This is certainly not just for the military\0xAD--it is for all civilians around us and learning how to cope with all trauma."
Conference leaders want those in attendance to leave feeling hopeful.
"We knew that we wanted to have a positive outlook on this because we have learned through the medical field that there is a way that individuals can learn to live with the challenge of PTSD," Veal said.
Warren said this conferece will be different from other PTSD gatherings.
"There are conferences left and right," Warren said. "What's different here is that people are coming to tell their story, and their stories are powerful. It's going to be a different kind of a learning experience for the attendees."
The location was chosen to have a regional impact due to Mobile's proximity to other states and Fort Whiting's historical and present role with traumatic situations.
"(Fort Whiting) is a historic armory built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration during Roosevelt's administration," said Col. Bryan Morgan, chief legal officer for the Alabama National Guard.
"A lot of the men who went overseas went out of Fort Whiting. We used it as a hurricane shelter, too. We've used it for years for emergencies, and we thought this relates to emergencies, so this would be appropriate."
The organizers invited health care providers, probate judges, emergency room personnel and law enforcement officers.
"All of our speakers have one thing in common," Warren said. "They want to help better serve those who are dealing with trauma."
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