Some of the 500 people who turned up to walk around Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra to celebrate the inaugural National PTSD Day.

We did it! There is now a National PTSD Day… a day when people around the nation can be made aware of post traumatic stress disorder, and a day when those suffering can start healing their lives.

Picking Up The Peaces achieved one of its major aims when ACT Minister for Police and Emergency Services Simon Corbell cut the ribbon and set more than 500 people walking around Lake Burley Griffin to celebrate the inaugural National Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day on October 11, 2008.

With an official Day now on the calendar the day after World Mental Health Day and incorporated within the annual Mental Health Week, PTSD has been set firmly in the public consciousness.

Federal Veterans’ Affairs Minister Alan Griffin and Mr Corbell both told the crowd that PTSD can severely impact on a person’s quality of life and on the lives of family and friends. They both hoped that through events like this, the stigma associated with PTSD could be lessened, and those who are suffering will be encouraged to seek assistance.

PTSD symptoms can develop after someone is exposed to an extremely traumatic event such as war, torture, rape, child sexual or physical assault, kidnapping, natural disaster, car accidents, or being diagnosed with a serious illness.

“Many emergency service personnel who are exposed to traumatic events can be prone to PTSD,” Mr Corbell said.

“If untreated, PTSD symptoms can severely impact on quality of life due to memory deficit, suicidal actions, fatigue and social phobia.”

He said Picking up the Peaces has attracted a growing national audience and is supported by groups such as the Vietnam Veterans Federation, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Defence Force.