PTSD, Loneliness and the Importance of Trauma-Informed Care

June is recognised as PTSD Awareness Month, and alongside this comes Loneliness Awareness Week and Men’s Mental Health Month in the USA. Although these awareness campaigns focus on different themes, I believe they are deeply connected.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often misunderstood. Many people still associate PTSD mainly with men in the armed forces or emergency services, but PTSD can affect anyone. Women experience PTSD too, often because of childhood trauma, domestic abuse, loss, neglect, or prolonged exposure to toxic environments.

I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2021, although looking back, I think the roots stretched much further into my childhood. I grew up in a home affected by domestic violence. I remember police being called, the house being trashed, and family members arriving in the middle of the night to collect me and my sister. There was divorce, conflict, tears, fear, and ongoing toxicity that shaped so much of how I viewed the world and myself.

For years, I never recognised how much shame I carried. I used to read the work of Brené Brown and her theories around shame and vulnerability, but I never fully connected the dots. Deep down, shame was something I lived with every day.

One thing people do not often talk about is the loneliness that can come with PTSD. Trauma can make people withdraw, feel misunderstood, or constantly remain “on alert.” It can affect relationships, trust, confidence, and the ability to feel emotionally safe with others. Many people suffering with PTSD feel isolated, even when surrounded by people who care about them.

Thankfully, recovery is possible. I received EMDR therapy remotely over Microsoft Teams, and it worked wonders for me. EMDR helped me process memories and experiences that had remained emotionally unresolved for years. It was life changing.

In my work with Teesside Mind, we are taught the importance of trauma-informed care, it is one of our guiding principles. Trauma-informed care recognises that behaviour, emotions and coping mechanisms are often rooted in past experiences. Without understanding trauma, we cannot fully understand people.

This is especially important when encouraging men to seek support. Many men still feel reluctant to access counselling or traditional talking therapies. That is why new approaches matter. At Teesside Mind, we are now using immersive mindfulness interventions through VR headsets, offering an alternative starting point for people who may not yet feel comfortable sitting face-to-face with a counsellor. Technology like this can help break down barriers and create new pathways into support.

Awareness months are important, but understanding must continue all year round. PTSD does not always look visible, loneliness is not always obvious, and trauma affects people in deeply personal ways. By creating compassionate, trauma-informed spaces and continuing to innovate how support is offered, we can help people feel less alone — and remind them that recovery is possible.

Blog kindly shared with us, in her own words by Erica, Teesside Mind