May is National Trauma Awareness Month. It’s dedicated to focusing on improving trauma education, resources, prevention and treatment.

Local film maker and trauma survivor, Aaron Sanders, wrote and directed a short suspense/thriller film, "Garage,” to bring healing to himself and others who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after a sexual assault.

In “Garage,” the main character, Joshua, is a 40-year-old haunted by PTSD flashbacks from being sexually assaulted as a child. Sanders says he wanted to dramatize what it felt like for him, feeling trapped in his own trauma. Experts find, in some cases, horror and thriller films can therapeutically validate a trauma survivor’s internal feelings, which can be a critical part of the healing journey.