Trauma in the Classroom

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Created on Friday, 15 April 2016 15:54

Written by Skyler Dixon

AROUND THE NEK - College students who have served in the military aren’t at all different from students who haven’t; they want to go further in their life by attending college. However, there could be a chance that some student veterans can’t let go of what they experienced in their service, and are suffering because of it. That is the effect of post traumatic stress disorder.

Post traumatic stress disorder, known as PTSD, is a mental health condition associated with experiencing or seeing a terrifying event. For those who serve or have served in the military, there is a chance of PTSD being developed if trauma was experienced while on duty, and student veterans are at risk as well. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs say about half a million student veterans were receiving education benefits in 2009, and some of them are here in the Northeast Kingdom.

Margaret Sherrer, an Associate Professor of the Psychology and Human Services Department at Lyndon State College, has worked with veterans and their families in her 11 years at the college. Based on her own experiences working with those who needed help, Sherrer knows some ways how a veteran’s PTSD can be triggered in an academic environment.

“Based on feedback I’ve received from students over the years, some common ones are loud noises, war-related or other violent imagery in films or slides, discussion related to death and loss, and being in a crowded setting”, Sherrer said. “However, distressing memories or flashbacks can be triggered by seemingly neutral stimuli that are associated with a traumatic experience, a certain smell or sound for example.”

Understandably, some veterans may choose not to tell their instructors about their PTSD, for privacy reasons. However, this means that the condition is more prevalent than instructors may believe, says Sherrer.

“From a privacy standpoint, this is quite understandable. Because I teach a variety of courses that include trauma and PTSD as part of the content - Introduction to Psychology, Abornmal Psychology, Death and Dying, and Responding to Psychological Trauma to name a few - students often elect to disclose a PTSD diagnosis to me”, Sherrer said. “Other students have openly disclosed their histories in an effort to educate faculty, students, and staff about the challenges they face every day.”

The Lyndon State College Veteran’s Club is around 25 members strong, consisting of student veterans and regular students alike. Although small, the club helps veterans around the community who are disabled and are in need of assistance. Dyllan Durham, the LSC Student Government Association Representative for the club, is a student veteran who previously served for the Army National Guard. He says, in his own life, he does not have a personal connection with the condition.

“Personally, I cannot touch on the experience,” Durham says.

According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the percentage of veterans who suffer from PTSD change depending on the service. For two recent operations, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, it has been recorded that 11-20 out every 100 veterans suffer from PTSD, creating a percentage of 11-20%.

There is no cure for PTSD; rather, treatment exists to help those who suffer from it. The condition is also chronic, meaning it has the possibility to last for years or even be lifelong.

Instructors should help prepare students by giving any needed warnings before intense material is presented, says Sherrer, and the PTSD can stem from more than what is initially thought.

“I think it’s helpful to give all students permission to take a break during a classroom discussion or other activity that becomes distressing for any reason, “Sherrer said. “I think it’s important to recognize that PTSD can extend to other traumatic events such as physical and sexual assault, interpersonal violence, bullying, and other forms of psychological or physical intimidation.”

The Department of Veteran Affairs offers assistance for any veterans who are in need of assistance regarding PTSD, including locations to find therapists and numbers to counselors that can help.