Lack of compassion from other college students fuels troubles for some with PTSD

I am in my last semester at Valencia College for Digital Media Live Event Certification. I meet a lot of veterans, especially veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. PTSD is one of the things they talk about the most. I am old enough to be their Mom and married to a Vietnam Veteran so when they ask what I do, I tell them I work with veterans and then they open up.

During a Veterans Day event at East Campus, I interviewed four veterans and each one talked about their military service and PTSD.



These students are having hard time going from combat to college but that makes them even more remarkable. With all they are carrying around with them, they didn't give up on the next part of their lives and their dreams are worth working harder for. While most other students have the usual problems these men and women are returning from years out of their lives when their lives were in danger on a daily basis. While most college students have no idea what is going on in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are remembering it everyday.

Lack of compassion fuels troubles for some with PTSD
By Jaime Ortega-Simo

Published: Monday, January 23, 2012

Some students who come from military backgrounds and then decide to pursue a college education can suffer from the somewhat common disorder known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can occur after someone has experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death.

Roger Buck, the interim director of the Counseling Center at Hocking College, spoke at the event "Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" held at the Ohio Union on Jan. 19. Buck said one of the biggest problems for students with PTSD is that when coming back from the military culture, they didn't fit well with the college crowd.

"These veterans are older individuals, have more life experience and leadership," Buck said.

"Veterans with PTSD feel disrespected by the childish behavior of traditional teenage students."

Buck said for many veterans with PTSD, there is a lack of respect by faculty and staff on campus for the sacrifices of veteran friends killed and injured. Buck said the "non-compassionate" attitude of staff members toward veterans suffering from PTSD does not help solve the problem.

"These guys have seen horrible events, smelled horrible stuff and experienced extreme human emotions," Buck said. "People need to be more understanding."

In addition to a change in attitude from professors and faculty, one professor suggested that the best solution to PTSD-related complications is to seek medical treatment.

"There are thousands of soldiers that suffer from PTSD," said Joseph DeCola, director of clinical services at OSU's Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic.
DeCola suggested students who suffer from PTSD seek psychiatric therapy.

"No one wants to go to treatment, but it works well," DeCola said. "They are not going to get better by themselves. It's just like going to the gym: If you don't work out, you're not going to get stronger."

DeCola said people with PTSD can suffer a snowball-effect if they don't get treatment, which causes nightmares, depressions and flashbacks until it becomes uncontrollable.
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