“This film is very graphic, so I understand if you need to leave the classroom. Just make sure you get the notes.” Surprisingly enough it felt like my professor warned us so much that I actually felt underwhelmed when we viewed the film which was supposed to be extremely violent and sexually explicit. A few people left the room but most stayed. At any rate, I appreciated that he gave us a heads up.
At this point, UNC Charlotte is the third college I’ve attended. I don’t think I’ve ever gone through a semester of school without sitting in a class where a student is offended by the content we have to learn. Whether it’s been a matter of race or religious beliefs, I’ve seen a bunch of heated debates occur in the classroom, some civil and others not so much.
All of that is to be expected. But what do you do when the content you’re exposed to doesn’t offend you but instead triggers you and sends a wave of fear throughout your body? The term “trigger” refers to any content that can bring up traumatic memories to an individual and usually affects those who have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“There is a distinct difference between offensive content and a trigger. Anyone can find something offensive,” says Sophia Parrow, a clinical social worker at the campus’ Counseling Center. Being exposed to triggering content can have a damaging effect on someone and will often affect their school life and social life. It also has a negative impact on one’s mental health.
My first semester here I signed up for a mandatory LBST course. I had the unfortunate luck of enrolling in a class centered on Japan during World War II. Pretty soon I caught on to the subtext of Dr. Morrill’s lectures: you’re all spoiled little brats who have had the world handed to you and you don’t know what it’s like to actually suffer.
We had to read some pretty explicit stuff and watch intensely violent clips. I tried to see if I could switch to another LBST class but it seemed like all of the classes were just as violent and depressing.
It wasn’t long before a guy in my class ran out of the classroom while we were being shown a clip that was particularly brutal. The next class he explained that he had just come back from serving in Iraq and had trouble viewing such images. I knew how he felt, sort of.
The other day I realized something. The number of sexual abuse victims and number of veterans seems to be pretty high, at least based on the people I’ve met. And then there’s the number of people who deal with PTSD in general. Tons of people get bullied, beaten, abused and raped, so why on earth doesn’t the school system try to help more? Why should these issues be swept under the rug?
One could argue that the responsibility falls on the student to report their issues to professors. But there’s one problem, there’s a huge stigma around topics like mental health and rape.
I should acknowledge that many of my professors have urged students to come up and talk to them on issues regarding disabilities. But even then, “it’s a lot to ask someone to go up to their professor and share that kind of information,” says Parrow. Even if a student with PTSD did have the courage to talk to their professor about their needs in the classroom, doing so could also bring back awful memories for that student.
I’ve wanted to talk to my professors for months about warning me about certain content that is discussed or viewed in class but I chicken out every time. The fact is that some people don’t look at you the same way once you reveal that certain images and sets of words can leave you feeling traumatized all over again.
To a person who has PTSD, it feels like a weakness, a dead limb you wish you could just cut off. Sometimes you sit in class hoping nothing comes up that will send you running from the room screaming or crying.
In an ideal world, we would be able to prevent victims of PTSD from being exposed to unexpected triggers. But asking professor’s to warn their students about triggering content would prove to be difficult because “what can trigger one person may not trigger another,” says Parrow. Sure, sexual violence and violence are obvious triggers but they aren’t the only ones that exist.
Even just mentioning to a class a week ahead of time that they’ll be reading or watching material that involves rape could help a lot of students. It could give them the choice of mentally preparing themselves for the next class or asking their professor if they can sit that class out and get the notes from another student.
Something I noticed recently is that I don’t recall my orientation leaders ever mentioning disability services. I don’t know if my previous schools had that but knowing about such resources is invaluable. Ms. Parrow pointed out to me that the Counseling Center does its best to educate others about mental health and the services the campus offers. They speak at SOAR and set up information tables, yet a lot of people who could use the help end up never seeking it. Most people who deal with PTSD or any other mental health issue think that it’s something they have to face alone.
Making a larger effort to inform students of their resources could do so much good. It could make a difference between someone staying in school and dropping out because they’re tired of being bullied. It could help someone decide to continue their life instead of ending it because they’re tired of feeling like there’s no help out there. However this issue should be approached, there should be more of an open dialogue.
If you feel like you need counseling, don’t be afraid to visit The Counseling Center. It is located in 158 Atkins Building and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. They can also be reached by phone at 704-687-0311.
