Having To Make School Aware Of My Ptsd

[FindingMyself88]

This has been a crazy last 2 days. This past semester I was on academic warning because of my GPA. Well because of head injury and PTSD problems, I didn't make quite good enough for my financial aid. Now I am having to go through an appeal process in hopes of getting financial aid back for this semester. Because of this I have had to be open with them about my head injury and my PTSD. I am also working with DSS to try to get some help with classes. So far everyone has been nice and my doctors are helping me, but its very uncomfortable having to talk about my PTSD to my advisor and DSS counselor. My anxiety is definitely increased because school starts Monday and I won't know until Wednesday if I get my financial aid, which means I will be registering late for class. My advisor told me to go ahead and attend classes and explain to the professors whats going on so I don't miss anything.

I'm also dealing with a severe cold and having to get a chiropractic appointment set up. When I hit my head this summer, I also got whiplash in my neck. Well apparently the stress has kept my muscles in my neck and back so tense that they are now locked up.

I will just be glad to have all of this behind me and know if I will be able to attend school this semester or not. I am also not looking forward to having to talk to my professors about my PTSD. I will have to due to DSS. But what else can I do, I really want to get my degree.

 

[ill]

I have no doubt that this whole process has been tough as heck for you and that it's going to be tough to attend classes and talk to your professors while you wait to hear, but no matter what happens, I really admire your hard work and I do think it's brave and impressive of you. I would hope and expect that both your professors and financial aid would be understanding and sympathetic, but no matter what happens, I hope you can appreciate that your effort in doing everything you can to make things better for yourself is a really wonderful, valuable, commendable thing.

Would it help if you think about what you might say to your professors in advance? I often find it helpful to think about the boundaries of what I need and want and don't want to say in advance, but I know that it's different for others. Would it be helpful to set a date for later next week or the week after to tackle the making of the chiro appointment? I don't know if you want or need my suggestions about the cold, but if you can, please consider watching some crappy but fun movies and just resting for a day or two before you go back to school.

You have my very best wishes, and I hope that you get the financial aid you need.

 

[Dee Morris]

Good luck with the financial aid. I started back to college a couple of years ago and finding success has been a challenge. For me, organization and planning ahead have been critical. The disassociation during lectures means extra study time is needed to retain information that requires memorization like dates/names etc. I have found that sitting in the front row as much as possible helps a lot. I've not been very good at utilizing the tutoring services my school offers. I do try to form a weekly study group with my classmates. For some reason it's easier for me to form groups that I am kind of/sort of but not really in charge of. I do often mention the PTSD to my professors just so they don't mistake the disassociation for disinterest. They don't need details and really the only important information they need is what you need from them to encourage your success in their classroom. I know that some students have special testing accommodations if needed. I've never asked for anything like that because there isn't really anything the professors can do for me except understand if I am triggered and need to leave the classroom.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Are you in the states? If so, then no, you do not have to disclose your diagnosis to your instructors. Is DSS disability services? (Please spell things out.) I am registered with disability services and only they know my diagnosis. My instructors get an academic plan which spells out which accommodations I am entitled to. It says I am dealing with anxiety but not my actual diagnosis.

 

[FindingMyself88]

Thank you ill and Dee. @ill I always try to plan difficult conversations in advance, but 9 times out of 10 I cannot say what I want as I planned and it ends up causing me great anxiety and frustration. As for the chiropractor, I thankfully already have those scheduled, just have to go to appointments. I am in a good deal of pain so I am hoping the adjustment will help despite my nervousness. I am also needing financially to return back to work.

@Solara I am in the states and yes DSS is Disability support services, sorry for short term. Ok, this gives me some relief, although still having to talk to them about needing help causes anxiety for me. One of my biggest issues is asking for help and admitting I have a need. This goes back to my childhood. I was raised by a Borderline personality mother who suppressed all my needs and demanded me take care of her emotional needs. So this whole thing with school is huge scary. May I ask what accommodations you receive? On application I asked for possible extensions on tests depending on anxiety, and ability to leave class if anxiety increases.

 

[Petros]

@FindingMyself88
Agree with Solara. You do not have to disclose the nature of your disability to your Professors, and I would recommend not doing so. It feels like an invasion of privacy and I wouldn't want my professors to know.

All you have to do is tell them that you are registered with the Disability Services and you don't need to tell them why. Chances are they will be accommodating and understanding with just telling them this, usually they are understanding. It's something that comes up many times every year for Professors so don't be nervous it's no big deal!

When I was in school I used to get extensions for papers, and double time on exams in a private exam room - this would help if I wasn't sleeping and had nightmares during exam time, and also helped with anxiety around other people during exam writing. I often found over time that I was most of the time able to get extensions just by asking the prof, without having to discuss my disability with them at all.

A part of me feels like we shouldnt be ashamed to discuss our ptsd openly, but there is still such stigma surrounding mental illness at times so I completely understand your anxiety in this regard, and suggest you don't disclose the nature of your illness to them.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Has disability services walked you through the process? You pretty much need for your doctor to fill out a form or write a letter saying why you need certain accommodations. My main ones are time and a half on tests, which I can take in the testing center, and understanding if I walk out if class because I'm anxious. I am also allowed to use my computer to take notes, but never do. I think there is a list of over 100 possible accommodations but you will only need and be eligible for a few. Oh, and my instructors are understanding if I am late, but I make a point to never be late.

Hopefully your disability services is helpful and will provide you with the support you need.

Oh, and I've only encountered one jerk instructor who said he followed my accommodation plan and if I needed more time (an extension) for taking a test, I should have notified him that I was struggling a week in advance! Yeah, the guy was a real arse. It was an online class but I still wanted to kick him in the gonads. I'm soooo psychic that I can predict my episodes a week in advance!! *rolls eyes* I dropped the class as I didn't need the credit. It was just for review.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

@Solara Has good advice.

I will add that I also use the disablilty services at college. My accommodations (mostly based on my mood disorder and anxiety) are: Relaxed absences, extended deadlines, drinks allowed in class (which is something I've never seen a professor worry about anyway) and the use of a testing center (which I don't use). I have used my accommodations before and you don't really have to tell your teachers anything. That is what the services are for, they act as a middle man between you and your teacher. They can explain things if the teacher does not understand for example but they are not allowed to tell your teacher your disorders.

I've only had a slight problem with one teacher. It wasn't that she wasn't willing to accommodate but rather that she didn't really understand what it meant. So the services stepped in to explain it to her.

This is all based on the Americans with Disabilies Act of 1990. http://www.ada.gov/pubs/ada.htm It's a real thing, not just something someone made up.

Also keep in mind that the services center helps people with all kinds of disorders. Hearing, physical, learning and psychological. They have probably dealt with PTSD many times.

Best wishes. :)

 

[Dee Morris]

@Ayesha I hate that I am aware those services exist for me but have never allowed myself to utilize them. It drives me crazy that I am so resistant to that kind of help. I guess it stems from the core belief that I have that there isn't anyone interested and/or capable of taking care of me EXCEPT me... so just save myself the disappointment when they let me down and not let myself depend on them in the first place.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

@Dee Morris,
I encourage you to use such services. I felt the same way for awhile.... I thought I should be stronger! I never wanted SSDI or food stamps or to have to use the disability center. But these are by no means permanent solutions! They are there to help us out. We just need a little help, that's all. And it's not "special privileges" rather a leveling of the playing field. As for school, I'm smart enough to learn the material and do the work, it's just that my symptoms can get in the way. The disability center helps ensure that I get a fair chance.

 

[Dee Morris]

I was able to ask for the SSDI and got it the first time I applied which was a relief because while my ex husband COULD have picked up my financial slack with little financial sacrifice, he wasn't interested in doing that. Obviously for the best because without the Social Security Disability I wouldn't have been able to leave the marriage which was holding me back from my recovery. So really he did me a favor by being such an asshole. I just didn't realize it at the time.

 

[greenleaf]

There might be some professors who would be understanding and great, but others might be terrible. If you can get a sense about how much empathy the individuals involved have before any direct disclosure, that might be helpful? Perhaps the Support Services would be safer in general. I hope. I'm very very cautious about disclosures myself, after only one job-related bad experience 20 years ago.