Ptsd Struggles In College

[Deleted member 38644]

Im applying for New York State, among different State colleges. It's a long road ahead of me and I just cry so much. I know I'm not the same. I can't type anything correctly nor speak anything without reading it out loud. I love college and I plan on finishing. I can't finish anything. I can't read a book for two seconds without attention span dropping. I can't even work. I can't ever say what I want to say. It's a long road ahead of me for treatment and I can't wait. People think it's easy and it's not. Im not sure if this is what I want to write. All I wanna do is be successful. PTSD can't consume any more of me.

 

[heyheyhey]

Sorry that it's so hard for you right now! I found college super stressful even without pTSD, so it's pretty damn AMAZING that you are doing it with it!! I know successful people with PTSD, it's just all about managing it well and therapy will help you with that :). Have you found anything that helps so far? Yoga helped me a lot at the time :)

 

[J'qel]

You can do it, just make sure your profs know. I had my realization that I needed help when I was in an upper level course and was shaking so bad the table was vibrating. I loved being in university, I managed to have a 4.3 GPA and was academically seeming great, but I was falling apart inside. It's rough, but you can do it. Campus will have resources to help you manage, there are counsellors and therapists and student advocates, don't be afraid to make use of them. The university I was attending even had PTSD workshops for students to help them cope with the added workload.

Familiarize yourself with the varied help and programs that are available and don't feel bad about using them if you need to. You wouldn't get mad at someone with a physical disability getting aid, you shouldn't knock out yours just because it isn't visible.

Most profs will understand if you need to step out for a breath in a class (though you should sit near a door) if you've explained ahead of time. If you approach the prof at the beginning of the course and they don't understand, you can either switch courses or make use of a student advocate or counsellor to explain the situation to the prof in an acceptable manner.

You can do this. <3

 

[Deleted member 38644]

This is my fourth time but I got told last year. I can't focus on anything, attention span dropped greatly, and i can't catch on to anything. Im constantly either have to withdraw classes or im failing them. I sleep alot in a closed room with my cell phone now on silent. Im uncomfortable with noise. many stuff I enjoy doing I loss interest in when I'm still interested in doing it. This is not forever but I'm going to be a winner for treatment. I can't keep a job without getting into altercations or flying with rage.

Sorry that it's so hard for you right now! I found college super stressful even without pTSD, so it's...

 

[Deleted member 38644]

Last school thought PTSD and your matter was a joke. Not everybody is informed on trauma or PTSD period. You have to be careful who your therapist is because he/she might think youre hallucinating just to drug you up on medication. people these days act like PTSD came out of the sky or you would be asked "how you got PTSD, you didn't experience any trauma and that's for military people"?

You can do it, just make sure your profs know. I had my realization that I needed help when I was in an u...

 

[J'qel]

Last school thought PTSD and your matter was a joke....

That's when you need to change therapists, counsellors or talk to a student advocate. That stuff is straight up abusive. Use your anger at your own situation to be indignant and take no sh*t. People like this aren't worth your time and what they're doing is discrimination. You can nail them to the wall for it and in pervasive cases-you should. Noone should have to deal with that kind of crap, and calling them out on it will hopefully prevent the next one after you from having to go through the same issues.

 

[Deleted member 38644]

Im glad this is almost over with. This website helped me come out with who I actually am. Going to college Im going to be so happy

 

[J'qel]

You do you, hon and take no sh*t. You're worth it. <3

 

[PTSDfree]

Are you really sure that you love college and want to finish? Being successful isn't an automatic result of going to college, especially if you claim that you can't work.

Just my two cents...

 

[Renegade26]

You got this. I have so much faith in you.

I am a college student in my second year. My first trigger happened last year. I locked myself in my room for days. I didn't contact anyone. I could barely finish school. I missed so many classes. My financial aid almost wavered and I almost didn't make it back to college. I lost respect of peers and faculty. I lost trust of family and friends. PTSD hits hard in college.

It really helps to have a counselor. Someone to rant to. Sometimes I call hotlines, which actually help a lot because they actually have talked to other people with PTSD and know how to talk with you. This forum has been such a blessing too.

Fck teachers that don't get it. You don't have to tell them anything. You can just send an email saying hey, I need an extension. Or talk to someone from the counseling department and tell them that you are in need of extension and need for them to email the professors for you or help you format an email. When you get a degree, no one is going to care if you had extensions.

Largest thing, it's okay to accomplish simply surviving a day. Self care is an act of resistance against PTSD.

Last thing, don't lose hope. Over time, you'll find more things that you know will make you triggered. You will find things that really bring healing to you. You will be able to determine what common things trigger you most. You will not know every trigger or every method to overcome them. However, you will be able to find things that can be helpful during these really hard times.

You can finish college! you CAN finish college! you will finish college! Please remember how amazing you are.

As I always say, PTSD | Presently Torn, Soon (to be) Defiant

*First trigger in college