Amber Dawn Butler sits in the back row of her college class. The week has been rough. She can hardly concentrate on the lecture. Her hands start sweating and anxiety takes over. The voices of her classmates fade and everything gets darker.
The now 24 year old graduate remembers this day very well. Butler lives with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The day in question is what she describes as one of her worst PTSD triggers ever.
“Losing grip with reality is a terrible feeling, while under the effects of the attack,” said Butler. “When I come out of it, I’m lucky if I am anything more than a blubbering, apologetic mess to those around me.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is an anxiety disorder that develops in some people who have experienced a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. The brain is unable to process the trauma. This leads to flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event. These episodes of high anxiety and remembrance are referred to as triggers. In Butler’s case, she and her father were hit head-on by a distracted driver in 2009. The accident broke Butler’s back, nose, and foot. The impact was so violent that Butler’s earring was torn from her ear and her shoulder dislocated. Her father also suffered a traumatic brain injury, several broken ribs, and a broken wrist.
“How would you feel if your own father looked you in the eyes and couldn’t remember your name or even recognize you,” said Butler.
With the discussion around mental health on college campuses coming to the forefront, the demand for universities to provide resources to students is on the rise. According to a statement from the University of Miami, students living with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can reach out to the Counseling Center, the Dean of Students Office, the Academic Resource Center, the Office of Disability Services, and the Health Center for accommodations. However, Butler has not had much success.
“I tried counseling, twice, for extended periods of time,” said Butler. “But without a trauma and PTSD specialist at the center, the counselors have only been able to help me with managing other stressors in my life to try to keep me calmer. However, my PTSD triggers do not decrease when I am less stressed.”
Butler believes the Counseling Center could benefit from having a PTSD and physical trauma specialists on staff to better assist students. She believes linking the bridge between the physical and the mental is necessary to make headway with those who suffer from PTSD triggered by a physical trauma.
“The Dean of Students Office encourages students with concerns or comments to reach out directly to the office team,” said the University of Miami in response.
“When it comes to important, life altering trauma, I have not heard good things about those who have gone to the dean for help,” said Butler. “Airing dirty laundry in an upper echelon tier can have consequences if the office decides to take action against the student if they fear that they are a danger to themselves or if they don’t believe they are telling the truth. Academics and the ‘healing process’ should be left as two separate departments and should be addressed by mental health professionals.”
A request was made for interview with Dean Nicole Abramson, the Assistant Director of the Counseling Center, and the Director of the Counseling Center. Both requests were denied.