Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a mental health condition that is brought on by a terrifying event by either experiencing it or by witnessing it. Many people who suffer from this condition often have flashbacks, nightmares and/or severe anxiety.

Growing up in San Francisco made me very aware of the homeless population. The city is literally filled with homeless people. They sleep on sidewalks, in the parks, on benches, on chairs at the bus stop, in alleys or doorways. Even now, I can vividly remember when I saw a homeless person, saying to myself, "I wonder what happened to them? How did they end up here? Don't they have family or friends that can help them out?" My sense of compassion rose significantly when I saw one of the hundreds of homeless people that lived in my city talking to themselves or screaming at the top of their lungs.

I have been away from the city for nearly twenty-five years but I can clearly remember the city being filled with soup kitchens and shelters. Many churches opened their doors daily or weekly to provide food or shelter. As a teen, I learned that many of those homeless people moved to San Francisco years before looking for a better life. When things didn't pan out, they ended up on the streets. Taking a job at the Veterans Administration Hospital my junior year of high school, I learned that many of the homeless were also veterans.

I worked at the VA as an intake assistant. When the veterans were admitted to the hospital, it was my job to meet them in their rooms to complete intake forms. More often than not, the address part of the form had to be left blank as many of the veterans did not have a home. I can remember standing, we were trained never to sit because if at any moment, one of the vets became unruly or violent we had to be able to get out of that room quick. Standing in the doorway of the hospital rooms I heard about war stories, tragedies and a lot of suffering these veterans endured. I kept my conversations as brief as possible, again, training, but always respectful and got the information I needed to return to my desk to input it.

PTSD was a word I heard often while working at the VA. Many of the doctors talked about it in the trainings all employees had to attend. There were many strategies taught to us by medical professionals on how to work with patients that struggled with this disorder. I didn't quite understand it and for years I thought it was something only people in the war suffered from. As an educator, I have seen this disorder far too many times in students and parents I have worked with.

In the past few years, my school district has promoted health and wellness as they and other educators are becoming more aware of the need for strengthening mental health. If the pandemic has done anything outside of the pain it has caused, it has made millions of us aware of the need for mental health support for adults as well as children.

We are living in some trying times. I think this pandemic has lasted longer than any one of us expected it to and it has truly taken its toll on us, mind, body and spirit. It is not enough to simply say to someone, "if you need to talk, I'm here." If we want to be a part of the solution, we have to be hyper vigilant. We can not ignore signs of our family and friends' cry for help. We have to be available for one another and for ourselves.

In order for us to take care of one another, we must first take care of ourselves. Say no when you feel like your plate is already too full. Sleep in just because. Write down your thoughts when you don't feel like talking. Have lunch with that friend you haven't seen in awhile. Pick out a new book. Get your hair done or your nails. Have a vitality treatment! Make a daily list of ten things you are grateful for. Just find some things you enjoy doing and do them. Pamper yourself a few times a month and if at anytime you do feel overwhelmed, do not be afraid to ask for help.