June is National PTSD Awareness Month, which is the perfect time to talk about how PTSD can happen to anyone – not just veterans. PTSD symptoms can develop from experiences involving natural disasters, serious accidents, life-threatening illnesses, physical abuse, and sexual assault during childhood or adulthood.
A study by the Eastern Colorado Healthcare System found that up to 17 percent of college students suffer from PTSD – which is higher than the incidence of PTSD found in the general population. It’s also not unusual for the symptoms of PTSD to fluctuate during the first year of college, as students adjust to new routines and new triggers.
In some cases, students with PTSD who have trouble adjusting to college life can turn to drugs and alcohol as an escape from anxiety, academic stress and relationship challenges. This is a slippery slope into addiction, with nearly 50 percent of individuals with lifetime PTSD also meeting the criteria for substance use disorder.
College can bring extra challenges for someone with PTSD, including:
- Crowded classrooms that can lead to feelings of being trapped.
- Loud noises, like laughter, door slamming or screeching, which can set off triggers.
- Lack of sleep, which can make it more difficult to handle triggers or upsetting moments.
- Changes in routine that can leave a person with PTSD feeling discombobulated.
- Feelings of isolation and depression caused by feeling “different” than others who don’t suffer PTSD.
This is why it’s crucial for students with PTSD to have a strong support system in place, including family, friends, pastors or therapists who can help when college life becomes too much to handle.
California Sober College for Veteran Drug & Alcohol Treatment
If you are a veteran or college student caught in the throes of substance abuse, Hope Academy could be the ideal rehab program for you. Blending evidence-based addiction recovery programs with the opportunity to attend college or vocational training, we help military veterans and civilians prepare for a life of sobriety and success. To learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment, call today: 866-930-4673.
If you are a veteran or college student caught in the throes of substance abuse, Hope Academy could be the ideal rehab program for you. Blending evidence-based addiction recovery programs with the opportunity to attend college or vocational training, we help military veterans and civilians prepare for a life of sobriety and success. To learn more about our dual diagnosis treatment, call today: 866-930-4673.
