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Trigger Warnings: The Good, The Pancakes, By Joni Edelman

1705 Words7 Pages

John, a United States Soldier, returns home after spending the past year fighting overseas. He had endured gruesome conditions, seen his friends die, and had barely made it out alive himself. All John wanted to do was to finish his degree and live a normal life with his family, but the transition back to everyday life would be harder than he thought. The soldier experienced sleepless nights, severe anxiety, and even flashbacks to the war. After visiting the doctor, John was diagnosed with PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that develops after a person is exposed to a traumatic event such as warfare, traffic wrecks, sexual assault, or any other life-threatening situation (Iribarren, Prolo, Neagos, and Chiappelli 1). Symptoms of PTSD often …show more content…

The writer Joni Edelman, a victim of physical abuse, sexual abuse, eating disorders, and depression discusses this in her article “Trigger Warnings: The Good, the Bad, the Pancakes.” She mentions that she has multiple triggers herself, some being: IHOP pancakes, In-shape fitness, and Lululemon running shorts (1). In Edelman’s opinion, trigger warnings don’t only hinder the healing process of those with PTSD, but victimizes those they are designed to help (2). “What does a trigger warning imply? That you are still triggered and have not yet recovered?” says Edelman (2). Edelman provides a strong argument in the fact that she has experienced abuse before and thus has established credibility on the topic through personal experience. Nevertheless, I cannot agree with her. I am a firm believer in the fact that a heads up before a trigger will always be more effective than it being a surprise. One example that comes to mind is John, the Army Veteran, who had returned to college to earn his degree. About 30% of veteran returning from war are diagnosed with PTSD, and because of that it is very possible that a soldier in your class has it as well (Reno 1). Lack of a trigger warning in this case could possibly trigger a flashback that would disturb both your class and your student’s

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