Thread for PTSD:

My encounter with an actual victim in high school.

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It was on a day where the school is subjected under an earthquake/fire/hostage taking drill(forgot which is which)

I was captain of the Senior High Emergency Response Team at the time. In preparation, my team stayed inside the office waiting for the "GO" signal

I rounded up the ground floor for any student/s that are not following protocol, but someone caught my attention in a room where the teacher was waving to handle.

A guy was breathing fast, he cannot look straight and he glared at me when I opened the door, as if I was dangerous, (I was wearing a white safety helmet, Tactical pants and boots, vest, and blue uniform) he was inaudible meaning his words were not clear, he was hyperventilating.

He immediately ran out. I followed after him and the ground to staircase was our route. At this time, I realized he had a PTSD(Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder) a condition that results from a traumatizing event that occured days, months, even years before(worse in children).

Two other guys from his class (maybe his friends), a teacher( whom he knows), and I, followed him at a distance and tried to calm him.

Want to know what it looks like?

He was cautious, everyone that followed him was a threat, empty halls were dangerous so he checks.

When trying to take a sight on the corridor, I noticed that He looks like he was being chased by someone else, not us. He was looking out for someone else and we are only there.

While I try to assess the situation, I alerted Dispatch and Alpha team to send immediate help from the guidance office and clinic.

And dispatch were quick to respond, holding up the drill.

Things started to go down when the dispatch called for the team and I had to respond or else the team takes the brunt, luckily the Asst. Team leader took over in my absence.

At that time, we were back at the ground floor, everyone was terrified of the silhouettes of running people on the corridor (since students were ducking inside the room, only shadows can be seen in the corridor) pursuing peolle yelling like men at war.

At the gates, the guy jumed over the tap ID, the gate was wide open and the guard was terrified and frozen. I had to take the risk to not let him go out of the campus at his state or else he will be in more danger, I had to physically restrain a guy with hightened adrenaline.

Thanks to my helmet, my head was protected when he backed me up on the tap ID bars (PPE works, trust me) when he tried to break out. I shouted for the gates to be closed before he breaks loose from my clutch.

He finally overpowers me with everything that He had. The two guys came to help keep him down and the teacher tried to calm him, even then, he was too hard to handle.

Dispatch was updated of the situation by my Asst TL of Alpha squad, professional help was OTW.

This is PTSD, I am lucky enough that he did not try to attack me on self-defense, but I can see in his eyes, the undeniable fear that he saw in that moment. PTSD will hunt you once a trigger goes off, and only professional help will loosen it.

If you think I dramatized this event? NO, you are mistaken. I will never dramatize something that is very real in this world. Mental Illnesses came from something, and people must be mature enough to accept and understand that these things exist.

If you think you know so much about mental illnesses and know how to solve them just by denying their presence, you are mistaken.
Mental illnesses is a serious problem and more can result from it. If you come to think of it, he was inside the campus, what if he was outside?

So people, please be aware of these people, not "Beware". I want to ask you all to be a part of a community to protect these people, guide these people, and support these people. They need help, and I can confirm it

Never ever assume that they were acting out for attention. Understand that they are reaching out for a helping hand.

Listening can do more, talk to us. We will hear you.

#MentalHealthMatters
#MentalHealthAwareness
#mentalhealthawareness2020

Please read from the start of this Thread. It is worth it.