John recognises that this is not love (PORTO-03-EN)

John, 18 years old, is often anxious.

His teachers and classmates have noticed that he constantly checks his mobile phone and sometimes asks to leave the class to answer it. In the classes, he seems oblivious to the reality that surrounds him.

The other day in a class, a classmate touched his arm to call him, and he had an exaggerated startled response and started shaking. A colleague near his desk asked permission to leave the classroom with him and they returned some time later.

The teacher asked to speak with him at the end of the class. John said he has a very controlling and possessive girlfriend who constantly checks in on where he is and with whom. He mentioned that he does not know what to do, that he has been sleeping very little, and that he feels very tired.

The trauma-informed teacher applied an empathetic supportive approach, namely the components of reflection, exploration, validation, respect, and alliance;

The teacher recognised the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (i.e., emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and bodily sensations);

The teacher carefully explained that a situation of psychological trauma could be in the origin of his behaviour;

The teacher told him that the university had a psychological support office and how he could enroll;

The teacher suggested self-help educational material with strategies to help him deal with the anxiety and related symptoms (i.e., emotions, thoughts, behaviours, and bodily sensations);

The teacher also referred him to other services of the local partners’ network for further information.