Trevor, I’ve never met a “crybaby” or pretender. (As I mentioned, some try to opt out for reasons I don’t support in the “shouldn’t have to” category.) For goodness sake, you can’t take the course without attending to the material we’re learning, so folks who need a little time (which is usually the issue — for instance, to read and respond in writing, rather than in a group) are usually actually doing more work at the end of the day. You seem to have created an image of whiny over-privileged kids claiming PTSD they don’t have. It’s not the case. Of course a person can have PTSD from battle — I have those students in class. Also students who were gang-raped, or homeless throughout their childhoods; the list goes on. Why would you tell one person his pain is real and another that his pain is “not enough?” The thing is, if I create a respectful learning environment for all, everyone is less likely to be triggered, including those with actual diagnoses, because there’s less anxiety in the room. That’s the benefit of treating everyone with care and respect.