Research Ptsd And Employment

[Big H]

Hi Richie,
I have disclosed on interview, always do. It's not something I have always done, but if I'm spending time with people, then they need to know all my colours. I use the other example ( personal one ), I am also diabetic, and disclose as well.

It's not a badge, merely aspects of who we are. I do ask for spec when I need it, and don't do full on challenge in public safely, but I manage that by everyone knowing my triggers. I was presenting recently, and this complete idiot was trying his best to see if he could light me up, our CEO stepped in calmly and invited him to take over the presentation.

My learning is that by just being completely open and not feared of talking, any situation is empowered, but it takes courage and trust, something that in the workplace can be less accommodating with.

 

[gealach]

I don't disclose to anyone in the workplace who is in a position of authority over me. I also don't disclose to our regulatory body, because of the way it has treated others who have disclosed (long ugly story there). I have disclosed to some co-workers, only because they need to know that I may need them to step in on a call. And I'll be triggered if they don't behave as the professionals we are supposed to be. To them, I've only said ''I'm a return to work, I've been off car for 2 years with a shoulder injury and ptsd, this is my (whatever) day/week back at work''. Only 1 has asked about details, and I don't give that information.

I'm changing divisions shortly, and again I did not disclose. No one there has a clue.

 

[JP Bailey]

I have Complex PTSD from child abuse in all its forms and then in my 30's I had worse PTSD from a violent attack.

I'm also a counselor and have worked in the field on and off my whole life.

At most jobs I hide it and take a lot of time off work. I've never disclosed. I "fake" it and watch other healthy women and try to copy how they act, socialize, deal with criticism, etc. and that's how I learned to hang in there best I could.

I've always been ultra sensitive to criticism, rejection, abandonment. So that makes me a perfectionist and a people-pleaser because I'm terrified to get caught in a mistake.

This in turn has led to burn-out and not keeping jobs more than a year or two.

With each job I feel a fresh start and I take my lessons learned with me.

Now, with peer support being the mainstream norm in the mental health field, at age 50 I finally felt safe to "come out of the closet" and disclose my issues at work. Everyone I work with is in recovery so it's accepted there.

I remember in grad school being scared to death anyone found out for fear they would not let me be a counselor, which was my life-long dream; to be able to help others, because I knew what it was like.

I learned when I am not working my Sx get worse, so I've learned to keep a job going with frequent breaks, because if I'm alone at home I isolate and my Sx and depression get out of hand.

Certain personalities at work are triggering to me (usually extroverted, narcissistic types with little empathy), so I've learned to stay away from them and stick to the more sensitive types like me.

Over the years I found that EMDR helped a lot, then EFT Tapping and other Energy Psychology methods and finally, these later years, I've learned several NLP techniques that have really helped. I'm not the same person I was ten or twenty years ago. I'm stronger, braver and less reactive. I still have to pay attention to my recovery and wellness to stay well. I still get depressed and have 'shame-attacks", but they don't last long.

Another big reason work is hard is that the group at work tends to mirror the family dynamic I was born into. I know its my own projection, but all groups tend to have a dynamic that projects everyone's family group dynamics so in a sense it is an opportunity to heal with good people who will not do what my family did (abuse, devalue and reject me), they actually help me by giving me a reality check. Getting these reality checks I was shocked to find so many compliments and that many really like me at work and they like me being there. Wow, I think that alone, has helped me let go of the family and move into my life with better people.

We hire a lot of peers for paid and volunteer work, so it's like I belong for the first time and I love my work- family. It's taken me many years to recover, but I actively sought out help and healing techniques and found them eventually. I've been practicing these techniques for 15 years now and its made a huge difference.

I used to act like a scared, helpless victim and it was hard for me to get out of that and own my own power and even learn how to use my authority. It's still a challenge at times. But I do get a lot of support from my supervisors and coworkers so that I'm getting better at it. I've learned to stick up for myself without rage and running away. That did take awhile because at first I over-reacted a lot and people did not understand.

I don't know if its just me and my drive and determination, or my age (52) and its getting older, but I don't waste any time attending to my recovery when a trigger comes up now and I get over it a lot sooner and I treat myself nice during it. I don't get down on myself anymore. I don't wait for others to change or come help me or stop bad behavior or anything else, I take hold of myself and use my techniques to do some more healing.

The only thing I don't like right now is that my boss (an extrovert) says after she gives me feedback, I "shut down" and she doesn't know what to say or if I heard her or what. How dare she judge me as "shutting down", I do that for her protection because if I didn't shut down for awhile and retreat, I'd go off and say things I'd regret and feel bad about later.

Everyone deals with it their own way. I respect people's timing in this. If they need to shut down I respect that and let them know I'm here when they are ready to open up and I'll still be here for them if they don't. I've had clients shut down and can't talk. I allow silence and then I share with them what it is like for me when I shut down; the negative self-talk, the fear of engaging and connecting, the shame attacks, the anger and revenge fantasies, etc. and I see their eyes perk up for a minute because they don't think anyone could possibly understand how they feel inside. Especially not the confident, caring, competent counselor they see before them today. My hope is that I give them hope that yes, you can be in that dark place and yes, you can get better and get out and be on the other side of it some day with love and support and some personal work.

But you can not rush or push anyone there. You can only love them where they are. Giving empathy is good but validating them is better. IMHO/IMHE.

 

[Powder]

I am working on a college project and my chosen subject is PTSD in the workplace so I would like some in...

To answer your questions:

1. As a rule, I do NOT report my PTSD or anything else medical to employers prior or after employment;
2. I have (once) reported my PTSD to a Supervisor, and to my employees, who I knew for 8 years, verbally, not in writing, to request informal accommodations, which were granted. I believe this was neutral or positive due to it being higher education and because I already had a mutual rapport and relationship that was congenial with all involved. AKA, I was lucky.

[Post script: I see know that I am posting, other posts. For some reason I could not see replies until I had posted. Therefore, I learned too late that this reply is likely outdated, as the project is concluded. I hope it went well enough and that you continue to pursue the goal of treating those with PTSD. Thank you for choosing that goal!]

 

[Cannottakethis]

I've never said PTSD. Only depression or bipolar. Any time I've told someone I have Ptsd, whether it's a doctor (not psychiatrist), lawyer etc, they ask me what the ptsd is from. I don't think I need to go there at work.
And I've only told at work when absolutely necessary, like going inpatient where I'd be missing days or going on short term disability or when I needed a company to lay me off so I'd get unemployment instead of me quitting. When I explained, crying, that I was extremely depressed because my boss was bullying me, and it was an illness they were extremely helpful.

 

[ElleKaye]

Never in my life would I disclose my personal mental health situation to a potential employer

 

[Richie]

To answer your questions:

1. As a rule, I do NOT report my PTSD or anything else medical to employers prio...

the project was trivial in comparison to what I am learning here. It would be disrespectful (and unrealistic) to say that I understand how you people feel but I do understand why you choose to not tell people about this and not just at work. If you say something then they will want to know everything and you just don't want to tell them everything. If it can be hard telling a therapist everything then it has to be 100 times harder to tell your story to someone who has no business knowing about your past. The biggest question I was asked after my presentation was whether or not I would disclose and I said no I would not. At the time I said bosses want an easy life and they don't want to deal with stuff like this (the benefit of life experience) but now I have a better understanding of not wishing to go into details. I should have realised that anyway since I had mood swings from depression for some years and I didn't want to talk about it to colleagues.
again, I do not pretend to understand how you feel but I do understand your decisions about not telling people and I would not suggest changing your mind on that.

 

[Powder]

Thank you for your response even though my post was later than you required for your talk.