Sufferer Ptsd From Working In Direct Care/mhw

[Makhsi]

Hello all,

I'm a graduate psychology student about to start my internship. I'm finishing up my second year of grad school (one more to go). I also have PTSD.

After I graduated undergrad, I worked with teens in a residential treatment center as a mental health worker (direct care) for two and a half years. I burnt out (the burnout rate is 2 to 4 months for direct care, at least according to the last statistics I saw) and switched to working in an office for a year or so before going to grad school. While working in the office, I started exhibiting a lot of PTSD symptoms. Two different therapists diagnosed me with PTSD (I suspected I had it but didn't want to accept it; the first therapist diagnosed me and I still didn't want to accept it; by the second therapist, I stopped trying to deny it).

I've tried to find any resources or information or research on trauma in direct care workers, but everything I've found talks about vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. My trauma was primary, not vicarious; it was due to a high-intensity, high-crisis environment for 2.5 years, witnessing and being the target of violence, engaging in physical restraints, etc, etc. I've met one other person who has been diagnosed with PTSD related to working in direct care but haven't been able to find anything relevant online.

The closest relevant demographic I've found seems to be EMT/EMS/law enforcement personnel with trauma, but I would hesitate to compare direct care to that, as I doubt direct care is quite at the same level of intensity and severity as what first responders and law enforcement deal with.

There's a real sense of invisibility and isolation to all of this. So I figured I'd check out an online forum on the off chance that there are people with similar trauma histories here.

 

[Tormented Parts]

Hi I am 52 years young. And I sought help for PTSD after going to rehab 6 yrs. ago. It was not until then that I knew I had PTSD. I would encourage you to possibly dig a bit deeper with a therapist you trust. I eventually ended up with a bit more than ptsd. I have dissociative experiences with the ptsd. I sought help for PTSD and later found other underlying issues. I am not a professional only a highly intelligent person experiencing this illness and phenomena, as some would call it.

Sometimes, It is unfair that I know what year it is, but my brain does not?

C girl

 

[Tormented Parts]

Also, keep in mind why we enter a specific type of career, to save and rescue as we wish we had been saved and rescued from something in our own past. It is honourable to give back.

 

[Justmehere]

Welcome to the forums!

I teach science in a very part time capacity at a school for kids in a residential treatment facility. I personally could never do direct care because of the very things you have gone through and witnessed. It is direct trauma, not vicarious. It is a very tough job, and I think it parallels very much with what officers in a jail have to deal with. (I have also worked in a jail, not as a guard, but in another capacity, and there were so many similarities.) I have talked with a counselor who has worked in both settings - residential treatment and jail, and she said the similarity is strong too, but that the jail was easier. 2-4 months sounds about right for the burn out rate. It is intense in so many ways. I'm glad you are reaching out for help in therapy and here.

 

[intothelight]

Hi Makhsi,

Welcome to MyPTSD forum! :)

PTSD has many causes, as trauma can arise from a variety of situations. That is the beauty of this site as no one judges another's trauma and the focus is recovery. I hope you find the information and support here beneficial to your healing.

Debbie