Ptsd Solution In The Work Place (humor)

[lostforgottensoul]

So I work in a call center. We sit in cubicles. We don't cube share so its our own desk but we dont control which one we sit at. We have these person tall walls, except the ones on the end facing out to a hallway.

I was just moved to one of these end cap cubes and the biggest issue, other then a shorter wall facing the hallway, is its at the bathroom break room type area where the fridges are on this side and the microwaves are on this side and where the bathrooms are on this side. Its also how you can get to the front of the building to the stairs and elevator and outside so there are also people coming in, going out, going to or coming back from lunch, etc. Its a highly traveled hallway.

People have this need to look. Most people do so at a stop light. They will look over to the car next to them. That is exactly what this is. So on any given 9 hr work day (hr lunch) there are maybe, at least, 50 people pass by my desk and look at me....and then I freak. It sucks. My sup won't move me and I hadn't had the chance to get poster board to pin up which will be my long term solution and file folders wont stay so here is the picture of "PTSD desprite"

It's company paper towels. Break/front area on left.

Other side. I want to write "don't feed the animals", "don't tap on the glass", "don't cross fense; will bite".

 

[scout86]

What it is @Friday had on her avatar? "Combustible Lemon", or something like that? I vote you add "Caution! Combustible Lemon" to the sign. (I hope they let you move, but I suppose you could think of it as 'exposure therapy'.)

 

[Freedomfighter]

You might want to ask if it is ok to put office plants on that ledge. At least you would have something nice to look at and who could argue with a couple of office plants?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

"Caution! Combustible Lemon"

Haha! Yes!

I hope they let you move

She doesn't get why its an issue. "So, just smile at them" she said. Hmph! :shifty:

but I suppose you could think of it as 'exposure therapy

Blah! I suppose but that doesnt work without my dog really. Im in "OMG!!!!" mode in my head that I get stuck in.

You might want to ask if it is ok to put office plants on that ledge.

Too small of a ledge. Its about an inch thick. I can put tall plants on my desk though.

 

[Keming]

Ye can pick up acrylic sheets and vicegrips at a hardware store for fairly inexpensive - and a stencil for the lettering...

 

[Neverthesame]

Too small of a ledge. Its about an inch thick. I can put tall plants on my desk though.

What about a trellis?
Then you could run some ivy, or grapes, or tomatoes... or.... if you w want to really ruffle some feathers. Medical MJ. Hee hee.

 

[Ronin]

PTSD solutions of workplace problems:

Throw a coworker from a roof.

Cough. I just work somewhere with a really, really nice roof. :D

 

[Keming]

you could also top your shelf with large spiders displayed/preserved in acrylic. people will avoid your floor to avoid you, and it doubles as exposure therapy for spider fears.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

What about a trellis?
Then you could run some ivy, or grapes, or tomatoes

Its an office, not a farm or outside.

I can get the very light plastic trellis and use thumb tacks (only thing I can use) to keep it up and run my philodendron (the plant you see on the right in the first pic and left on the second). Its gotten super long but there are not enought "branches" to block the view. I could always hang other stuff on it too and tape pieces of paper on blank spots. Hmmm, a trellis might be cool to use. And different.

if you w want to really ruffle some feathers. Medical MJ. Hee hee.

Someone once told me a guy used.to snort.crushed pain pills right on his desk. ***EEK***

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I just got in and she met me as soon as I got off the elevator and asked what was up with that, refering to my paper blocker thing. I advised her why I put it up without advising that I have PTSD. She knows about the chronic pain and the internal pump and so she said "I put you there for easy access to the bathrooms and elevators, which is nice of her but one cube down wont make a difference.

At least it got her attention and likley her bosses. Not sure why its a big deal, its just tapped and pinned to my desk. Its not like I am hanging something from the ceiling.

Her solution was to move the PC to the other side. Our desks are like a big U but with a longer bottom of the U. So it is a morrior image from one side to the other so either side works. I didnt do it as it takes time as I have to disconnect the PC to feed the cabling through a new hole. She said she'd talk to IT. Because we work in office, we normally can't move our own PC. I do and can, just didnt have a chance. Then my back will be to the hallway so not as triggering but whats the difference in that and just moving me to the next cube over? I don't get it.

 

[joeylittle]

but whats the difference in that and just moving me to the next cube over? I don't get it.

Is it possible that other staffers were distracted by you getting up and moving as frequently as you need to? I'm thinking that because she said this:

She knows about the chronic pain and the internal pump and so she said "I put you there for easy access to the bathrooms and elevators,

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Is it possible that other staffers were distracted by you getting up and moving as frequently as you need to?

No. I only go to the bathroom and stuff on breaks and lunch and the walls of most cubicles are head talls so even pacing in my cube isnt distracting. I think she was assuming it would be easier.

I took it down at the end of Friday's shift since she met me to talk specifically about that and her solution was to move my PC to the other side rather then to just move me down to one of the many unused cubes beside me.

Anyway, poster board will be bought before Monday's shift and it will go up as to not be so "tacky" which is what I am sure management's issue is. New people seeing something tacky. I will move my own PC if they haven't already to the other side but that isnt much of a solution since i can still see people coming out of side few and having my back to those people will probably freak me out more than facing them.

 

[Twentysomething]

I have one of those balcony flowerpots over the divider at work. (Pot shaped like two legs, one at each side so it balances itself out, can't post a picture here, because of spam issues :s)
Looks very nice.
(Just dont forget it has a hole for excess water to get out, don't leave your paperwork right under it... )