Poll When Diagnosed/First Noticed Your Symptoms, Did This Affect Your Employment?

[nightowl52]

Mine was work related & I was disabled by the state. My hands shake as I drive past the turn off to where I worked so hard it was hard to stay on the road.

 

[Roo]

Absolutely, yes. I have a terribly checkered past where work is concerned...and there have been so many consistancies over time...

At present, I am on short-term medical leave and in the process of applying for long-term. FINGERS CROSSED!!!!

I want to contribute, to work, to do good in the world...but it has to be in certain ways, I realize...

Great question, Jonathan...thanks.

 

[moog]

Yes, trying to work through it but it's starting to seem like it will be one of many causes of the end of my time in uniform. Still working but at a limited schedule/capacity.

 

[newmoonluna]

I posted yes, as I had been diagnosed with bi-polar when I was 12, depression had always been something I have been working on. In my late 20's I started to experience panic attacks. These would come on suddenly anywhere at anytime. This was a problem at work as it was embarrassing for me to be like that in front of people. The attacks subsided for years until this last year, with a stressful job, then my roomate commiting suicide. The attacks worsened, having 1 or more attacks daily. This effected my attendance and was demoted from my supervisor position due to using all my sick and pto time. My insurance was dropped due to not being a salaried employee as well. Currently I have been diagnosed with PTSD which they think I have had since 12.

 

[ChrisB]

So far since my trauma i cant keep a job for long ie 2-4 months am i the only 1? This is only a yes or no poll and if you were affected at work how was you affected and did you find a way round it?

Jonathan- I said yes to this question because it all changed for me when I was properly diagnosed. I knew that something was not right all along but did not understand that they were symptoms. As the years went by my brain demanded help or it would simply shut down. (Dissociate) It was as if my stress glass was always to the brim. Does that make sense? I fought it, over compensated for it; but in the end, I needed help.

 

[cypher]

As of today, I voted no. But that could change by the end of the week?? Hopefully not. The uncertinty is hitting me hard.

 

[AmberEyes]

Only by the grace of God and the fact that I work from home have I been able to keep my job. I can sob in private. My income is down and production is down. I have times when I just freeze....I hit the wall.

 

[TLight]

I voted yes. I'm like Panda........I was a workaholic for a long time........but always triggered at work horribly. Then my symptoms came to the point that I could no longer manage.......dying was better than working.

I've been declared disabled and didn't work for many months........now I'm back at work but I'm able to work at home, no phones, quiet, writing........my own boss. If it were any other way........I'd be under bus.

 

[SunnyBrookFarm]

I voted no - but only because I am still working. However, it has certainly made me not as good of an employee and I am absent more now. I'm fortunate to have been with this company for a long time so I earn a significant amount of time off each year. This is the first year that I have taken all of it. While I've had PTSD for quite some time (I'm sure) - being diagnosed and accepting that diagnosis as well as working in counseling - have made my symptoms at time worse.

 

[NarcSis]

I voted yes, although technically I continued to work for two months after my trauma until I was physically injured and forced into light duty. My symptoms worsened throughout my light duty (too much time to think) but I fought to go back to the road when i was healed. I went back for another two months (with some pretty bad calls) before I had a panic attack on my way to an obstetrics call - circumstances were too similar to my original trauma. My T took me off the road and I have not been back since, its been 10 months. During my two month stints on the road, I never functioned normal, I was constantly anxious, sleeping very little, exhausted, my hands shook alot and I was extremely afraid I would screw up.

 

[Paloma]

I voted yes because when I was diagnosed I had had a complete wallbanger of a breakdown...in the parking lot after I quit the job...after being unexpectedly triggered. At the time, I had no idea what the bleep was happening to me. Now I know that I have had PTSD all my life and lots of smaller incidents and job bouncing were/are a result of it. Knowledge is power. I went on to be a successful business owner and craftsperson...I do way better when I am in control of things. But I am also a workaholic and that has a bad affect on my stress levels. This recent relapse is forcing me to try a different track.
Paloma

 

[LoveWins]

Yes, I'm in a similar position. I haven't held down a job longer than a month since developing PTSD, even jobs I really enjoyed and personally think I was good at. It was the human interaction. It was all too much and I didn't realise why, I couldn't integrate. I always either quit or gor fired because they sensed something different about me. Since diagnosis I have realised I can't just leap back into work, I need to take baby steps and get a bit more steady in myself first