Worst Jobs For Ptsd?

[IvyMillie]

My husband who has PTSD has a horrid job as well--he is in Real Estate. What a nightmare! I just think people are absolutely terrible to deal with. He is able to keep in together most of the time, but sometimes it just drives him crazy. He also has a hard time with his boss sometimes who can be a bit demanding.

We used to do cleaning work--and that was a much better job for him. We used to clean a large Target store. It was night work, but we were alone with no people around. We did have some employees, but it was a small company. We also cleaned small offices and later he did carpet cleaning. So yes, a job where you are on your own is less stressful.

I know you feel bad taking your stress out on your husband. Is there anyway you could have some down time when you come home? Like with my husband when he is stressed when he gets home from work I hand him his dinner and he sits and watches TV for an hour or so before I even really talk to him. I know that is a guy thing to do, but it really helps. I just have to give him his space.

I know you probably don't have time, but what about even something simple for exercise. My husband found walking really helped him to cope with stress. I do some stretching and that helps also. I think when we are frustrated we are all pent up inside, some way to relieve that would help. However, I know you are probably too busy.

What about if you told your husband you are having a hard time and when you get home you need some time to yourself? What if you could just go lay down on your bed and listen to some soft music for 30 minutes before interacting with him. Have it your own private time. Or really anything you think that would be relaxing to you.

I have found in life that as odd as it is making the simplest change can make a world of difference. One just has to try different things. I used to be so stressed in the morning I would get up at 6:30 and had to be out of the house by 7:30. I would start the day stressed. This month I decided to get up at 6:00 and that made a world of difference. I now have time to even wash my dishes before I leave. One small change and I feel so much better.

Of course, it would be great if you can change your job. Meanwhile I hope you can find some kind of simple solution to help ease your stress a bit.

 

[doglover]

My last job was like you describe. I was a case manager processing families who wanted housing assistance. I was way overloaded. Pushed to meet demands that weren't realistic. I even had to speak to my boss's boss at one point, she knew I'd put in my notice, and she expressed that she wasn't surprised and tried to tell them they were expecting the work of 4 people in that one position. I'd call my mother and cry pretty much every day, usually after work but a couple times I couldn't wait that long. I told someone about my work environment and they felt the boss was a bully type who thrives on stressing out the people under him. I believe it!

Maybe this is a dumb question but have you considered finding another job? That's what I did. Very different culture. Less stress and tears for me.

Whether you stay or not, maybe you can take the alone time you feel you need when you get home from work. Explain that this is so you won't lash out at your husband, ask him if he can take on some home responsibilities or pick up dinner on the way home for a bit... or prepare meals on weekends so they just need to be heated.

If you feel like you need time alone to recharge and decompress before you're around your husband I think it is a good idea to think about honoring that.

 

[wcdean]

Badger... 100%, absolutely, describes me to a "t" (except I have a wife and ot a husband).

To the point where I recently took short term disability and have told them that I don't know if I can work there anymore because the lack of structure and role that I am doing (contracts for oil and gas) force me to be nice and sugar coat things to people who are a$$es to me. Everything is last minute so it's rush rush rush... we need this before you leave tonight, but then the boss leaves to go home. Half the time the "rush" orders I get and push through, I receive a response of "yeah we delayed the project until next year" or "oh, we jumped the gun; we're not ready for this yet."

For someone who makes to-do lists, sets aside certain times to work on certain things, and who needs a very structured environment, it is hell. It is what caused my recent flare up; I stopped eating, lost 35 lbs., but kept pushing and pushing, putting the company first becuase I need my job. My team member (it is myself and 1 other person who handle the global portfolio) took a vacation to Vietnam (where he is from and never gets to re-visit) for one month. They took his entire workload and gave it to me. So for a month I literally worked everyday for ~14-15 hours, and the same old story. Every single project I worked on ended up getting delayed. It finally just pushed me over the edge, mentally and physically. That's how I ended up where I sit now, at home instead of working. Not sure what my future holds, but I do know exactly how you feel.

 

[Linda Lee Bogard - King]

As a reporter I loved my job - I believed in using my position to help others in dire need of their community, but eventually - too many sad stories, corrupted cops and too many dead bodies. The stress led to more anxiety - if a reporter makes a mistake - it can affect others - having been on the other side of an interview I understood what interviewees went through and how it feels when the quotes were 'wrong,' misquoted and/or out of context (editor's and publisher's usually do this) for the sole purpose of a 'newspapers' politics. Then I tried waitressing - a few years ago- but dealing with obnoxious drunks would trigger such anger I would reprimand the patron... yeah, I know ... a little much but couldn't help it - I am better off working with animals and plants.

 

[friendlybadger]

I think you guys are on to something about honoring your 'calling'. I'm sure that office work is not my calling, but I don't know what is. I'd like to explore my options and find something to be passionate about, but working so hard and being so completely exhausted makes it difficult to focus.
I've started a new project of working on myself. I've been listening to a workshop of Healing with the Masters. It's something I found in a roundabout way through Lindsay Wagner(the actress)'s website Open the Heart.
Each Tue and Thur they have a different "new-agey" "psychic" kinda person on there who gives an hour long chat. I can't find better words for the guests except that they promote human growth and improving our potentials while healing our inner struggles. I don't mean to be offensive when I say new-agey. I'm just trying to get at the point that they're teaching how to grow and learn and heal in a way that Western medicine doesn't really use.
I've found that the speakers so far have been very helpful in increasing my energy level and freeing me from some of my past emotional baggage and negative programming. I think as the weeks go by it's going to help me feel better, freer, and more able to figure out what my purpose is in this world. All of this is stuff that office life has taken from me. When I spend my day fighting my ptsd and working my a** off on a job that doesn't interest me, I find it has made me lost and confused as to what I really want to do with my life. It's like I'm so busy working to pay the bills and keep 'sane' that I have lost "me" and what my soul's purpose is on this planet--besides to be bored and exhausted.lol
I'm finding too that it's given me the ability to just stop the cycle I've been in. I decompress before I come into the house now. I do some deep breathing and mentally switch gears to "mom/wife mode", and I'm able to leave the day behind. I'm not nearly as hard to live with anymore, and my husband is noticing it. I do really feel like some of my burden has been lifted through this healing series of web chats, and it's reflected in my ability to be more like 'me' again.
I think given some time, with the support of you guys :) and my refocusing on my own well-being and growth, I should be coming around to where I want to be in life.

 

[lisamarie]

I work in the human services field, and this job definitely IS my calling. However, I am looking for another job for a number of reasons, one of which is the constant noise in the building really triggers my PTSD sometimes. There are sometimes up to 100 residents in the facility and they are VERY loud. Not even purposely; its just how they carry themselves. Imagine, just imagine one hundred men yelling at the top of their lungs.....imagine it seeming like fights are going to break out.....imagine constant banging around. Its really hard to deal with on some days. I got a speaker set for my iPod to play in my office to drown out the sound, but its often more than a little too much.

 

[friendlybadger]

Wow, lisamarie that would be really scary :( I would definitely look for another job myself because loud men scare me.
I give you huge credit though for being there as long as you have.

 

[lisamarie]

Yep, they scare me too! A lot of the abuse I suffered at the hand's of of piece of crap ex was him SCREAMING at me. Really hard to deal with on some days.

 

[MyMemories]

Working in general is just plain stressful. What I'd give to win the lottery... :rolleyes:

yes winning the lottery sound nice!:tup:

 

[MyMemories]

It's a joy to work relatively independently, and I can help control my mood a bit with music.

Totally agree! Going independent is the way to go for PTSD survivors.

 

[Belle]

I think any job where you have an element of control and time helps.

Jobs where you have to smile constantly, or where your personal space is invaded, are very challenging.

Jobs where you have to deal with high emotions and noise levels and energies are likely to frazzle anyone with PTSD.

Working outdoors would be good. Working in music or art therapy is something that I think would be an avenue I might pursue.

My job is great because I have to work in the classroom with the child who threatened me with a knife. He constantly invades my personal space. Read with huge dose of sarcasm!!

The only way I survive is to garden and swim when I am not at work.

And I try to incorporate things that help me into my teaching, so I have put horticulture on the curriculum!

 

[Philippa]

I work as a massage therapist with mostly women, and it's awesome because the lights are usually quite low and dim and whilst the music can be repetitive, it's usually soothing...and not all clients want to talk. Many just go off to sleep while you are massaging them, so it's great, and apart from the sore backs I get I usually feel pretty great afterwards as well.


I do agree that working for yourself is the way to go though, but don't expect the money to come in for a while. It's normal to be at a loss for the first 4-5 years with most businesses, so if you can hold on for that long, then it will be ok.

I'm currently studying to be an art therapist, so once I'm qualified I will be able to start my own business possibly teaching immigrants english and incorporating massage and art therapy into that somehow...haven't worked that out just yet...?