PTSD Symptoms in the Workplace
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009 • Uncategorized •
I could, of course, write about how I managed my physical and emotional PTSD symptoms at work – which was just to bear with them, control them, get the work done, and go home.
I could write about how I never told anyone what my interior world was like. Or, how I just kept quitting jobs because I crashed physically and couldn’t work, who knew why?
I could write about the day I told my boss about my escalating physical deterioration and she was wonderful to me. I put myself out there and she was empathetic and supportive and agreed to help me put in place whatever I needed to manage.
But all of that would be without the PTSD factor. The problem with all of these stories is that I wasn’t diagnosed until 3 years ago, so my whole Manhattan career I had no idea what was wrong with me; nothing specific to tell and so no employer or colleague who needed to learn that something mental was taking place. By the time I was diagnosed I was working in a family business; easy enough to be honest about it there.
I believe everything we’ve considered in the past couple of months – about PTSD education and reaching out – is relevant to dealing with and addressing PTSD in the workplace. But there are special considerations in business that are not present in the private sector.
Today, I hope you all will educate me about how to discuss PTSD at work.
- What have you done?
- How did you approach your colleagues?
- Whom did you bring into your confidence?
- What was the outcome?
- What tricks did you learn about presenting the problem?
- What tips would you give someone who needed to spill the beans to an employer?
- What are the pros and cons, and which outweighs the other?
As I think of how we PTSDers move through the world I constantly come back to this: We need to live our reality, not sap our energy with lies.
How do we do this at work and still keep our jobs?
(Photo: Stuart-Forster)
Tags: BRIDGE THE GAP Healing Workshop, Educating Others, PTSD Healing Resolution No. 5
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Mississippi VA fails to stop psychological trauma and bullying of Black Female managers perpetuated by sexist union members.
The work environment of African American Female manager at the Jackson Mississippi VAMC is plagued with turmoil. Mississippi a state well known for racial intolerance has yet another indignity sexism by male union officials. High ranking Black females are systematically targeted for harassment and removal by the local 589 AFGE President , other union officials, insubordinate employees and racists at the Jackson VA Medical Center. Tactics are brutal and border on psychological and emotional violence. The 589 AFGE president manipulates the impression others have of female mangers, splits the work group into taking sides, defames female managers with higher-ups and at next job, seeks to kill reputations. Reports go unaddressed as senior officials offer no relief. Mobbing and character assassination is escalating to dangerous levels. VHA in Mississippi will soon have its first Black Female Network Director a brilliant human being with an impeccable record. Is Jackson ready for yet another Black female Executive? Will she suffer the same fate as the first African American female facility Director in Jackson. Union Presidents and racist can’t stop progress in Jackson Mississippi the glass ceiling is coming down.