When most people hear about post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), the last thing they consider is the workplace. However, mental health professionals are sounding a very different alarm – your job might be more harmful to your health than you think. What if where you work isn’t just making you sad or upset? You could actually be one of the thousands of people who are dealing with trauma from your job.
According to Joyce Marter, a licensed psychotherapist, workplace PTSD is best defined as “different emotional, cognitive, and physical challenges people experience when they have difficulty coping with negative, abusive, or traumatic aspects of their jobs.”
It’s a pretty broad definition but can include events such as constant lay-offs, getting yelled at by your boss in front of your coworkers, being bullied, racist or other discriminatory behaviors, as well as different forms of harassment.
While it can affect people in the healthcare industry and first responders, that doesn’t mean others can’t develop workplace PTSD. In fact, a recent study showed that it’s impossible to predict who can have the disorder.
It also isn’t limited to those who are working from the office. Even when working remotely, people can develop PTSD when the toxic behaviors of those in charge are extended to the online experience.
Instead of focusing on where you work, though, it helps to know what the symptoms look like.
People with workplace PTSD can experience chronic anxiety, depression, trouble sleeping, feeling numb, trouble concentrating, digestive issues, and feeling as if they need to avoid work.
In prolonged cases, people have symptoms that last after they’ve left the workplace. That can entail having chest pains, headaches, and panic attacks if they come in contact with a former coworker or end up on the route they used to take to work.
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Proactive self-care is an important part of managing the disorder. Experts recommend ensuring that you take breaks between each work-related task. It doesn’t have to be a long one – just enough to stop you from jumping straight into another task.
If you can take a walk outside the office, that can be helpful as well. At the very least, you should avoid having lunch at your desk.
Outside the office, it’s a good idea to make time for the things you truly enjoy. Whether that’s spending time with friends and family, trying out new things, or indulging in a much-loved hobby, your brain will have something to focus on other than work.
These activities can also go a long way in relieving your stress.
Finally, despite the effects of your job, you need to take steps to sleep well. You need at least 7 hours of sleep per night, so try to get to sleep at a set time every night and make sure that your bedroom is conducive to getting rest.
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Even if you’re taking steps to take care of yourself, you may need a mental health professional if the symptoms persist. While some therapists are hesitant to equate workplace trauma with other forms of PTSD, you can still benefit from seeing someone who specializes in the disorder.
It’s also important to note that the workplace could have negatively affected any undiagnosed mental health issues. Seeing a professional is a great way to get to the root cause of the symptoms you’ve been experiencing and get the treatment that you need.
There’s still a lot to learn about workplace PTSD and how employees can protect themselves. Though it would be best for companies to create healthy environments, you can’t always depend on anything changing on that front. The only thing you can do is learn how to identify toxic workplaces, make a plan to maintain your mental health, and get the help you need as soon as possible.
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