How would you react if you found out a colleague was suffering from PTSD from something that happened at work?
Posted by traumatisedCS@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 16 comments
Long story short, I'm going through therapy to treat PTSD. The trauma happened at work but my current team weren't there so they don't know what I went through. It happened while I was doing overtime. Managers at work are aware of what triggers me and that I'm going through therapy.
I've been on "light duties". Essentially avoiding things that are triggering. But I've recently been building up my duties. And it's tough if I'm honest. There's one task where someone on the team needs to be doing it at any given point. It's something I hadn't done in a while because it could put me in a potentially triggering situation. I did a short stint of it and nothing went wrong, I didn't get triggered. But the anxiety was awful, I felt sick. And I did have a flashback at one point. But because nothing was really happening, let alone going wrong, I felt too embarrassed to ask a colleague to take over from me.
At one point I tried to cope with the trauma by downplaying what happened as being not that bad. But then that meant I felt more embarrassed by the fact I have PTSD and am having therapy. But I think after my near meltdown doing something simple, I'd be more embarrassed at having a panic attack or starting to cry while doing something most people wouldn't find stressful at all, than them knowing I have PTSD and being able to admit I'm struggling and ask for help with something simple before it gets to a point where I have a meltdown.
I think some of my team have cottoned onto the fact I took time off and am on light duties for something mental rather than physical. But they probably have no idea it's work related. I'm trying my hardest but I also don't want them to think I'm slacking and not pulling my weight. Also, as I'm building up my hours and duties after taking some time off, people might think I'm already better from whatever was wrong with me and I'm just being eased back into things. And have no idea how much I'm still struggling.
I don't expect many of them to be able empathise with me. I don't know how they'd react. They're a nice team. I'm starting to think it would be a bit awkward but probably make things easier if I do tell the whole team. My manager isn't pressuring me to tell them but he thinks it might be useful. People can be reluctant to ask too much of me because I guess they don't know what I'm capable of or find difficult. So they'd possibly get me to chip in more with the things I definitely can cope with if they know I'm happy to do those things. In general I have a good work ethic.
So how would you react?
16 Comments
gegorb@reddit
hardito-carlito@reddit
traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)
hardito-carlito@reddit
traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)
hardito-carlito@reddit
traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)
3332220@reddit
SpeakingFaithfully@reddit
traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)
Dartzap@reddit
traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)
CarpeCyprinidae@reddit
traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)
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traumatisedCS@reddit (OP)