PTSD for Medical and First Responders

[A_Tech]

Hi,

Well obviously this my situation.

I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting to others).

Im a 40 year old female that has spent the last 10years in the State Trauma Hospital as an Anaesthetic Technician. My PTSD was brought about after years of exposure to shocking traumas, deaths, and no support from management.

I would love to hear from anyone that has a similar story, or just wants to chat.

Cheers ✌️

[Croix]

Dear TimboE~

You are quite right, talking about it straight away wiht someone who understands makes all the difference an awful lot of times.

This was brought home to me as I had no such facilities (was ages ago) when I listened to a talk by an ambulance fleet chaplain, Garry Raymond, who used to be a D/I negotiator for a state police force.

After every incident he would talk wiht each of his team and allow them to range over whatever they felt like, though with some focus. He felt it did him good too as he was normally the leader on the scene.

I'm not sure this is the whole answer, I suspect such matters are cumulative, but only have a sample of one to go by:)

Croix

[Jane1985]

Thankyou for sharing. I am a teacher with PTSD from work. I have been off work for 6 months now, and I’m gradually trying to get back to work. It’s been a lot harder than I expected. I thought a new work place would solve my anxiety, but I feel so unwell going to work. The doctor told me to give it another 6 months before I’m back to full capacity.

[Croix]

Dear Jane 1985~

Welcome here, I'm glad you have found you are not alone and that others too have to wrestle with the problems of when to return to work.

As I mentioned to Jordan M a year is really not that long a time. PTSD is an injury, a harm to your mental mental welfare and to you capabilities.

In some ways being a teacher is like being an athlete (after the police I taught at uni for a long time) , it was strenuous and demanded great concentration, and is often in difficult circumstances.

If an athlete were injured and had to take a year off you might not find that remarkable -even prudent. Maybe even realise they could try to return too early.

Your symptoms do need time to recover, and I guess one thing that helped me was to recognize that were symptoms, not part of my basic makeup.

I rather think you were sensible to try a new teaching environment, however I also think you are the expert on you, and it is your judgment if this activity is helping or hindering.

Feeling unwell at the prospect of going to work I'm familiar with, it's not good and may indicate something. This happened when I tried teaching for a short while, it was too early. Later I tried again and then kept on going for many years.

I'd healed enough. I'm not saying I was symptom free but had both medical and family support, and experienced the ups and downs one might expect.

May I ask if you have enough personal (as opposed to medical) support and also if you are wondering if you are plunging in too deep too quickly?

What do you think?

Croix

[Bilbo22]

PTSD and AHPRA- Wondering how everyone else is doing post Covid particularly health workers with burnout, moral injury and PTSD? I had worked well with PTSD from a disaster from 20 years ago but after a vexatious complaint during covid AHPRAs response triggered a disabling relapse. I’m a medic- and a recent report showed 17 Drs had ended themselves during AHPRA investigation. I couldn’t understand how a bunch of paper pushers could trigger a worse injury than trying to fix what a tonne of explosives does to a crowd of people. Using the idea of moral injury ( betrayal and injustice of leadership) as an equally potent trigger to trauma as witnessing gruesome scenes has helped a lot. It was terrifying after managing symptoms and relapses for 20 years to be suddenly so overwhelmed. ( the background of bushfires, floods and covid made for a perfect storm) . Something to keep in mind for others living and working with PTSD. 

[PrincessSteph]

How long have You suffered with ptsd n separation anxiety borderline personality disorder skitzophrena depression adhd 

[Guest_65244895]

Hi,

I am a nurse of 20 years and have work in mostly the medical field and am currently on work cover after being assaulted at work by a patient who was mismanaged and had mental illness and should have been in a psychiatric unit but was also not delusional and was actually well aware of what he was doing. I have been diagnosed with ptsd and am on work cover. I have been through hell dealing with work cover but also trying to manage my own mental health but I also had bad experiences with psychiatrists and the last one even turned me away when I was in crisis and after many other times of being ignored and treated with no duty if care. I ended up putting in a formal complaint to ahpra as the circumstances warented action and I just found out they ended up taking his registration off him. He made me think I was making it all up he was narcissistic amongst other things but after that it's proof I was not just some mentally ill lunatic. He also just ceased seeing me last year with notice and told while I was an inpatient and unwell. And I still don't have a psychiatrist as the waiting lists are so long and finding someone who will deal with work cover is even harder. I was referred to a hospital that treates first responders, defence persons and work cover clients but apparently they can't help me because I also have other trauma besides the work place trauma. Even though like you it wasn't just that one even I was abused by patients on a regular basis but a lot of the time it wasn't something that would stop me from working just from that alone. There was also abuse from relatives, friends and even doctors and allied health staff. There was years of smaller traumas that also attributed to the ptsd. Not to mention the things you see as a health professional and all the things you see patients go through. It's extremely emotionally and physically draining. I was asked one time why I don't work full time and I said because I wouldn't be able to survive because of the nature of the job but also working shift work on a rotating roster is not easy. I have suffered from insomnia since I was in my 20s. I have spent my entire career caring for others and now I can't even leave the house without fearing for my life and I can't seem to find a decent psychiatrist and after 6 psychologists I have just now found a good one but I have to travel and hour and pay extra for that I just don't know how long I will be able to keep that up but at least for now I am getting decent help for once. There isn't enough support out there for health care professionals and first responders. There needs to be ptsd clinics and mental health support in available in every major city at least and should be no criteria that excludes you like I was excluded from the ptsd clinic in Melbourne. If they want people to stay in the field they need to take care of the people out there taking care of the public. Honestly I wish I could offer some advice or places to look for help but I don't know of any myself and I just thought I would share the lack of help and support I have received in the time I have been seeking treatment. I can understand how you feel in regards to people not getting what you have gone through at work as like with a lot of trauma it is hard for others to understand if they don't know what you've been through or how it effects you. Sometimes others don't mean to but they can be dismissive or frustrating when they don't get what you're talking about.

[Guest_50272903]

Hi A-Trch. Thanks for sharing. I am not in medical field but one of the largest government employed group in NSW/AU. I think I can understand the frustrations with the ever changing (and at times never changing and that's an issue itself) policy & procedures, lack of "real support" for frontline manager of ppl in our community at their very worst. And whilst this may be common in their lives it is not in mine. You disagree or don't like a social media post is not need to be so violent it puts another young person in hospital. DV, especially women to women DV has become so anaesthetised in our community. And the realisation is that we have a generation of parents unable, unwilling, uneducated to raise them to be positive, kind, caring, considerate ppl. PTSD is very real in my job.