Work based ptsd

[Sun_Rain]

Hello everyone,

I received a diagnosis of PTSD in October 2018. The reason for my diagnosis is from a previous job where I was exposed to a lot of family dysfunction and child abuse/neglect. I have been seeking psychological assistance for 18 months, 13 of which have been emdr and it has been incredibly helpful. I no longer work with kids or families, however my current role requires me to read intimate details of childhood abuse. This used to lead to light headedness, accelerated heart rate and agitation, which has since subsided. I do notice though that for the remainder of the day and into the next day I feel emotionally fragile, have little tolerance and notice the hypervigiliance creeping in. I can continue on with my day,
challenge my thoughts, engage in mindfulness or distraction ect but something within me just doesn't feel right if that makes sense.

I am wondering if anyone has experienced a similar feeling ? I should also say that I have worked incredibly hard to be in the area of work that I am and in no way do i wish to give it up!

Thankyou 🙂

[Ash_Lou]

Vicarious trauma affects everyone differently, but parts of this I can also relate to. I am in community services. Many of us have, like you, worked hard to get to where we are and don't want to change career paths.

And you don't have to. I found that figuring out if there are specific triggers that could be making me worse and engaging in critical reflection and supervision often helped.

[Sun_Rain]

Thankyou :). I'm lucky in that I engage in supervision regularly in my role. I appreciate your reply !