Managing PTSD symptoms at work
Having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect people in the workplace, but there are coping strategies that can help, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Karestan Koenen.
In a Dec. 12 Forbes article, Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, said that having PTSD at work can lead people to re-experience trauma, become avoidant, and experience emotional dysregulation. “Avoidance can look like poor performance or not caring if it leads to missing meetings or obligations,” she said. “Emotion dysregulation can show up exactly how it sounds—losing your temper at work or exploding at a colleague over something small.”
She recommended several grounding, distraction, and relaxation techniques. Grounding can include feeling your feet on the floor or holding something with a comforting texture. She added, “Have a go-to video or music or something to distract your mind while the flashback runs its course. Really mastering breathing techniques that induce relaxation by practicing them every day (twice a day) is helpful.”
Read the Forbes article: How To Deal With PTSD Symptoms At Work
