5 Types of Career Trauma

When thinking of trauma, the workplace doesn’t often come to mind. For most people, it’s not a place where there are extreme physical safety threats or overt abuse is happening. But there are many subtler forms of trauma at work that can seriously impact mental health.

At Haven, we work closely with people struggling to overcome stressful, painful, overwhelming work dynamics. Here are some of the most common work traumas we see:

Extreme Performance Pressure

When the task at hand feels insurmountable but you can’t shrink it down to a manageable size, extreme stress can follow. This kind of pressure can occur from external sources – like a boss or a spouse – or internal sources, such as critical self-talk, perfectionism, or low self-esteem.

Examples of work pressure include: Unreasonable hours on the job, more work then can possibly be completed, sales performance pressure, financial crisis, and fear of consequences from underperforming.

Work pressure can undermine your confidence, cripple your ability to focus, spike anxiety and depression, and interfere with your general functioning.

Toxic Work Relationships

When you don’t feel comfortable with someone you work closely with, the office can feel like a mine field. This can happen with both peers and supervisors. It can take the form of an overly-competitive environment, poor communication from management, the stress of managing others, unethical behaviors or unfair treatment.

If you don’t feel safe with the people you work with, it can feel impossible to perform at your highest capacity. Extreme stress from workplace relationships is one of the most common forms of workplace trauma that we see.

Disciplinary Actions or Loss of Work

We depend on employment to meet our basic needs. Because of this, work insecurity can feel like a threat to our very existence. Disciplinary action at work can truly cut to the core, generating self-doubt, performance anxiety, guilt and shame. Likewise, when you want to work but can’t find a job, feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, fear and shame can emerge.

When job loss has occurred or feels imminent, the body naturally generates a protective threat response: heart racing, sweaty palms, rapid breathing, etc. Feelings of distress naturally follow and can linger for months or even years.

Acute Workplace Danger

Of course, there are many jobs where your physical safety is in real danger. First responders, medical workers, manual laborers, transportation professionals and even teachers can feel physically at risk in the workplace. When every day there’s the question - Is today the day? – your nervous system becomes hypervigilant and symptoms of PTSD can follow.

Even if you are not directly exposed to threat at work, witnessing harm to others can be acutely traumatic. ER doctors, EMTs, vet hospital employees and many others are subject to what we call “Vicarious Trauma.” This can frequently lead to mental health symptoms.

Discrimination and Harassment

Unfortunately, abuses can and do occur in the workplace. Discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability is still common. Likewise, sexual harassment in the workplace can take overt or subtle forms. These forms of abuse often piggy-back on prior abuses and can lead to acute suffering.

Abusive work environments can lead to fear, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, frequent absence from work and difficulty performing work tasks.  

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Trauma in the workplace is common and can interfere with your livelihood, your professional goals, and your personal life. It shouldn’t be this way.

The good news: recovering from workplace trauma is possible. At Haven, we see many people who suffer from extreme workplace stress and concurrent anxiety and depression. Every professional trauma is unique, and we are skilled at helping you address both the immediate challenges of work and your long-term professional aspirations.

To get help with your career stressors, contact us for schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation.

After all, you spend a huge chunk of your life at work. You deserve to feel safe and happy there.