Overcoming Challenges:
By: Marjorie Morrison, CEO & Founder PsychArmor
Understanding the Difficulties Veterans with PTSD Face in the Work Place
One challenge veterans with PTSD face in the workplace is related to unfamiliarity with the environment (i.e., changing from the more well known and “comfortable” environment of military service to the unknown and changing environment of civilian employment). Another is the perceived lack of support in the workplace. While serving, military personnel are surrounded by others who share experiences and are sounding boards that someone with PTSD can interact with free of attribution. In a non-military workplace, many veterans with PTSD feel that they have no one with whom they have shared experiences who “understands” them.
Successfully Managing PTSD in the Workplace
Employees with PTSD can take responsibility for their success. The most successful employees with PTSD are those who can actively manage their PTSD symptoms themselves and in turn can avail themselves of resources that are available within the workplace.
They can reach out and connect with other veterans and to coworkers to remove any barriers to communication by deconstructing the PTSD myth (i.e., show others that people with PTSD are people and employees the same as everyone else).
Helping employees with PTSD
Employers can learn about PTSD from reputable sources. It is a condition with many symptomologies and varying levels of intensity that many people, not just veterans, deal with. Employers who recognize that PTSD is not a barrier to employment or success will be more effective in inculcating people with PTSD within their organizations.
"Employers who recognize that PTSD is not a barrier to employment or success will be more effective in inculcating veterans with PTSD within their organizations."