going back to work with ptsd from prolonged abuse and traumas.

[madlittlelulu]

I'm in a position where I need to get a job as DS is going to school next month and so my benefits stop/ I am forced onto JSA.
I've got a new job that I am yet to start, though I'm having no end of trouble with securing a babysitter.

But, I have complex ptsd from six years of abuse and trauma relating to the abuse I suffered. I had a breakdown less than a year ago and was put onto medication.
I've just started counselling, which is once a week for six months.
I have alot of triggers, I have issues relating to oral trauma which means I currently struggle to eat certain foods, I still suffer flashbacks, nightmares and constant intrusive thoughts. I have issues with my short-term memory and disassociate feelings. And more.

My friend and my therapist are concerned that going back to work (namely back to a job I did whilst the traumatic events were taking place at home) will be detrimental to my mh. I kind of want to try but am a bit worried that they're right.

Has anyone worked whilst being in treatment for complex ptsd?

I can't help as I haven't had to do that but just wanted you to know someone is listening. I have a couple of very close family members who have ptsd due to severe childhood trauma and I know how debilitating it can be.

What does your GP think?

Have you thought about applying for ESA and PIP instead?

Thank you both.

I've not spoken to my gp about it, I have a mh social worker who is both excited and thinks it'd be good for me to go back to work, and worried I'm not really stable enough.

I won't qualify for pip, but would probably for esa. but I don't want to be on benefits anymore if I can help it? And I've come too far in the new starter process to pull out now?

Is your therapist qualified in EMDR? It would be worth discussing with him/her as I know people with PTSD that it has helped. I also know someone that had flashbacks, and they found exposure therapy helped - I wonder if this could help you. This would involved planning with your therapist and then gradually exposing yourself to the work environment slowly (e.g. start off looking at the building from the outside, then just go into reception) - and using grounding techniques whilst you do so (to ground you in the present - so you know that you are in that environment in the present, not in the past)

Hi I'm on a phased return following 'simple' 1 trauma PTSD and it has been along slow process starting with just a few hours of reduced duties in January. I am now just back to almost full duties but still on reduced hours. The main elements of my PTSD (flashbacks, pannic attacks) had resolved before I went back to work though. In the early months of the PTSD, before I went off sick there were some coping strategies that helped. I found the headspace app usefull when anxiety was bad so had this on my phone with headphones so I could nip into the loo at work and listen. I also used EFT (emotional freedom techneque ) in the loos at work (I spent a lot of time in the loos!) My manager was aware I was struggling with the PTSD before I went off sick and gave me permission to alter my duties/go and work in a quieter area/leave work and go for a walk, whatever I needed to do to help me get through the day.

Obviously its different with it being a new job. I also have experience of DH returning to work after long periods out of work due to mental illness. He manages it by working part time initially and has found it important to meet with his CPN regularly. He prefers not to disclose his mental illness until he has to, e.g. when he gets unwell and needs time off.

Personally my recommendation would be to be open with your new line manager. By law your PTSD is covered by the disability discrimination act and they have to make reasonable adjustments for you. Discuss with your SW and therapist coping strategies and what types of reasonable adjustments may be appropriate and then discuss this with your line manager. I found that just having permission to take some time out if I needed to made such a huge difference to me. Its one of those things where you won't know if you are ready until you give it a go, and it sounds like you are feeling ready.

Just seen chocolates post above. I used this graded approach to returning to work prior to my phased return just going into the building then meeting collegues 1 at a time for coffee or lunch (harder when you don't work there yet obviously) My trauma was not related to work, but I think because I'd had bad anxiety at work and got to the point of forgetting how to do basic elements of my job because my memory and concentration got so bad (couldn't remember how to operate a computer system that I'd used for years) that work had somehow associated itself with my PTSD symptoms in my head.