Careers for people with PTSD

Hello everyone,

I am wondering what kind of job you're doing?

I was diagnosed with complex PTSD and have been treated, yet I still feel anxious sometimes when I hear particular noises and other things. This may happen offen. I have become sensitive to noise which I never had before.

I would like to know what job or career some of you are doing after the diagnoses and prior and after the diagnosis?

I had to change career dramatically. I was working as a licensed nurse but I got a burn-out and had to stop. A few years later I went into therapy for my PTSD. Went back to work as a counselor in wellbeing sector, but I found that to be really heavy too and suffered from another burn-out. This happened in the past one year and half, until today. Also, I got another starting burn-out due to very difficult people while I was still in therapy. That did not work for me. I worn me out more.

The workload is just unbearable in healthcare and wellbeing.

I really like to talk and share info and experiences here.

I have been thinking of changing career and become a teacher for adults. But all of these sectors are very demanding.

Greetings,
Fay

Hi there. Not even sure how to answer this. Have lived with PTSD my entire working life - and my "real" resume would probably reflect that. Have been everything from a "milk maid" on a commercial dairy farm, to a bookkeeper. Gas station attendant, manager of gas station, pretty much every office job and accounting position in those offices, hotel desk clerk, cashier, you name it. Healthcare - patient services rep, pharmacy technician. I could go on forever. Currently unemployed - last job the company shut down, went out of business. Traumatic, all on it's own. Tried two new jobs after that....jobs that should have been dream jobs, perfect for me, my skills, my background - and those both ended badly and quickly. My inability to now hold down a job is exactly what drove me to find a counselor, to find out why I suddenly seemed incapable of dealing with work...and that led to PTSD diagnosis. In my opinion - all jobs have stress. Low level, high level, management level - doesn't matter. I hope you find rewarding work, that doesn't take such a toll on yuo.

I do online marketing and sales from home.

I started a (tiny) online seed business, web site, and published a book. Sadly I don't make much money because I'm down a lot with my MS and now PTSD. I'm still poor, but I am happy(ier) than when I had to go to out into the workplace. I am lucky that I have a spouse to support me with most of the bills ... I feel guilty admitting it. I am aiming to make enough to be independent, but who knows. On my worst days I get my camera and force myself to go outside and photograph nature and then when I'm feeling a little better I write an article for my site. Being creative in that way helps me immensely. If I write about what I know then I can create pretty easily.

I would say try to go for something you enjoy. If you really enjoy teaching and nursing then maybe an online consultant using Skype ... or phone consults ... like a health coach ... health advisor. Maybe start Youtube videos of advice and get a following. Maybe a site about it? You can keep a site going if you write about what you know. It seems like with all your experience your brain would be full of stuff to write down and share. Hope that doesn't sound silly, but you never know until you try. Remember ... there are millions of people out there that don't have your experiences, or knowledge, and could benefit from it. Start small and see what happens?

I also started having sound related problems and it keeps me on edge. My brain gets sensory overload really fast anymore. It seems to be on high alert to deciphering EVERY single noise. It's keeping me so anxious.

I was fired from my job because I had a panic attack on the job. Was an excellent employee but, there was one instance where I randomly left my station (life guard) to go lock myself in the bathroom and have a panic attack. And calmed myself down.

At this time I was really unwell and I actually ended up going to a mental hospital the day, because it was so bad. I was dealing with a lot mentally at this time.

To be fired was just the icing on the cake.

I also struggled to get through school, it was difficult given my diagnoses (anxiety, major depression and cptsd), I was barely getting by. Had failed semester after semester. But kept trying again and again. Finally I dissociated in class one day, and after that I just quit.

I was studying biology.

But I decided to after that study phlebotomy, and get my certification in that. It was more manageable because class was only once or twice a week, and the rest of the time you could manage your own study schedule at home. It wasn’t too much to handle. And there is only one test to pass, the final. And then you are certified to work.

Once I started working, I found the job very manageable with ptsd, the clinics are very rotational, set, nothing too unpredictable really happening. It’s a good paying job, with benefits, a smaller setting to work in that isn’t chaotic or overly stressful, and the hours are amazing. (Get off at 3pm everyday). So with chronic fatigue issues, if you can manage to press through your shift, once you get off you can collapse and nap all evening.

It really worked for me in a time I was really really struggling and, didn’t take up too much mental capacity etc, very routine and, didn’t have to think much. The computer tells you what tubes to use, (there is an order) and as long as you can stick a needle in and out of an arm, you just do that about 20x a day and you’re good.

I recently applied to a surgical tech program and was accepted, and am looking at doing that. Which is double the pay. And if you specialize, it’s 100k a year. If you are a first assist who specializes, it’s upwards of that.

It gives you the opportunity to do something medical without the stress of being a physician or the stress of trying to get a bio-chem degree, or nursing. But still get a nice steady dependable, good paying job with benefits, that’s very structured and, not too much stress on the brain.

Surgical tech’s just hand the surgeon tools, and open and close the patient. Usually a very small incision, and then sewing up the patient is like a sewing fabric.

I'm pretty sensitive to noise too. I still manage to jump anytime I hear a loud noise going off or if something sneaks up on me. I end up crying and not wanting to talk to people for awhile. At the moment I'm currently not working because my body is so worn out and tired from all the abuse I went through with my ex, I'm not using this as an excuse either. My body is so weak and tired, that sometimes I have to drag my feet during the day and force myself to get up because I'm literally exhausted. By the end of the year if I'm feeling better, I do plan on working and I hope I find a manageable job that will suit me. Because I still continue to jump over loud noises and people yelling triggers me a lot. I absolutely hate when people fight or when people try to pick a fight with me, I end up wanting to run away and not deal with it. If it ever gets bad, I will have a full blown panic attack and not feel safe. So I'm hoping with therapy, I can manage things better than I did before.