3 ms·

I knew a guy who had moderate PTSD. He could work and keep a steady job. His number one issue was loud, unexpected noise and sudden surprises. Slamming an offic

by w8rbt 12y ago

I knew a guy who had moderate PTSD. He could work and keep a steady job. His number one issue was loud, unexpected noise and sudden surprises. Slamming an office door, for example, would cause him to jump under a desk, run outside, etc. Once we all learned of the issue, making his work-area a quiet place and letting him know to expect loud noise before it occurred, helped a lot. When walking up behind him, we let him know we were coming, start humming a song, but start it at a distance in a calm manner while approaching. These little things made all the difference. So don't throw a 'surprise' party for someone with PTSD where everyone in the office jumps out from hiding yelling surprise! Everyone else may get THE surprise at the reaction. And if you have PTSD, it's a good idea to let your co-workers and friends know now, otherwise, they'll continue doing things that cause problems for you. You'll find that most people are very helpful, some even understand it just like you do, but have never said anything about it.

pasbesoin 12y ago
I am happy to read about this particular experience. One of the severe irritations I have with focus on a "cure", is that it can forego discussion of and consideration of finding ways to work with the situation as it is. If a quiet environment is an aid, and if people can function much better when they have it, then let them have it. There may be a "cure", someday. There may be other, viable solutions available today for letting people with PTSD have a productive, reasonably stress-free life. After all, a lot of PTSD originates not in isolation but within the community (family, city, military, etc.), in the first place. A community response to coping with it, seems only reasonable.
chimeracoder 12y ago
> And if you have PTSD, it's a good idea to let your co-workers and friends know now, otherwise, they'll continue doing things that cause problems for you. You'll find that most people are very helpful, some even understand it just like you do, but have never said anything about it. I don't have PTSD (thankfully), but I went to a school with a large milvet population, and a number of my friends & classmates had varying levels of PTSD. Two of my close friends have PTSD from (separate) traumatic events that occurred during the time I knew them[0], and I've seen the struggles that they have to this day as a result. Unfortunately, not only is there a huge stigma around mental illness in general, but PTSD is very often misunderstood. And many people with PTSD have been in the position where they have trusted friends or coworkers with that information, for the exact reasons you describe, and it has come around to bite them[1]. Since PTSD is oftentimes triggered by environmental factors, this only reinforces the learning cycle, and actually worsens the PTSD. It creates a terrible cycle, where they have legitimate reasons not to want to seek support from their environment (they have real reason to distrust it), but where they can't function without the support of their environment as well. [0] ie, after we were already friends; I wasn't present at the traumatic events themselves. [1] e.g., a friend lets this information slip to someone that the original person didn't trust, or a coworker uses that information to trigger them intentionally as a "joke" (yes, this happens).
- mrsteveman1 12y ago
  > It creates a terrible cycle, where they have legitimate reasons not to want to seek support from their environment (they have real reason to distrust it), but where they can't function without the support of their environment as well. It took years before I started to realize this was the case for me, particularly the 2nd part. So many things I never could find even a correlation for slowly started to "click" for me. The way you put it helps a lot, I haven't been able to describe it to anyone. Thanks :)
dhubris 12y ago
I similarly have a strong startle reflex. I hate open office spaces, and particularly office spaces where my desk has me without my back to a wall. People moving around behind me is very stressful and distracting. Similarly I'll never walk up behind someone and tap them on the shoulder if I can help it. I always try and come up beside them, in their eye-line and wave or say hi to get their attention.

by w8rbt 12y ago

pasbesoin 12y ago

I am happy to read about this particular experience. One of the severe irritations I have with focus on a "cure", is that it can forego discussion of and consideration of finding ways to work with the situation as it is. If a quiet environment is an aid, and if people can function much better when they have it, then let them have it. There may be a "cure", someday. There may be other, viable solutions available today for letting people with PTSD have a productive, reasonably stress-free life. After all, a lot of PTSD originates not in isolation but within the community (family, city, military, etc.), in the first place. A community response to coping with it, seems only reasonable.

chimeracoder 12y ago

> And if you have PTSD, it's a good idea to let your co-workers and friends know now, otherwise, they'll continue doing things that cause problems for you. You'll find that most people are very helpful, some even understand it just like you do, but have never said anything about it. I don't have PTSD (thankfully), but I went to a school with a large milvet population, and a number of my friends & classmates had varying levels of PTSD. Two of my close friends have PTSD from (separate) traumatic events that occurred during the time I knew them[0], and I've seen the struggles that they have to this day as a result. Unfortunately, not only is there a huge stigma around mental illness in general, but PTSD is very often misunderstood. And many people with PTSD have been in the position where they have trusted friends or coworkers with that information, for the exact reasons you describe, and it has come around to bite them[1]. Since PTSD is oftentimes triggered by environmental factors, this only reinforces the learning cycle, and actually worsens the PTSD. It creates a terrible cycle, where they have legitimate reasons not to want to seek support from their environment (they have real reason to distrust it), but where they can't function without the support of their environment as well. [0] ie, after we were already friends; I wasn't present at the traumatic events themselves. [1] e.g., a friend lets this information slip to someone that the original person didn't trust, or a coworker uses that information to trigger them intentionally as a "joke" (yes, this happens).

mrsteveman1 12y ago
> It creates a terrible cycle, where they have legitimate reasons not to want to seek support from their environment (they have real reason to distrust it), but where they can't function without the support of their environment as well. It took years before I started to realize this was the case for me, particularly the 2nd part. So many things I never could find even a correlation for slowly started to "click" for me. The way you put it helps a lot, I haven't been able to describe it to anyone. Thanks :)

dhubris 12y ago

I similarly have a strong startle reflex. I hate open office spaces, and particularly office spaces where my desk has me without my back to a wall. People moving around behind me is very stressful and distracting. Similarly I'll never walk up behind someone and tap them on the shoulder if I can help it. I always try and come up beside them, in their eye-line and wave or say hi to get their attention.