Earlier in my career I had some really disgusting clients and co-workers who would harass, abuse and gaslight people all the time, now more than 10 years has passed and I’m still suffering from PTSD, and am super sensitive to any negative comments, or even hints of negative feedback as a result. It’s hard as I still really love making creative work but the trauma has made it difficult to be in this industry. Has anyone else been through similar situations? Did things like therapy work?

Therapy. Go to therapy. I started when the waves of crippling anxiety intensified from a new job. Got so bad I could hardly eat or sleep. Fired up BetterHelp. And it helps so so so much.

To add on to that, I didn’t get any help during that time cuz I thought it was normal to experience toxic work environment as a young adult. A few years after I heard some of those higher ups got into trouble for workplace abuse, but that didn’t ease the pain that experience has caused me. Now as I’m thinking of stepping into leadership roles I’m hesitant on whether it will make me vulnerable, and I kinda feel unprepared for knowing how I still haven’t really overcame from the trauma deep inside. Sorry if this sounds like venting but would really appreciate any insights from those who had similar experiences

Thanks everyone for the kind comments, will start looking into therapy now - definitely helps to hear that I’m not alone though it also sucks to see that toxic workspace is not uncommon…

My heart hurts for you, for me, for all others…

Yes, therapy can be - and was, for me, personally - essential. I don’t know that I would have been able to pull myself out without this specific helping hand. (Not in a dire, life-dependent way- but a soul-dependent one, I suppose). Fresh out of college and barely 21, I couldn’t have been nor imagined ever being so low.

It has also been a bit over 10 years for me, and I, too, still deal with the remnant trauma- that, over time and with help, I have “grown into,” for lack of a better phrase. That is, learn to recognize and acknowledge and, most importantly, address.

As someone who, at the time, was going into therapy entirely blind and terrified- believe me, I know allllll the feelings. Having a third person confidant became and remains one of the most valuable aspects of my life and world. Give it a shot.

The worst that can happen? He/she is not the right person for you. The environment or method is not right for you. Try to remember that finding a therapist is a bit like dating. It is very rare that you are going to find “the one” at first introduction. Push yourself to stick with it and persevere.

I have never known a single person to have regretted doing so.

Please go get therapy.

I'm so sorry you experienced this. Yes, I think therapy will help you in more ways than you've realized yet.

To be fair I’ve only had one official job in the industry so far but its toxic environment has seriously impacted me. You are def not alone (sadly)

You might need a change of industry

Therapy and/or career coach (aka work therapist). It really helped me get over my lack of confidence from previous terrible bosses.

Try EMDR therapy if you've already done traditional therapy. It's all about reprocessing trauma and can be great for reclaiming parts of yourself you feel shut off from.

Documenting my experience helped. Go for the leadership role, work through the trauma, even if it’s messy and you will come out on top and realize how bad it all was. After that you’ll see that you can overcome anything. CBT therapy helps.

Therapy definitely helps. I still sometimes have nightmares about my boss from 2019, but I feel a lot more confident at work after a few years unpacking my toxic boss experience.

Been there. Therapy is the answer here. You have to be willing to do it and put in the work. But it pays in multitudes.

Early on in my career I had the same experience , now, 17 years later, nothing has changed.

The only upside to your experience lies in you taking on a leadership role. Some of the fundamental tenets of how I lead acct teams comes from truly awful bosses, and vowing I would never be like them. Your experience also gives you a superpower in recognizing when others are on the receiving end, which means you can offer support. You got this!

Especially if there are specific incidents still haunting you, I’d recommend EMDR therapy.
Good luck and good on you for taking care of yourself!

Idk why my job title says creative manager but I'm a (former) ACD and I relate to this so much.

I'll start by saying that I have been going to therapy regularly for about 5 years. It does help, but sometimes it wasn't enough.

At my last two jobs, there were multiple times I found myself having suicidal thoughts because of the abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, and toxicity I was experiencing at work. I wound up in the hospital several times due to stress induced health issues. That's when I knew I needed to take a step back and ask myself if my mental and physical health were worth ruining for a career I thought I so desperately wanted and loved.

People who haven't experienced things like we have think we're just overly sensitive, but its a serious problem in this industry that needs to be addressed with leaderships. Toxic and egotistical work cultures have long been considered the norm in this industry, but lack awareness of the real issues it creates for employees. No one really knows what another is going through outside of the office.

It's been a year since my last full-time agency gig and I'm still uncovering parts of my PTSD that have been suppressed. Therapy is great, and I still go. But I've also found that yoga, meditation, and breathwork have been even more healing. So much so that I decided to become a yoga teacher. I'm much more fulfilled now (albeit a bit broke haha) and while I'm still healing from years of unlucky jobs with bad bosses, I feel happier and healthier.

Your subconscious is probably telling you that you need to dig deeper and rewrite the narrative of those traumatic experiences. Therapy helps, yoga helps, connecting with others who have a shared experience helps. I don't know what the future of advertising is going to be like, but I hope it starts to become a bit more empathetic.

Therapy is great. So is EMDR. However, if you’re still in this industry you run the risk of being triggered and suffering from flashbacks and possibly dissociation to get thru. I am/was in the same position. I see that a lot of others are too. The industry needs to change but it probably won’t. Unfortunately this industry attracts some low performers who are abusive types. To cover for their low performance etc they are aggressive. Therapy and EMDR only work so much if you‘re constantly reminded of the snake pit you survived.

You get used to being hurt after experiencing it many times. It all depends on how you think about It,Growing up inevitably involves getting hurt; you just have to become stronger

You get used to being hurt after experiencing it many times. It all depends on how you think about It,Growing up inevitably involves getting hurt; you just have to become stronger