Have you faced work trauma that leaves you feeling unwell and apprehensive about joining another company, fearing the possibility of similar scenarios repeating?

Personally, no nothing quite that bad, but my mom went through this. She quit a really toxic job and had nightmares she was back at that company even months to a full year after leaving. Turns out she was diagnosed with PTSD from working there, therapy is probably a good place to start if you’re not already there. Along with looking for a new job, of course.

My main point is toxic work environments and relationships can cause real damage to your mental health.

Yes— I’m struggling with that right now. I left an extremely toxic, back-stabbing culture and have found myself having pretty substantial anxiety during interviews about exactly that.

I was extended an offer for a very lucrative position that I ended up turning down because I had so much anxiety about what it would end up being like working for that person. I ended up meeting someone later who had worked for them in the past and it turns out they were a monster and I was absolutely right to be apprehensive. So maybe you’re feeling anxiety, or maybe you’re learning to recognize the red flags based on your experience. It could totally be either/both.

I leveraged my network and am hopefully going to be taking a role at a much smaller company— it’s not my dream role, but I know the people I’d be working with, it’s a much chiller culture, and I’m negotiating a one year contract. I’m hopeful it’ll give me space to heal a little bit from my previous job, while doing something that’s within my comfort zone and I know I’ll succeed at while still having a lot of opportunities to learn. And…I’m getting lots of therapy.

YES. I was dragged into fraud unknowingly and I’m now paying lawyer fees to get myself out of it. So I find it really hard to trust anyone.

Nope… each start is a new option be hopeful..

I was at a company for 5 years, told I was one of the best employees, then I was invited to a typical mid day Zoom meeting. All of a sudden, there were 10 of us the call. Forced on mute, and our boss started reading a script. "If you are on this call you no longer are employed, a box will be shipped to your home for you to return your laptop, you are not allowed to speak at this time, if you have questions call HR and the call was over. As soon as the call ended, I was locked out of everything, no email, nothing. The reality hit me that no matter how much you sacrifice for a job and put in 1000% no one is safe and companies can let you go whenever they want for any reason and there is nothing you can do. This has caused me a lot of turmoil. I still have to work hard, but every day I have PTSD when I'm invited to a meeting or my boss wants to talk, my mind immediately panics and thinks...... here we go again! Luckily, that is not the case, and I keep being assured I have nothing to worry about, but that's what they said at the old place, too, so what am I supposed to believe. I am the only one who brings in money for the family and I have a lot of medical issues, so if I lose this job, it will not be good for me at all. I don't know how to set myself up with a backup plan when I can't afford to save. So I'm living day to day on the edge is all I can do.

Yes, I joined a company that was mired in very bad politics and met with some horribly unethical people. The stress took a toll on me and even though I got another job offer just a day after I was lost this job, the shock of losing my job and all the stress caused by all the political machinations made me physically sick. So, even though I joined another company a week after I lost my job my health was so badly affected - it took me years to get back to normal and even then the psychological scars remain. I was excellent at my job and just the day I was laid off my team was full of praise for me during the sprint review meeting. Moreover, Ihad done very well in my previous jobs so, it came as a shock that I could be laid off just because of political machinations of one person. There are too many unethical and immoral people in the corporate world unfortunately.

Scenarios do not play out! Only YOU control how to react to anything outside your specific control…