How to Deal With Social Stress

How to Deal With Social Stress at Work When You Have Complex PTSD

by Adam Appleson

age-well.org > reduce stress > social stress

So what is social stress and complex PTSD

When guests at a Wisconsin Hampton Inn complained loudly about mooing cows, a clerk went out and milked them. The guests slept soundly that night. If only you could find a hotel clerk to "milk" away the social stress you've been feeling at work, it would make it a lot easier for you to heal from complex PTSD.

Social stress in this case is stress activated by your social environment. Typical examples of social stress in the workplace include holiday parties, employee reviews, and office politics.

Complex PTSD is shorthand for complex post-traumatic stress disorder. People who suffer from complex PTSD can have mood swings, out-of-control emotions, dissociation ("numbing" or feeling detached from yourself), alterations in your feelings toward other people, and loss of meaning in your life.

How does complex PTSD increase social stress?

Because someone suffering from complex PTSD can have a varied array of symptoms, it makes it harder for them to respond in socially appropriate ways sometimes.

Obviously, this can have an impact on the way you function in the workplace. And it may cause your co-workers not to respond in favorable ways - causing you undue stress.

So how do you deal with social stress at work if you have PTSD so it doesn't impact your job?