Why I had to create Trauma At Work
Too many children experience severe and repeated stress growing up. Physical, emotional or sexual abuse, poverty, neglect, domestic violence, a family member’s struggles with alcohol, drugs or poor mental health, witnessing community violence, bullying, clerical abuse, racism, separation from one’s biological family, war etc. can, and typically do, disrupt the normal neurological and psychological development of young people.
Sustained childhood adversity leaves devastating marks that won’t just fade away with time. Trust me. I’m a survivor and I know.
Books, and later on podcasts and blogs, have always been a lifeline for me. Reading and listening to other people's stories have provided me with a level of validation, clarity and hope I couldn't find elsewhere.
I started writing in order to extend that lifeline to others. I decided to add my voice to the increasingly vocal segment of cPTSD survivors who are stepping forward to help others feel seen, validated, no longer fearful, isolated or ashamed.
Soon I discovered that writing isn't just a form of giving. Writing is a powerful catalyst for self-reflection and learning, a path to finding and becoming part of a tribe that finally feels right, and a form of activism directed at changing perceptions of complex trauma.
There is another strand to my writing here. I’ve been in corporate HR for 20+ years. Work has always been my ticket, my only ticket, to a sense of safety and independence. Work had to work for me.
As I became increasingly aware of how complex trauma operates, I started to notice how my history of abuse and neglect kept interfering with my work. Deadlines, interviews, ethical dilemmas, sensory overwhelm, office politics, feedback conversations acted as triggers that drained me and undermined my performance and wellbeing.
Until one day I decided to find a way to change things no matter what it takes and prove to myself that I matter.
I now write about the things I wish I knew 20 years ago, or 10, or even 5. I write to connect with other survivors and their allies, and give a voice to our struggles and strengths. I write to chip away at the repulsive resonance of the words trauma and abuse, so we can stop turning away and start facing our past and our deepest wounds with honesty, compassion and hope.
You can learn more about me and what I do at www.TraumaAtWork.com.
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All the best,
Adina
