PTSD in the Workplace–What Employers Get Wrong-Common Missteps and the Urgent Need for Trauma-Informed Practices

Disclaimer:

I’m not a mental health professional. I’m a wife of a disabled veteran. I’m a life coach who’s walked through fire beside the man I love. What you’re about to read is raw, personal, and real—because it needs to be.

They Survived Combat. The Office Shouldn’t Break Them.

We train soldiers to survive the most brutal environments imaginable.

But what happens when they come home, suit up for a “normal job,” and walk into workplaces completely unprepared for what trauma really looks like?

They’re not looking for pity. They’re looking for purpose.

They want to work. They want to provide.

They want to feel useful again.

But what they often find instead is misunderstanding, microaggressions, judgment—and silence.

My Husband Didn’t Just Lose a Job. He Lost His Anchor.

When my husband was fired, it wasn’t just a paycheck that vanished.

It was his routine.

His sense of contribution.

The one place he felt “normal” after years of struggling to adjust to civilian life.

So when they fired him for it, it didn’t just feel like a termination. It felt like a betrayal.

Since then, we’ve battled severe depression, suicidal episodes, and a complete breakdown in mental health. His firing wasn’t just “HR protocol”—it was a trigger. A life-altering one.

What Employers Get Wrong About PTSD

Here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: most companies are not trauma-informed.

They say they support veterans. They post flags. They share a quote on Veterans Day. But when the time comes to actually understand and accommodate the invisible wounds? They fall silent.

Here’s where they go wrong:

• They don’t train management on trauma-awareness.

  
  

  PTSD doesn’t look the same for everyone. One veteran may be withdrawn. Another may be overly social as a coping mechanism. Both need understanding—not judgment

  
  

• They don’t provide clear feedback.

  
  

  If something needs to change, say it. Don’t assume someone knows. My husband was never given a formal warning. Just a termination letter and a goodbye.

• They avoid “touchy” topics.

  
  

  Talking about mental health doesn’t mean crossing a line. It involves making a place where workers feel safe asking for help before they break.

  
  

• They ignore the value veterans bring.

  
  

  Veterans are loyal, disciplined, resilient, and dependable. But that value is erased when a company refuses to see beyond the diagnosis.

PTSD Isn’t a Threat. It’s a Reality.

And yet, so many employers treat it like a liability.

Here’s the truth: Veterans with PTSD are not broken.

They are human beings learning to live with trauma they didn’t ask for.

And they deserve workplaces that treat them with dignity—not fear.

What Trauma-Informed Practice Actually Looks Like

If you’re an employer reading this, here’s how you can actually show up for your veteran employees:

• Educate yourself. Trauma-informed leadership isn’t optional anymore.

• Be clear with expectations. Don’t make assumptions or give silent warnings.

• Offer flexibility. Sometimes, crowded spaces or overstimulation can be too much. Let them take a break when needed.

• Encourage open conversation—without penalty.

• Don’t punish coping mechanisms. My husband was affectionate—he coped by connecting with people. Teach, don’t terminate.

Caregivers See the Fallout No One Talks About

As a wife and caregiver, I’ve watched my husband spiral—not just from PTSD, but from the way he was dismissed like a liability.

I’ve seen how one misunderstanding at work can lead to weeks of emotional turmoil.

I’ve watched the man I love question his worth—because a company saw his trauma as a problem instead of a story they should’ve tried to understand.

This Isn’t Just About My Husband. It’s About the Many You’ll Never Hear About.

For every veteran like him, there are hundreds more who’ve been quietly pushed out, misunderstood, or shamed in the workplace for something they can’t control.

This is why I speak out.

Because someone has to.

Because we can do better.

Because we must.

If You’re a Spouse Like Me—This Is What I Want You to Know:

💬 You can speak up.

📄 You can document.

✍️ You can advocate.

💥 And you must protect your story.

When your loved one is misrepresented, misunderstood, or mistreated—you have a right to be a voice.

Let’s Create a Culture That Doesn’t Just “Support” Veterans—It Embraces Them

💬 Read our story in our free mini-book: Beyond Invisible Battles

🎙️ Listen to the podcast: Battle-Tested, Forgotten Veteran

📲 Follow the movement: #PTSDInTheWorkplace #VeteranRights #BeyondInvisibleBattles

“We don’t want pity. We want understanding. We don’t want special treatment. We want fairness. We don’t want to be ignored. We want to be seen.”

#MentalHealthMatters #VeteranVoices #CaregiverStrength #PTSDWorkplaceAwareness #BeyondTheUniform