This week's Fearless Nation webinars: Applying the breaks, PTSD stigmas, bullying and more

Fearless Nation PTSD Support will host six free online discussions this week covering topics like applying the breaks when triggered, challenging the media stigma against PTSD, and replacing the "feel-good" chemicals in your body. One session will be held in the virtual 3-D world of Second Life while the other five will be held as webinars.

Full information is below, at the Fearless Nation website here, and at this Facebook event. 


MONDAY, JULY 30

9 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Empower PTSD Support Meeting - TOPIC: "Applying the Brakes When Triggered"
Presentation and Discussion
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 623 512 286  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

11 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Health-N-Mind Meeting: "Stop Bullies at Work and Play!" Be a "bully buster"!
Where: The Second Life® virtual world http://www.secondlife.com/
LOCATION: Health Info Island, Health and Wellness Pavilion
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/197/43/22

6 PM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Insights Recovery Meeting - TOPIC: "How to Replace 'Feel Good' Chemicals in Your Body"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 627 879 959  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

TUESDAY, JULY 31:

9 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Insights Recovery Meeting - TOPIC: "How to Replace 'Feel Good' Chemicals in Your Body"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 622 141 546  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

11 AM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Timely Topics PTSD Support Discussion: "STIGMA: Challenging Media PTSD Stereotypes"
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 627 262 070  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting.
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

6 PM (PDT, -8 GMT)
Empower PTSD Support Meeting - TOPIC: "Applying the Brakes When Triggered"
Presentation and Discussion
URL: https://fearlessnation.webex.com
Meeting Number: 624 116 029  <-- Copy and paste this number in the login page to join the meeting..
Meeting Password: #1Fearless

Prison, corrections staff & PTSD

I wouldn't want to work in a prison. Would you? Talk about a stressful job. In fact, working as a corrections officer is so stressful that some people come down with PTSD just from doing their jobs.

In fact, according to a nationwide survey, 39% of corrections workers met the criteria for having PTSD, while another 15-20% showed signs of being at risk of PTSD.

The PTSD risk comes from seeing violence, having violence committed against you, and the constant fear ("prolonged exposure") of what could happen next.


From a report on the study: "Of the 720 anonymous corrections employees from across the country who took part in the survey, 99.9 percent had witnessed violence at work, and almost 56 percent experienced one or more physical assaults."

Read more here: 
Desert Waters looks at PTSD in corrections staff

PTSD and Worker's Comp

Research has consistently shown that trauma causes physical changes to the human brain. (See the PTSD News archive for several examples.) But if you are traumatized by your job, can you claim worker's comp?

In Wyoming, the answer is no. That state's Supreme Court ruled in December that the biological changes to the brain are not the same as physical injuries and are therefore not eligible for worker's comp.

The case came up when a volunteer firefighter experienced PTSD after seeing two of his coworkers burned and killed during a fire. The court called these "mental injuries" and said the law did not offer compensation for these types of wounds.

Read more: Risk & Insurance Online - Biological roots of PTSD don't trigger comp for physical injuries

What do you think? Should firefighters, police personnel, rescue workers and others be eligible for worker's comp due to PTSD? How about victims of workplace bullying or sexual harassment? Should PTSD be considered a physical injury? Let us know your thoughts.

Sexual Harassment and PTSD

A new study in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence examines why (and how) sexual harassment can cause PTSD.

The paper is behind a subscription firewall, but here's the abstract:

Researchers have compiled significant evidence demonstrating that sexual harassment leads to psychological harm, including the full symptom picture of PTSD, but few have examined the psychological processes involved. Research on attributions among trauma victims would suggest that causal attributions and perceptions of control may be important predictors of outcomes. The authors discuss a study involving a path model that used data from 189 women involved in sexual harassment litigation. Results indicate that both self-blame and harasser blame were positively related to PTSD symptoms. Control over recovery and the perception that future harassment is unlikely were both related to fewer PTSD symptoms. Unexpectedly, perceived control over future harassment is related to higher levels of PTSD symptoms. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Here's the link:

PTSD Symptoms and Sexual Harassment: The Role of Attributions and Perceived Control — J Interpers Violence