Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Support Group
Find support with others who have gone through a traumatic experience. Whether you have chronic or acute PTSD, we are here for you.
I've posted recently about needing balance, and got lots of support. So balance about asserting myself at work is what I'm asking about now.
I have had IT problems plague my teaching at my community college. The problems are both with my office computer and with the Distance Learning video equipment meant to broadcast my classes live to 2 other campuses. Our tech support people aren't accountable like we instructors are with students submitting teaching evaluations on every course we teach every semester. So it's become hard to get their help.
Today a colleague told me after a month to report it, so I did, and I copied my superiors. I was careful with my language, but in copying others I realize I may have started an office politics episode.
I hate those. With my PTSD I'm the kind who likes to work hard and keep his head down, and not get into interoffice squabbles. I don't handle workplace conflict well. I love my job and lost a previous job to PTSD, so I feel threatened. My fight and flight PTSD impulses get triggered.
I'm dreading the defensive responses now that I asserted myself asking for tech support once and for all. I'm afraid it won't be pretty in the days ahead.
What would you do?
I have had IT problems plague my teaching at my community college. The problems are both with my office computer and with the Distance Learning video equipment meant to broadcast my classes live to 2 other campuses. Our tech support people aren't accountable like we instructors are with students submitting teaching evaluations on every course we teach every semester. So it's become hard to get their help.
Today a colleague told me after a month to report it, so I did, and I copied my superiors. I was careful with my language, but in copying others I realize I may have started an office politics episode.
I hate those. With my PTSD I'm the kind who likes to work hard and keep his head down, and not get into interoffice squabbles. I don't handle workplace conflict well. I love my job and lost a previous job to PTSD, so I feel threatened. My fight and flight PTSD impulses get triggered.
I'm dreading the defensive responses now that I asserted myself asking for tech support once and for all. I'm afraid it won't be pretty in the days ahead.
What would you do?
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Hey all, i know its been quite awhile since i posted on here. Its been a summer all right. Its been something else........... You know how they say not to open the can of worms? Well a few months ago i decided to find out what my due date would have been for my first baby, the one conceived by r***. My baby would have been due on March 4th of 2006. They would be 20 years old. I was R**** on June...
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My day...today...misplaced my debit card...didn't realize it until I got to the register after shopping to a full cart. Used a different debit card and pulled apart everything looking for missing debit card before I left parking lot. Got home, dropped keys. So now I have a missing debit card, missing keys. A full cartload to unload and put away. I got everything put away.Dumped purse for a...
Now the week hopefully does not look so *grim*.... I hope that for you!
Don't start by AssUming the tech support people are not accountable. Those Distance Learning systems tend to be incredibly complex with unrealistic budgets and support. I would not work one. Expectations typically far exceed realistic abilities. CNN on a community college budget. The folks cracking the tech accountability whips at the academic institutions are seldom tech educated. No, they do not often meet the students. No time for it. Can you imagine me trying to explain a tech problem to one of your committee heads? Even the simple ones? Trigger city!!!! Sorry, ma'am/sir, I left my magic tech wand at home...
The best IT folk that I know are socially inept, starved for empathy and often sleep-deprived. Start there??? Call them, "Arfie" in your head??? Take the time to offer them a doggie biscuit and they might find the time to follow you to your class room, tails a-wagging.
Just a suggestion from a mega-geek...
I too stent an email to the admin about it. Someone needs to make sure that the tech is working or expect that those who are paying for the education are going to complain - enough complaints and the school looses business.
I think you did great. Just don't get involved in any flame wars that start. Let them flow past and over you. You are not at fault here. You are just addressing an issue that the students are complaining about.
I slept better last night having your responses. I still didn't sleep much, my PTSD being on alert because I had asserted myself at work. Always with me. But I did sleep better because you replied.
I literally didn't sleep well after sending out my call for computer help, but after your replies I settled myself down and got a good night's sleep. My call for help got a response right away. A computer tech came to my office and wired it up correctly. Now, I hope the Distance Learning classroom gets the same treatment.
So, the squeaky wheel does get the oil after all, it's true. I just have this PTSD fear of squeaking and causing a conflict. Looks like it's an exaggerated fear, though. If there is any significant blowback, I'll let you know.
For now, we have Fall Break and a couple of days off. It's will be nice to rest. Hope everybody else has a chance to rest coming up, too.
I think it's the hardest thing to do at times when we need to.
J.
I'm staying out of it, but I'm pleased to see it was ok to assert myself with a report. Funny how that feels so risky because of my PTSD and I think I'm the only one who can't handle the equipment breakdowns, when it's just a fact. I'm going to stick to that--it's just a fact, not a symptom of my PTSD.
Yourself but you empowered others to ask for
Help... And you know who will benefit from all
This is your students when they have an easier time with online classes....!!! I have two friends who are taking online classes and i know it can be frustrating for students and instuctors....!!! You as a teacher should have more time to focus on your students if your systems run efficiently !!!
I understand that asking for help and making official reports and asserting yourself must feel like you are disobeying someone or something, since I'm sure you could have gotten hurt for that kind of assertiveness as a child... So I just wanted to say how impressed I am that you rose above those instilled belief systems and empowered yourself and others with your asseriveness...!!!
Yay
The support here really helped me get past that. It's the right kind of support from the right people at the right time for me. It really works to come to DS PTSD with stuff like that. Thank you!