Lived Experience Forum

[4FS]

Hi, I have been looking for support services for teachers whom have sustained a mental health injury due to work. There seems to be a lot of support services out there for PTSD if you are in the armed forces or emergency services, but I have found nothing for teachers. 

My life has been completed turned upside down after sustaining a mental health injury at work a number of years ago and I am very frustrated that my life is now not what it was or what it was going to be, I have had to stop working as I can no longer deal with other people, let alone the horrid treatment from my employer.

Pretty much I want to connect with other secondary teachers to find out what experiences they had and how they managed to more forward. I feel pretty devestated and not validated with my experiences let alone the impact the work injury I have suffered with has had on my and my families lives.

[Snowie]

Hi @4FS

Wow, I can relate to so much of what you have said.

I am a secondary teacher who has PTSD from the result of a mental health injury from work. I have been off work for over a year now and too have found not alot out there for teachers, but plenty for emergency services.

My life and work was going along fine until an incident at work which completly derailed me. I am on work cover at the moment and do not know when I will be returning to work. 

Do you have any professional supports in place? 

Looking forward to connecting with you. This forum has many teachers on it and a great support. If you would like to tag me or anyone just put a @ before my name like I have for you @4FS

Snowie

[4FS]

Hi @Snowie

I see a Psychologist every month, I have my family (though hubby a bit over it, must say I am too).

I suffered a trauma in 06 and another in 09 which made the 06 injury flare up, off work for 3/4 yr. Did RTW for a year, got another placement, worked hard in my job trying to do what I did before but could never make it, cos you know we are all about doing what is best for the kids. I’m a conscientious worker but you know that’s seen as “perfectionist” and a “problem”, sorry for wanting to do a good job! Sorry for getting reports in on time and making sure handouts were legible and my classroom with all the equipment was orderly.

Then a third incident at school in 16, three months later I fell in a heap and haven’t been back. On compensation due to the work incidents and the subsequent injury and inability to work. Went thru appeal last year and won that cos basically they try to say you had a pre existing condition, which is such BS. Med files proved that so I won. Trying to be medically retired so I can escape the incompetence of the Department and people whom “look after injured workers” cos quite frankly if I performed my job as poorly as they did I would have been fired!! But you know injured workers don’t count and you don’t have a voice and they can do what they like cos really no one cares. Particularly as the perceived thoughts in society on injured workers is that they are skiving the system. My friend for past 40 years could only get thru half a page of a six page document of what I have been subjected to at work, it has been that bad.

I feel very isolated, as people don’t under stand what its like. There is a lot out there for diagnosed conditions that are genetic or PTSD like I said before in emergency/military sectors but work injury heaven forbid. You hear a lot of the “you couldn’t hack it” or “you’re not tough enough” etc… one Psychiatrist (they have sent me to about 😎 said “I wasn’t suited to teaching”. However in my job not once was I ever told I was a bad or ineffective teacher, I had only heard I was a fantastic teacher (even had kids come and tell me that later in life too). I had my peers devastated that I was leaving and telling me what a loss it was, but the powers that be just don’t care cos we are replaceable.

There are lots of things I find complete distressing now and really I want to socialise and see people but not all at the same time. Little things tick me off and also upset me. I don’t feel validated with my work experiences cos I have been treated so poorly (I would think I have been discriminated against), they don’t want you cos your damaged goods and pretty much you have this hanging over your head.

People don’t understand unless they have experienced it. I’m waiting for the Royal Commission into the Compensation System.

I used to be able to do and achieved so much but even the simple of tasks can completely unwind me or exhaust me.

I just want to feel validated for my experiences and injury. My lawyer said part of the issue is most injured workers really want an apology, a “we are sorry this happened to you” so you can move forward, I doubt that will ever happen.

[Zoe7]

Hi @4FS It is great that you have connected here although we all wish the circumstances that bring us together here were very different. Reading what you have been through - especially with 'the system' leaves me shaking my head - but it is even sadder that this is the story with so many teachers that are off work through work-related incidents.

Although I didn't suffer a trauma at work I did get sick whilst at work and have now had 2 years off. Initially it was Influenza that knocked me down but the subsequent post-viral fatigue lead to depression, CPTSD and anxiety that I had been suppressing. These came out in full force. I am currently trying to get back to work but they are not making it easy. Just when I think I have jumped one hurdle they put another one in front of me. I am intending to get back to work in some capacity this term but how that looks is still up in the air.

We keep losing such great teachers because the system does not support them and all the government keeps doing is adding more pressure onto what is expected - just let us teach the kids, stop placing extra demands on the education system - we have enough to deal with and this is when the kids lose out when we spend so much of our time doing 'paper work' and none is left to actually work with the kids. Then you are not backed up and given the appropriate support when incidents like you have had to deal with happen - it is seen as 'part of the job' and we are supposed to 'suck it up'. We are not robots and there are things/incidents that not onlly hurt us but can cause so much more damage - as has happened to you. It is very unfair that you, and other teachers in a similar position, have been treated so badly. How can we teach our children empathy and compassion if the system has none for its educators.

[4FS]

Hi @Zoe7

That is not good and it is horrid that you want to get back but have further hurdles in doign so.

I think your point re teaching kids compassion etc is true, however we don't let our students know that there is a problem with us as we are all such good actors and you want to be professional!

There seems to haev been such a blame game with the teachign profession in the past few decades and that they continued flogging of a dead horse is not gogin to get better (thogh in many industries it is equally the same flogging) There is too much expected of teahcers and less of others. How will it change?

[Zoe7]

I honestly can't see it changing @4FS - teachers have become everything to everyone and the expectations placed on them is ever increasing. There is no wonder there are so many leaving the profession!

We currently have to do the job of the social workers or school psychologists as well as they are already stretched to their limits also. In my current school we have one of each for only one day a week. It is nowhere near enough - we need one 5 days a week.

A majority of our time is spent on behaviour management and paper work which leaves little time for actual teaching of the curriculum - which in itself is far too broad. It is no wonder the basic skills in Literacy and Numeracy continue to decrease. 

[Snowie]

@4FSI am sorry you have had to go through all of that. It really is not fair and probably has made your situation a lot worse over the years. I too have had multiple trauma's but that last one sent me over the edge.

I do believe we are 'just a number' and have found we are easily replacable.

I do hope you find the support on this forum. There are lots of different threads including some more light threads about art, animals, craft, sports, etc. 

Look around and please ask any questions if needed. 

[4FS]

Thanks @Snowie and @Zoe7 for your comments. I'm thinking about how this can all change and who I need to talk to to make something happen. The many mental health places I've asked on line for something teacher specific to come up with zip is interesting and should change.

[Zoe7]

I agree @4FS It would be good for teachers that are going through similar things to be able to talk to each other. Maybe a place to start would be the union - see if they know any organisations that deal with teachers or they could host a time for teachers to connect with each other. Starting a facebook page could be a good way to go as well.

[4FS]

Unfortunately @Zoe7 education union was not that helpful. The person there I spoke to for 3-4 years left, the other person whom said they would help me in a new year left that new year (with out telling me). I felt like a revolving door continuing to talk about what had happened to me and trying to get support from the union to no avail. Had a discussion with unions in my state where I taught, and they put me in touch with injured workers support network, but again no chapter where I live and not teacher focused. Then there is a bullied teacher network in NSW but I taught in another state and they are only focused on bullying by supervisors and department not injured teachers. 

It's like people don't hear you, they don't really listen, it's like they tune out when you tell them what's happened how it has harmed you and changed you. It's like there is all this talk about mental health awareness day, ruok? Day, mental health awareness in the workplace, etc... but when ur telling people ur not ok nothing happens. You can even tell them what needs to happen for u to be ok and it still doesn't happen. It's like u don't really exist, cos people just don't want to know. Lots of talk no action.