Broken by Work: The Body Remembers
In an article from Fagbladet 3F, the experiences of two former Normal employees are described regarding a change in management that resulted in pressure so intense that it ended in a stress reaction for both of them.
Broken by Work: The Body Remembers
In an article from the union magazine Fagbladet 3F, the experiences of two former Normal employees are described regarding a change in management that resulted in such significant pressure that it ended with a stress reaction for both of them. The pressure arose as a result of a team leader’s focus on optimization, which in turn placed great pressure on the employees. Due to this new focus, several employees were met with warnings that they were not meeting the new, high demands. This is something the couple, Oliver Nielsen and Laura Hoffmann, among others, experienced.
Oliver Nielsen and Laura Hoffmann both worked at the Normal chain but felt compelled to resign from their positions due to the psychological pressure they experienced. The pressure manifested physically through nausea, dizziness, and exhaustion before the workday even began. Professor Ask Elklit contributes his expertise and explains that experiences that threaten one’s self-esteem and are perceived as particularly humiliating can be interpreted by the body in the same way as if it were a life-threatening situation. Therefore, the body reacts intensely under extreme psychological pressure. The body remembers, Elklit notes.
The Knowledge Center for Psychotraumatology has several publications focusing on stress in the workplace and its connection to stress-related disorders, including PTSD and secondary PTSD, You can find them here
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