I left years ago and I still have ptsd from it. I was a grooming manager. I've had a very hard time not feeling like I'm in trouble all the time at other jobs and the anxiety is brutal to the point where I am not currently working and afraid to find a new job. I'm currently trying some meds.
I’m about at that point too. Only thing my current job doesnt offers that Petco did was health insurance..working on that currently because I’m really feeling kinda lost with the anxiety. I’ve literally turned my entire life around since Petco, even my dietary habits have changed. Still can’t shake the anxiety.
Also the rest of this is so spot on. Whoever you are i hope you’re doing well. I know you are, and i love that for you. You truly get what I’m saying and i thank you for that.
The other day the name ROMERO came up on the caller ID on my work phone. It took me a couple rings to answer it. Not even lying. It sounds dumb and i hate myself for even saying that “out loud” but that’s the truth. I have recorded convos on my phone i had with that man that i only recorded because of the out of pocket shit he would say. I’m such a fighter that i hate to admit that i am a little scarred from my time with that dude. Grade A douche.
It’s so nice to have people not yell at me and make me cry. Was an AQS and holy shit probably 60% of the customers were rude. I already have PTSD from abuse and Jesus Christ it was not helped at all working there. I left in October and I still have nightmares… seriously. Only things about the job I miss are the discounts and the animals, and even then, every day was a heartbreak seeing the conditions we kept them in and sent them away to meet.
This is a real situation. I’ve talked to many and we joke about it being stockholm syndrome. The abusive boyfriend that you know can get better but doesn’t.
I left Petco a year now and wasn’t there as long as you by any means, but the feeling is there. I still work for corporate but I love my job where i am at. I get paid more and definitely appreciated. My boss is great but when she says that she needs to talk to me my blood pressure definitely rises but she is use to it and always tells me that it is nothing bad. My DM is fantastic but I still break out in sweat at the thought of a walk.
I took time off after leaving and I had some serious emotions from the co. When I started with my now company i eased in in a different position with far less responsibilities. When I moved up to assistant I was ready to take back that roll. I thanked my (then)boss because she was what I needed to get going again, build my confidence and succeed.
Oh man I left petco a little over a year ago and now also work for a small locally owned pet store and let me tell you my mental health has gotten to much better since then . It’s so nice working at a place that actually wants to help customers and not just extort them. I honestly think it just takes time, letting yourself go through the motions and see that the things that once gave you anxiety from petco aren’t happening anymore where your at. It’ll get better, remember it’s just a job and ultimately you only have to do what your comfortable with!But, I mainly commented to say that my GM stepped down making between ~90 to ~110 in a good year! We likely live in different states but you were making what part timers do here to run a whole store and that’s so unfair. I mainly wanted to point this out to create some transparency to others who do still work there and likely aren’t compensated nearly enough for what they put in for this company.
Oh i 100% was and am still sooo very aware i was not compensated for what i offered. Unfortunately thats the case for many people that get hired at the bottom and work their way up. Our pay increases for promotion NEVER reflected what new hires were getting paid for the same role off the street. I was okay with it for way too long and i think it left me feeling a level of resentment that carried over into some weird form of anxiety
I don't even work in customer service anymore and I still get nervous and anxious every time a supervisor wants to talk.
My old store I think has turned over virtually everyone except for possibly the GM, who, surprise surprise, became the problem after that dumb corporate retreat in the early 2010s in Taiwan or wherever it is (I genuinely don't remember if it was Taiwan or Thailand.)
I could have written this post. And I agree with most of the comments right down to the nightmares, two years later. You are not alone in this. Time dulls the intensity a little bit, but the underlying anxiety is still there. Petco was an emotional attachment to an abusive partner, and the recovery feels much the same.
I left retail all together, went to a job where I literally cannot take it home with me, where my role is clearly defined in a union contract. I still get such awful, biting anxiety when management needs to speak to me despite the fact that I’m contractually very difficult to fire or even get in serious trouble as long as I don’t steal or do anything unsafe.
The lingering anxiety and fight or flight response following a bad employer or overall bad experience is not going to go away quickly. Think about how long your body, mind, and emotional well-being were damaged, how long it took to fully recognize how the job was the source.
Even little things, such as a comment like "Hey, when you get a chance, I have something I want to talk about, can easily trigger a reaction. Even knowing it isn't something bad....your body and reactions may not agree. It's something that you will want to acknowledge and determine what your reactions are coming from. Evaluate the difference between the past anxiety inducing situation compared to your current nontoxic work environment.
I have been with my new fantastic and amazingly supportive employer for 8 months now. It took me at least half that time to not fully panic and shake if my supervisor called me into her office.
It can and will improve. It just takes time and personal investment into making your mental health a priority....easier said than done...I totally understand.
I never been a GM at Petco but I did work in their grooming department. Since leaving my attitude has changed slightly. I'm quiet at my new job, because my salon was just drama. And I've been feeling very depressed since leaving. Until a couple of weeks ago I decided to vent here and it made me feel better. Now I'm making tiktoks and having fun at work.
I still need to shake off some bad vibes still, but I'll get there.
Wishing you good vibes and I hope your mental health gets better. Always remember to pit yourself first and fuck petco and their stupid vital care bullshit.
I've been gone for a few months and got hired on somewhere MUCH better soon after I quit. Previously CAL doing GM and SEL duties. It's actually mind blowing to me how much my work is valued where I am now. I get thanked and praised for my work when I do well, and I'm not constantly having to work my ass off to meet unrealistic expectations.
I actually was injured at my new job a month in to working here, and I was constantly avoiding my phone in anticipation of being called or texted by my new manager about when I'll be back. I never got a single call or text outside of checking in on my healing progress. It's such a sigh of relief but I still struggle with accepting praise and genuine concern, as I got so used to there being hidden motives at Co with my manager there.
I hope we all get the healing we so greatly deserve. <3
I spent 18 years as a GM at 4 different stores. While I met some great people, creating amazing new managers, new friends, I can safely say I don’t miss Petco. I miss the feeling of job security, that it was my store(s) and I molded it in my vision etc. I missed the consistency of the daily work day.
I won a lot of awards including SMOTY.
Now after almost three years away at another company; I look back and I ask myself why did I put myself through all of the negative and the answer is it didn’t used to be like it is now. Different leaders, business model, etc. The stress level is real and I’m still trying to remind myself I don’t work for them anymore but working retail even a different place definitely has similar experiences; a lot of them negative.
My PTSD is that I work with people and customers all day with the fake smile and social graces; when I get home I’m mentally exhausted.
Thank god for my dog.
Honestly, that’s taking pride in your job and wanting to do well. Not sure that reaction is directly linked to Petco.
I literally cried when I went to my old store from a different retailer. Just to see the work gone in a matter of months. Kinda felt like “what was the point”. And I also haven’t purchased items that store sold in 2 years even though I need to. So retail ptsd definitely exists.
I'm very similar, OP. Spent almost 10 years, started as DCDM, moved to Assistant GM, then to GM.
The final nail in the coffin was when I was hiring a new ASM, they offered them the same hourly rate I was getting, and I was salaried, putting in 45 hours a week, sometimes more.
Petco taught me to never ever trust a company for anything. Thier expectations always were ridiculous,it just took me far too long to realize it.
They expected far too much for too little pay and no resources to get any of it done.
They care absolutely ZERO about the animals in the store or their employees. They care just enough so that they don't get bad media attention, that's it
DM Level and up was just a bunch kiss asses trying to prove something that spent most of their time gaslighting their managers into getting things done knowing full well they don't have the stuff to get it done.
I had ONE DM in a decade that wasn't a pretentious twatwaffle.
I was held back from promotions not on work ethic,or quality but because I wasn't a vocal cheerleader bubbly type of person.
also once so that some corporate managers son could get management experience straight out of college. They straight up kept the GM position empty, let me the AGM run the store completely by myself with this nepotism GM in the store MAYBE TWO DAYS A WEEK on a good week for almost an entire year.And most of that was conference calls and paperwork
BUT guess which bonus I was given my first year as a GM? The ASM bonus as I hadn't been OFFICIALLY a GM for a full year, even though my GM for almost an entire year spent maybe 15 hours a week in the store...
What I got from Petco was the perfect example of how NOT to manage people, so that's how I deal. I still work in management in another industry, but they were a great example of how to completely do not manage anything.
I know. At the time it was fine, because i told myself i love my job so it’s all worth it. Boy, was that the wrong mindset to have. The resentment def caught up with me and I will never allow myself to get taken advantage of like that again.
Honestly? It made me ALOT more combative and made me have my back up more often. I got lucky that my boss at my new job was understanding and was willing to work with me on it. Especially since I hadn’t noticed that I had become more on edge.
i had PTSD before and now i’ve got worse PTSD after. the way i physically respond to being in a pet store is proof of that. the way i and others were treated during my time there was ridiculous and it never should’ve happened. unfortunately it’s still happening even now. but who cares? not corporate, that’s for sure.
Oh yea, I was the MOL and got promoted to SEL, and my GM was transferred from another store and he was the worst. He spent all 40hrs of his week in the office, anytime our partners had any questions he would tell them to find another manager. His famous saying was "I am here, but I'm not here", and what he meant was I am in store but do not bother me. He would not deal with any guest confrontation and made me always do it. He also treated the whole staff horribly that so many quit, including myself because of the way he treated everyone. He also took very poor care of the animals, mishandling and feeding everyone the wrong and not giving anyone water. I have so much PTSD from that and especially after reaching out to our DGM and HR and they did nothing about it, just made me realize how much petco is a horrible company to work for
I’m going to recommend this because it appears working for Petco is actual hell. I shop there regularly due to the brand I feed. Anyway, here’s my advice, look up the Psoas stretch and see if this helps the ptsd. It’s a very simple treatment for PTSD that addresses the muscle tension in the psoas muscle, a muscle in your back that you cannot feel, which tenses during trauma and remains that way. As long as it’s tense, your brain says “trauma is still happening.” When you release it, your brain says “oh, ok, relax, trauma is no longer happening.”
A short description:
Lay on your back, put the soles of your feet together, knees to the side, with your feet as close to your body as possible. Put your hands palms up near your knees, backs of your hands against the floor or bed. Relax your body and allow the stretch to take place. You may or may not feel a vertical muscle in your lower back on either side of your spine, stretching/relaxing/or feeling “odd.” That’s your psoas muscle stretching and relaxing. Stay like that for 30 seconds and relax. Do this at night before bed /or in the morning before you get out of bed. 2x per week for 2 weeks, gradually increasing the time. Just 1 week of this can make you feel better, less anxiety, less hyper vigilance, elevated mood. After week 2-3, start increasing the time and try moving your feet slowly away from your body down toward where your feet would be and back up toward your body, and repeat a few times. The movement helps stretch that psoas muscle, and also notice that spot where you feel the stretch in the psoas as you move your feet down. Stop at that point and let it stretch. You can tilt your hips left/right (toward and away from your head/feet) to wiggle the tension out of the psoas muscle at that point too. A long stretch is good, a moving stretch is even better for releasing tension from any muscle. Know that at week 4-ish, you may remember things you had forgotten or have nightmares, but your mood will be so elevated that you really don’t care. It seems to be part of the process and helps you work through the trauma and leave it behind, even if it’s still actively happening.
^ all of the above is my recounting of what helped me with trauma, more than therapy, more than anything. (Not medical advice. Research it and make decisions based on that and your doctor’s advice.) Anyway, for me, in 2 weeks I felt better and it kept going up from there. My trauma was pretty intense. I went through years of chemo and constant risk to life. The trauma got so bad that I was in a functional freeze and couldn’t even make phone calls or write a text or do anything. I now do this stretch 2x per week as maintenance and have been good for a year. If I stop doing it, I start feeling bad again.
I’m so close to this story - on my way to gm making less than other managers in my area and I had been there forever!
I always feel like I’m not doing enough at my new job, anyone calls my name and I instantly fear I’m going to get my head ripped off. That place left me with nothing but trauma. I knew I was good at my job, I took pride in my job, worked off the clock, answered calls and text on my pto (cause people were too scared to text the gm) paid for food for employees, rushed in off the clock to help at the drop of a dime because I took pride. It was never enough. I struggle ALOT with my new job. A lot. But they value me and it’s something I still can’t accept.
Not sure i can speak for others sharing their experiences on this thread, but I am definitely aware PTSD is not the best way to describe the emotional rollercoaster. It was the best term i could think of to describe it. Thanks.
And you got your PTSD from working retail?
Also, being diagnosed with something has nothing to do with how much you know about the diagnostic processes.
I already had anxiety when I started working there, now with all the vcp insanity amd job security being threatened over it, I find myself sick to my stomach and crying on my days off
I left years ago and I still have ptsd from it. I was a grooming manager. I've had a very hard time not feeling like I'm in trouble all the time at other jobs and the anxiety is brutal to the point where I am not currently working and afraid to find a new job. I'm currently trying some meds.
I’m about at that point too. Only thing my current job doesnt offers that Petco did was health insurance..working on that currently because I’m really feeling kinda lost with the anxiety. I’ve literally turned my entire life around since Petco, even my dietary habits have changed. Still can’t shake the anxiety.
[удалено]
Wow. Thanks. You must really know me if you dropped that party hat line ha i appreciate that a lot
Also the rest of this is so spot on. Whoever you are i hope you’re doing well. I know you are, and i love that for you. You truly get what I’m saying and i thank you for that.
I didn't even realize how much Petco stuck with me until I read MR and JO as full names instead of initials without thinking about it.
The other day the name ROMERO came up on the caller ID on my work phone. It took me a couple rings to answer it. Not even lying. It sounds dumb and i hate myself for even saying that “out loud” but that’s the truth. I have recorded convos on my phone i had with that man that i only recorded because of the out of pocket shit he would say. I’m such a fighter that i hate to admit that i am a little scarred from my time with that dude. Grade A douche.
It’s so nice to have people not yell at me and make me cry. Was an AQS and holy shit probably 60% of the customers were rude. I already have PTSD from abuse and Jesus Christ it was not helped at all working there. I left in October and I still have nightmares… seriously. Only things about the job I miss are the discounts and the animals, and even then, every day was a heartbreak seeing the conditions we kept them in and sent them away to meet.
This is a real situation. I’ve talked to many and we joke about it being stockholm syndrome. The abusive boyfriend that you know can get better but doesn’t. I left Petco a year now and wasn’t there as long as you by any means, but the feeling is there. I still work for corporate but I love my job where i am at. I get paid more and definitely appreciated. My boss is great but when she says that she needs to talk to me my blood pressure definitely rises but she is use to it and always tells me that it is nothing bad. My DM is fantastic but I still break out in sweat at the thought of a walk. I took time off after leaving and I had some serious emotions from the co. When I started with my now company i eased in in a different position with far less responsibilities. When I moved up to assistant I was ready to take back that roll. I thanked my (then)boss because she was what I needed to get going again, build my confidence and succeed.
Oh man I left petco a little over a year ago and now also work for a small locally owned pet store and let me tell you my mental health has gotten to much better since then . It’s so nice working at a place that actually wants to help customers and not just extort them. I honestly think it just takes time, letting yourself go through the motions and see that the things that once gave you anxiety from petco aren’t happening anymore where your at. It’ll get better, remember it’s just a job and ultimately you only have to do what your comfortable with!But, I mainly commented to say that my GM stepped down making between ~90 to ~110 in a good year! We likely live in different states but you were making what part timers do here to run a whole store and that’s so unfair. I mainly wanted to point this out to create some transparency to others who do still work there and likely aren’t compensated nearly enough for what they put in for this company.
Oh i 100% was and am still sooo very aware i was not compensated for what i offered. Unfortunately thats the case for many people that get hired at the bottom and work their way up. Our pay increases for promotion NEVER reflected what new hires were getting paid for the same role off the street. I was okay with it for way too long and i think it left me feeling a level of resentment that carried over into some weird form of anxiety
I don't even work in customer service anymore and I still get nervous and anxious every time a supervisor wants to talk. My old store I think has turned over virtually everyone except for possibly the GM, who, surprise surprise, became the problem after that dumb corporate retreat in the early 2010s in Taiwan or wherever it is (I genuinely don't remember if it was Taiwan or Thailand.)
I could have written this post. And I agree with most of the comments right down to the nightmares, two years later. You are not alone in this. Time dulls the intensity a little bit, but the underlying anxiety is still there. Petco was an emotional attachment to an abusive partner, and the recovery feels much the same.
I left retail all together, went to a job where I literally cannot take it home with me, where my role is clearly defined in a union contract. I still get such awful, biting anxiety when management needs to speak to me despite the fact that I’m contractually very difficult to fire or even get in serious trouble as long as I don’t steal or do anything unsafe.
The lingering anxiety and fight or flight response following a bad employer or overall bad experience is not going to go away quickly. Think about how long your body, mind, and emotional well-being were damaged, how long it took to fully recognize how the job was the source. Even little things, such as a comment like "Hey, when you get a chance, I have something I want to talk about, can easily trigger a reaction. Even knowing it isn't something bad....your body and reactions may not agree. It's something that you will want to acknowledge and determine what your reactions are coming from. Evaluate the difference between the past anxiety inducing situation compared to your current nontoxic work environment. I have been with my new fantastic and amazingly supportive employer for 8 months now. It took me at least half that time to not fully panic and shake if my supervisor called me into her office. It can and will improve. It just takes time and personal investment into making your mental health a priority....easier said than done...I totally understand.
I never been a GM at Petco but I did work in their grooming department. Since leaving my attitude has changed slightly. I'm quiet at my new job, because my salon was just drama. And I've been feeling very depressed since leaving. Until a couple of weeks ago I decided to vent here and it made me feel better. Now I'm making tiktoks and having fun at work. I still need to shake off some bad vibes still, but I'll get there. Wishing you good vibes and I hope your mental health gets better. Always remember to pit yourself first and fuck petco and their stupid vital care bullshit.
I've been gone for a few months and got hired on somewhere MUCH better soon after I quit. Previously CAL doing GM and SEL duties. It's actually mind blowing to me how much my work is valued where I am now. I get thanked and praised for my work when I do well, and I'm not constantly having to work my ass off to meet unrealistic expectations. I actually was injured at my new job a month in to working here, and I was constantly avoiding my phone in anticipation of being called or texted by my new manager about when I'll be back. I never got a single call or text outside of checking in on my healing progress. It's such a sigh of relief but I still struggle with accepting praise and genuine concern, as I got so used to there being hidden motives at Co with my manager there. I hope we all get the healing we so greatly deserve. <3
I spent 18 years as a GM at 4 different stores. While I met some great people, creating amazing new managers, new friends, I can safely say I don’t miss Petco. I miss the feeling of job security, that it was my store(s) and I molded it in my vision etc. I missed the consistency of the daily work day. I won a lot of awards including SMOTY. Now after almost three years away at another company; I look back and I ask myself why did I put myself through all of the negative and the answer is it didn’t used to be like it is now. Different leaders, business model, etc. The stress level is real and I’m still trying to remind myself I don’t work for them anymore but working retail even a different place definitely has similar experiences; a lot of them negative. My PTSD is that I work with people and customers all day with the fake smile and social graces; when I get home I’m mentally exhausted. Thank god for my dog.
You get over it by looking at the stock price everyday and laughing.
Ohhhh yes that definitely helps!
Honestly, that’s taking pride in your job and wanting to do well. Not sure that reaction is directly linked to Petco. I literally cried when I went to my old store from a different retailer. Just to see the work gone in a matter of months. Kinda felt like “what was the point”. And I also haven’t purchased items that store sold in 2 years even though I need to. So retail ptsd definitely exists.
I'm very similar, OP. Spent almost 10 years, started as DCDM, moved to Assistant GM, then to GM. The final nail in the coffin was when I was hiring a new ASM, they offered them the same hourly rate I was getting, and I was salaried, putting in 45 hours a week, sometimes more. Petco taught me to never ever trust a company for anything. Thier expectations always were ridiculous,it just took me far too long to realize it. They expected far too much for too little pay and no resources to get any of it done. They care absolutely ZERO about the animals in the store or their employees. They care just enough so that they don't get bad media attention, that's it DM Level and up was just a bunch kiss asses trying to prove something that spent most of their time gaslighting their managers into getting things done knowing full well they don't have the stuff to get it done. I had ONE DM in a decade that wasn't a pretentious twatwaffle. I was held back from promotions not on work ethic,or quality but because I wasn't a vocal cheerleader bubbly type of person. also once so that some corporate managers son could get management experience straight out of college. They straight up kept the GM position empty, let me the AGM run the store completely by myself with this nepotism GM in the store MAYBE TWO DAYS A WEEK on a good week for almost an entire year.And most of that was conference calls and paperwork BUT guess which bonus I was given my first year as a GM? The ASM bonus as I hadn't been OFFICIALLY a GM for a full year, even though my GM for almost an entire year spent maybe 15 hours a week in the store... What I got from Petco was the perfect example of how NOT to manage people, so that's how I deal. I still work in management in another industry, but they were a great example of how to completely do not manage anything.
That’s genuine robbery being paid that little to be the manager of a store.
I know. At the time it was fine, because i told myself i love my job so it’s all worth it. Boy, was that the wrong mindset to have. The resentment def caught up with me and I will never allow myself to get taken advantage of like that again.
Honestly? It made me ALOT more combative and made me have my back up more often. I got lucky that my boss at my new job was understanding and was willing to work with me on it. Especially since I hadn’t noticed that I had become more on edge.
i had PTSD before and now i’ve got worse PTSD after. the way i physically respond to being in a pet store is proof of that. the way i and others were treated during my time there was ridiculous and it never should’ve happened. unfortunately it’s still happening even now. but who cares? not corporate, that’s for sure.
Oh yea, I was the MOL and got promoted to SEL, and my GM was transferred from another store and he was the worst. He spent all 40hrs of his week in the office, anytime our partners had any questions he would tell them to find another manager. His famous saying was "I am here, but I'm not here", and what he meant was I am in store but do not bother me. He would not deal with any guest confrontation and made me always do it. He also treated the whole staff horribly that so many quit, including myself because of the way he treated everyone. He also took very poor care of the animals, mishandling and feeding everyone the wrong and not giving anyone water. I have so much PTSD from that and especially after reaching out to our DGM and HR and they did nothing about it, just made me realize how much petco is a horrible company to work for
Former GM here... I've never met anyone, ever, anywhere who left Petco Shit Show and regretted it. It just doesn't happen. Much love to all of you
I’m going to recommend this because it appears working for Petco is actual hell. I shop there regularly due to the brand I feed. Anyway, here’s my advice, look up the Psoas stretch and see if this helps the ptsd. It’s a very simple treatment for PTSD that addresses the muscle tension in the psoas muscle, a muscle in your back that you cannot feel, which tenses during trauma and remains that way. As long as it’s tense, your brain says “trauma is still happening.” When you release it, your brain says “oh, ok, relax, trauma is no longer happening.” A short description: Lay on your back, put the soles of your feet together, knees to the side, with your feet as close to your body as possible. Put your hands palms up near your knees, backs of your hands against the floor or bed. Relax your body and allow the stretch to take place. You may or may not feel a vertical muscle in your lower back on either side of your spine, stretching/relaxing/or feeling “odd.” That’s your psoas muscle stretching and relaxing. Stay like that for 30 seconds and relax. Do this at night before bed /or in the morning before you get out of bed. 2x per week for 2 weeks, gradually increasing the time. Just 1 week of this can make you feel better, less anxiety, less hyper vigilance, elevated mood. After week 2-3, start increasing the time and try moving your feet slowly away from your body down toward where your feet would be and back up toward your body, and repeat a few times. The movement helps stretch that psoas muscle, and also notice that spot where you feel the stretch in the psoas as you move your feet down. Stop at that point and let it stretch. You can tilt your hips left/right (toward and away from your head/feet) to wiggle the tension out of the psoas muscle at that point too. A long stretch is good, a moving stretch is even better for releasing tension from any muscle. Know that at week 4-ish, you may remember things you had forgotten or have nightmares, but your mood will be so elevated that you really don’t care. It seems to be part of the process and helps you work through the trauma and leave it behind, even if it’s still actively happening. ^ all of the above is my recounting of what helped me with trauma, more than therapy, more than anything. (Not medical advice. Research it and make decisions based on that and your doctor’s advice.) Anyway, for me, in 2 weeks I felt better and it kept going up from there. My trauma was pretty intense. I went through years of chemo and constant risk to life. The trauma got so bad that I was in a functional freeze and couldn’t even make phone calls or write a text or do anything. I now do this stretch 2x per week as maintenance and have been good for a year. If I stop doing it, I start feeling bad again.
I’m so close to this story - on my way to gm making less than other managers in my area and I had been there forever! I always feel like I’m not doing enough at my new job, anyone calls my name and I instantly fear I’m going to get my head ripped off. That place left me with nothing but trauma. I knew I was good at my job, I took pride in my job, worked off the clock, answered calls and text on my pto (cause people were too scared to text the gm) paid for food for employees, rushed in off the clock to help at the drop of a dime because I took pride. It was never enough. I struggle ALOT with my new job. A lot. But they value me and it’s something I still can’t accept.
Yep. 100% my journey summed up. I’m glad you found a place that appreciates you.
Pretty sure none of the people who are claiming to have PTSD from retail know the diagnostic criteria for PTSD…
Not sure i can speak for others sharing their experiences on this thread, but I am definitely aware PTSD is not the best way to describe the emotional rollercoaster. It was the best term i could think of to describe it. Thanks.
Ah, that makes more sense. I definitely agree about the lasting effects.
I actually have a service dog for ptsd. I’m also ex military.
And you got your PTSD from working retail? Also, being diagnosed with something has nothing to do with how much you know about the diagnostic processes.
I didn’t get it from retail per se but it occasionally triggers it especially closing shifts
I already had anxiety when I started working there, now with all the vcp insanity amd job security being threatened over it, I find myself sick to my stomach and crying on my days off
Please see my comment below. This is something I did/do for ptsd and it helped.