A Black Woman’s Guide To Recovering From Corporate PTSD

The “Great Resignation” was more of a Great Escape for Black women who can no longer tolerate toxic workplaces. From the subtle bias and discrimination, to the harassment and straight up violence that they face on a daily basis, a lot of Black women had no choice but to leave with their sanity.

“After years of being overlooked, under-valued, gaslit, micro- and macro-aggressed at work, you start to realize that nothing you do will help your situation because it isn’t you, it’s the environment,” says DEI Consultant and ERG Strategist Sharitta Marshall. 

Sharitta left corporate America in 2022 and decided to launch Visionary Development Consulting, a firm that transforms corporate spaces into psychologically safe work environments. She’s also created practical resources on how to deal with workplace trauma and corporate PTSD as a result of her own journey of recovery.

“Corporate PTSD can affect your mental health and lead to conditions such as depression, anxiety and burnout. Which can impact your physical health, job performance and even your career advancement overall,” Sharitta explains.

“And on a societal level, it contributes to racial and gender disparities in the corporate world, so raising awareness about the prevalence and severity of corporate PTSD among Black women is the first step to eliminating it completely,” she adds. 

What Is Corporate PTSD?

Corporate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can be described as a set of reactions that can occur in individuals who’ve been exposed to one or more traumatic events at work. These events can range from overt incidents like harassment and discrimination, to more covert forms of workplace adversity like chronic job insecurity, unrealistic work expectations and a lack of support or recognition. The symptoms are similar to those of traditional PTSD, which include anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, emotional detachment and even physical manifestations such as headaches and insomnia.

There aren’t any explicit statistics on the prevalence of corporate PTSD among Black women, but research has shown that 14.0% of Black women aged 18-34, and 12.8% of Black women aged 35-49 have experienced PTSD. Whereas the rates among Black men in the same age groups are 6.3% and 4.6% respectively, which is significantly lower. In middle age, PTSD is associated with a range of socioeconomic and stress-related factors, which Black women disproportionately bear the burden of.

What Makes Black Women More Vulnerable To Corporate PTSD?

Black women also face unique stressors that can increase their risk of developing this condition. Some factors that contribute to this increased risk include:

• Racial trauma: Black women experience racial discrimination and systemic racism at a disproportionately high rate, with racial trauma at work being a common occurrence. And according to Black Women Thriving, 66% of Black women don’t feel emotionally safe at work.
• Intersectional stressors: Black women deal with multiple forms of oppression and discrimination simultaneously, which amplifies their exposure to trauma. Mysogynoir, a unique anti-Black form of misogyny that Black women experience, falls into this category. “In the corporate world misogynoir can manifest as racial and gender bias, or lack of recognition, salary increase and opportunities for advancement. So Black women are often overlooked, undervalued and made to feel as though they don’t belong​​,” explains Sharitta.
• Lack of access to mental health care: Disparities in healthcare, including limited access to culturally competent mental health services, can make it difficult for Black women to get the care and support they need.

Symptoms of Corporate PTSD

Symptoms can vary from person to person, and they can be different in terms of intensity and duration. However, corporate PTSD symptoms mirror PTSD symptoms, which can include:

• Intrusive memories: Repeated and upsetting memories of traumatic events, including flashbacks, nightmares and intrusive thoughts.
• Avoidance: Avoiding reminders or triggers associated with the trauma, such as places, people, activities or conversations that could trigger upsetting memories or emotions.
• Negative mood and thoughts: Persistent negative emotions, pessimism, guilt, shame or self-blame. Feelings of detachment, disconnection from others, or loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities.
• Hyperarousal and reactivity: Heightened responses to triggers or reminders of the trauma. This can manifest as being easily startled, having trouble sleeping, irritability, or constantly being on high alert as if in imminent danger.
• Cognitive and mood changes: You may have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering things. You might also find that your beliefs about yourself, others, or the world have become more negative.
• Emotional distress: Trouble concentrating, memory problems, difficulty making decisions, and intense or unpredictable emotions like fear, anger or even feeling emotionally numb or overwhelmed.
• Physical symptoms: Headaches, gastrointestinal problems, muscle tension and other unexplained bodily sensations that may arise as a result of traumatic experiences.

How To Recover From Corporate PTSD

According to Sharitta, the best approach to recovering from corporate PTSD is finding the right support and creating a holistic care plan, and then giving yourself grace as you put in the time and effort to heal. In terms of creating a plan, she recommends taking the following steps:

1. Get professional help: Trauma-focused therapy and counseling can help you come to terms with the workplace trauma you’ve experienced, as well as equipping you with effective coping strategies and techniques to manage your symptoms and promote mental well-being. You don’t have to struggle through this alone. And platforms like Therapy For Black Girls and Black Female Therapists have directories that make it easier to find therapists who’ll understand your lived experience and can treat you from a place of cultural competence.
2. Create supportive self-care practices: Consistent self-care is necessary to maintain your mental health. This can look like exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep or doing things that bring you joy. Take some time to figure out what these practices are for you and then slowly begin to incorporate them into your daily life. Books like Self-Care for Black Women: 150 Ways to Radically Accept & Prioritize Your Mind, Body, & Soul by Oludara Adeeyo can help you on this journey.
3. Set boundaries for yourself: Set clear boundaries about how you expect to be treated by colleagues and superiors, including what steps you can take if your boundaries are violated. Defining these for yourself will help you recognize when your boundaries are ignored, do what you can to minimize harm in the moment and seek support from HR or management to address the transgression. I’m Not Yelling: A Black Woman’s Guide to Navigating the Workplace by Elizabeth Leiba is a good resource if you need guidance on how to advocate for yourself when approaching HR.
4. Set work boundaries: Set boundaries for work so you can separate your personal life from your work life, prevent burnout and develop a more balanced lifestyle overall. This could mean avoiding working for excessively long hours and taking regular breaks, saying no to additional tasks if you’re already overwhelmed, or protecting your emotional energy by not over-investing yourself in office drama. Nedra Glover Tawwab’s book Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself is a good place to start if you aren’t sure about how to set boundaries, and this is something you can discuss with your therapist as well.
5. Create a supportive network: Lean on your community for support, and if you don’t have a network in place, build one. Find a mentor who can offer advice on how to handle adversity in corporate spaces. And connect with people who have similar interests or values to you, whether in-person or virtually. Coming together in community with them will provide emotional support, a sense of belonging and a space to share experiences and advice. You can also tap into professional networks or support groups, or connect with colleagues who are experiencing similar challenges (as long as they’re safe to deal with).
6. Understand that rest is productive: Rest is productive because it rejuvenates the body and mind. It allows for you to just be for however long you choose to rest. “In a world that places value on your productivity over your existence, rest is radical activism that reduces stress, prevents burnout, and becomes a proponent for your overall well-being. Rest is a crucial component of a productive and fulfilling life,” shares Sharitta. If you don’t already have a copy of Tricia Hersey’s manifesto, Rest Is Resistance, get one. It’ll shift the way you view rest and change your life for the better.

Sharitta also has a free mental health guide that you can access, which includes:

• 5 things to know when looking for mental health support
• A list of mental health organizations who serve Black women, the LGBTQ+ community and other historically excluded groups
• And a 10-minute guided meditation to help you tap into what you truly want

She created the guide after receiving an overwhelmingly positive response to her LinkedIn series A Black Woman Recovering from Corporate PTSD, which brought Black women from across industries together to share their experiences navigating toxic work environments, offer solutions and practical strategies for coping with corporate PTSD, and to raise awareness so those suffering in silence can seek out the support they deserve.

One Last Thought

“Recovering from corporate PTSD is a process because of the complex nature of trauma, and how it affects us on a mental, emotional, physical and even spiritual level, so the most important thing you need to do is give yourself time,” says Sharitta. She notes that healing is a continuous process anyway, but she believes that if you just trust that you can regain control and find renewed well-being with the right support and treatment, then you will.

If you or someone you know is struggling or experiencing a mental-health crisis, call or text 988.