PTSD in the Workplace and at Home; Reflexology Helps Communication

 

The human toll of traumatic events is literally brought to work and home. Teresa Difranza, EAP/ CISM Coordinator of the Jacksonville, Florida Sheriff’s Office notes the impact of PTSD on policeman following being placed in the position of shooting a criminal suspect. In addition, PTSD is not uncommon among soldiers returning to regular jobs as police officers after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Sheriff’s Department is considering an experimental program using reflexology to help dispatchers with their stresses of being an “ear witness” to traumatic events.

Aside from symptoms experienced by these individuals, Teresa notes the difficulties faced by families seeking to help. Traumatized individuals have difficulty communicating their emotions and experiences. Many go silent, leaving loved ones unable to help. Reflexology offers a possible solution.

Reflexologists note the talkativeness of clients during a reflexology session. Clients recount their life experiences, illnesses, and current stresses. (This author has been through World War II in the Pacific as well as in Europe and remembrances of practically any family emergency imaginable as the client relaxes and feels like talking.)

Professionals working with mental illness have documented the use of reflexology in their work. In a classic study, Petra Trousdale of the UK noted her study’s impact on women with emotional needs as: “improvement in communication and ability to articulate ideas more effectively as well as the “importance of being touched during treatment in a safe non-intrusive / abusive manner.”