PTSD is a serious, chronic, and debilitating condition suffered by far too many of our nation’s heroes. Now, due to Donald Trump’s second win of the Oval Office, some federal employees are claiming they too suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and need emotional support before the overwhelming winner of the 2024 presidential election takes the helm again.
Understandably, many Americans are outraged over the minimalization of this severe disorder. among many, especially veterans and trauma survivors. Genuine PTSD is a serious mental health condition affecting those who have endured severe trauma, including soldiers, domestic abuse survivors, child molestation victims, and those affected by other violent experiences. Comparing the anxiety of a political environment to these profound, life-altering experiences can come surely across as dismissive and trivializing.
Government Employees PTSD Claims Spark Outrage
News broke of the messages about PTSD claims by employees of the federal government just after Veterans Day, making this wildly insensitive claim sting even more for military families. Soldiers return from war zones carrying invisible scars that affect every aspect of their lives, and survivors of domestic abuse and child trauma often face long-lasting impacts. To see PTSD used in this context risks belittling these realities.
“We are in a dystopian hellscape,” reads one text message sent by a federal employee after Trump demolished Kamala Harris’ dreams of becoming president.
The Real Impact of PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a serious mental health condition that develops after exposure to a terrifying event or series of traumas. Symptoms include flashbacks, severe anxiety, nightmares, and an overwhelming sense of distress. For many, PTSD profoundly impacts daily life, relationships, and functioning, straining both sufferers and their families.
Claims from federal employees that they are experiencing PTSD solely due to political outcomes—like a Trump election win—are disgustingly disrespectful to those with genuine PTSD. Real sufferers battle an internal struggle often rooted in physical threat or life-altering trauma. Using PTSD to describe job anxiety trivializes the disorder, diminishing the understanding and compassion these individuals deserve. True PTSD is an intense, often lifelong challenge, and equating it with political discomfort undermines the struggles of those truly afflicted.
For those truly suffering from PTSD, a single triggering event can turn a typical day into a nightmare. Triggers might spark intense flashbacks, making the person relive a traumatic moment as if it’s happening again. This experience often brings severe anxiety, panic attacks, disorientation, and even physical pain. Such episodes disrupt lives, relationships, and mental well-being in profound ways, impacting the sufferer’s ability to work, socialize, or even leave the house.
Federal employees claiming PTSD at the thought of a Trump presidency could gain some perspective by considering these daily battles. Comparing political discomfort to the trauma endured by veterans and survivors minimizes the seriousness of this mental health condition. An apology should be issued and the verbiage should reflect respect for those who face real PTSD, honoring the depth of their struggle with dignity and empathy.
The Schedule F Effect
Some federal workers claim they are experiencing “dread” and “anxiety” over Trump’s win, worrying about mass layoffs under his “Schedule F” policy. Fox News reports.
Schedule F is an executive order from 2020 that allows for the firing of a myriad of federal employment positions by making such jobs an “at will” type of employment.
More than 2 million people are employed by the United States federal government. Nearly 450,000 of those employees live in the Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland metro area – which was one of the few areas Kamala Harris actually solidly won during the 2024 presidential race. Many believe the system is bloated and needs some thinning down — which soon could happen once Trump and Elon Musk begin dissecting efficiency increase and cost cutting measures.
State Department Launches Stress Seminar for Staffers After Trump Win
The State Department issued an email focused upon, “managing stress during change” post Trump win, according to a copy of the email obtained by the Free Beacon. The email reportedly went on to urge government employees to be a part of a 1-hour stress management session so they could express and freely discuss their feelings about Trump tromping Harris at the polls.
The deal with your Trump stress seminar was hosted by the State Department’s Employee Consultation Services in the Bureau of Medical Services.
“Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into effective stress management techniques to help you navigate these challenging times. This session will provide tips and practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining your well being,” the government email to employees went on to note.
Group phone calls between various State Department bureaus make clear the PTSD claims by their federal government peers are at least a bit contagious. One source dubbed the chats a “cry session” about the changes on the horizon once Trump is sworn into office again.
Government employees in other agencies have reportedly been urged to share their feelings about the election in “private settings.”
Antony Blinken’s era of focusing on feelings and diversity, equity, and inclusion at the State Department are about to come to a screeching halt. In its place will be Trump’s result-driven approach to taking America back from the edge of disaster both economically and culturally.
The Snowflake Effect
The strong reaction from liberals both in and out of government, to Trump’s potential re-election highlights a broader issue in how Americans are prepared for differing viewpoints. Folks who still possess often argue that public schools, increasingly focused on promoting specific ideologies, offer limited space for genuine debate, leaving students unprepared for ideological challenges.
On college campuses, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) offices and other similar initiatives foster an atmosphere where students are protected from opposing ideas rather than equipped to engage with them constructively.
In the workplace, DEI policies have become more prominent, especially under the Biden administration, with a focus on creating supportive safe spaces instead of a collaborative and efficient workplace. This approach at schools and the workplace reinforces a kind of intellectual fragility by discouraging open discourse and debate.
As a result, many adults struggle to navigate the inevitable trials and criticisms of adult life, leading to frustration when their beliefs are challenged. Rather than fostering resilience and adaptability, these institutions are producing a generation of Americans less equipped to cope with even a small amount of political or social diversity.
Resilience comes from learning to navigate challenges and confront different ideologies—a skill that is being undermined in American institutions in general, today
Conclusion
Instead of using mental health terminology to describe political anxieties, it would be far more sensitive to reserve such terms for situations where life-threatening experiences are involved. This misuse not only dilutes the understanding of PTSD but also risks undermining the support that true survivors deserve.
Tara Dodrill is a self-reliance author, educator, and patriot homesteader in Appalachia. She studied journalism at Ohio University and previously served several terms as a town council member in her hometown. Dodrill worked as the editor of her county's newspaper before shifting her focus to writing books and hosting the largest hands-on homesteading, survival, and bushcraft annual event in the United States.
