Career Expert Explains Why A Corporate Worker’s Job Made Her Hair Fall Out & Left Her Unable To Ingest Solid Foods
No job is worth your mental and physical well-being.
silverkblackstock | Shutterstock We’ve all had that one job that we dread waking up to go to. Whether it be awful colleagues, controlling bosses, hours that extend well into the evening, or belligerent customers, most of us get that sinking feeling in the pit of our stomachs when we arrive at said job.
However, work stress can manifest itself in different ways, and sometimes, it can even interfere with our overall physical health. One woman revealed the serious health complications she encountered due to her experiences at her corporate job, including hair loss and digestive issues — and she is not alone.
A career expert explained how work trauma caused one woman’s hair to fall out and left her incapable of digesting solid foods.
Chrissy Barron, a career expert who focuses on the traumas employees can experience from their jobs, revealed the effects work-related stress can have on the body in a TikTok video. She used a diagram of a gingerbread man to represent the human body and highlight the specific areas that can be impacted by work trauma.
Work trauma refers to the emotional and psychological distress one can experience due to workplace conditions. A high-stress work environment, discrimination, job insecurity, and lack of support are all possible sources of work trauma. “When traumatic events happen, there is a physiological energy that can be pushed down into the body,” Barron said. “This trapped trauma can show in different ways.”
The career expert explained how the body will trap work trauma, and it can eventually manifest in physical ailments.
Trapped trauma can present itself as dissociation, physiological arousal, chronic pain, digestive issues, movement memory, non-epileptic seizures, specific food cravings, a weakened immune system, fatigue, emotional flashbacks, and headaches. “You can have a traumatic response or a trauma response to someone screaming at you in an office,” Barron shared. “Just remember that when you’re in an incredibly stressful situation, these things are gonna show themselves.”
One viewer revealed how her own work trauma manifested itself in horrifying ways. “I had a job in 2021 that made me not physically be able to ingest solid food. My hair started falling out and I had hives on me CONSTANTLY. They were not worth it,” she commented on Barron’s video.
Barron took the opportunity to explain how the woman’s work trauma affected her hair growth and appetite. “I think a lot of people don’t understand the effects of stress on the body in working a toxic corporate job, and this person’s story is a great example of what can happen,” she said in a follow-up video.
“Trauma can be stored in the body in multiple ways, one of them being through your nervous system. Essentially, you can be stuck in fight or flight or freeze, which can cause issues to your nervous system that include digestion, heart rate, and overall stress levels.”
If you’re nervous or stressed about something in your life, you may have trouble eating without feeling instantly sick, and you may notice your hair starting to fall out — work trauma results in similar effects on the body. When your job consists of constant stress, it can begin to take a toll on your body physically.
Even though work is necessary, no job is worth your overall mental and physical health.
Without your well-being, you will be unable to perform to the best of your ability at work, have difficulty maintaining relationships with friends and family, and be unable to take care of yourself. It is important to give yourself mental health breaks as needed and take time off work if you need a few days to rest and collect yourself. If you continue to work through your stress without allowing yourself a break, you will eventually crash and burn and maybe even, like this woman, be unable to enjoy the foods you once did.
A study conducted by Mercer found that 36% of employees are ready to quit their jobs due to the misery they endure while at work. The core of their dissatisfaction is often the result of traumatic experiences they’ve faced at work.
If work trauma has taken over your life, it might be time to find a new job. At many companies, you are just a replaceable number without physical and mental health to look after. However, a job is also 100% replaceable, and it is possible to find one that does not cause you stress to the point of losing your hair.
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.