Psychological Impact: Post-Traumatic Stress and the Paralyzation Phenomenon

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is often associated with war veterans or disaster survivors, but clinical evidence shows that victims of severe workplace bullying exhibit identical symptomatology.

Continuous exposure to aggression generates a profound alteration in brain chemistry and the nervous system.

The victim relives episodes of humiliation through intrusive flashbacks and recurrent nightmares.

They experience a state of constant hypervigilance, startled by any stimulus (a ringing phone, an incoming mail), anticipating a new attack.

This exhaustion prevents restorative rest and keeps the body in a state of permanent toxic alertness that erodes cardiovascular and immune health.

The Paralyzing Response and Learned Helplessness

One of the most misunderstood phenomena is the "paralysis" of the victim.Outside observers often ask, "Why didn't she fight back?" or "Why didn't she report sooner?".

The physiological response to inescapable and constant danger is not always fight or flight; it is often freeze.The brain, overwhelmed by terror and confusion, locks up.

"Learned helplessness" develops: the victim comes to believe, after multiple failed attempts at defense, that nothing he or she does will change the outcome.

This passivity is neither consent nor weakness; it is a biological survival mechanism in the face of an environment that is perceived as absolutely hostile and with no way out.

Somatization and Rupture of the Vital Project

The damage does not remain in the work sphere; it invades all areas of life.The body "speaks" what the mouth is silent about: gastrointestinal and dermatological disorders, chronic pain and migraines appear.

On a personal level, the victim often becomes irritable, withdrawn or depressed, which deteriorates his or her family and partner relationships, thus losing his or her social support network just when he or she needs it most.

There is a rupture of the vital and professional project: the person loses confidence in their own abilities, doubts their worth and may take years to rebuild their professional identity, feeling that their career has been unjustly cut short.

Summary

Victims of severe bullying develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suffering flashbacks, nightmares and constant hypervigilance that profoundly alter their nervous system and health.

Paralysis" or learned helplessness is a physiological blocking response to terror, where the victim believes that no defense will change the hostile outcome.

The damage transcends work, causing physical somatization and rupture of the life project, affecting family relationships and destroying confidence in one's professional identity.