Surviving Change: How Organizational Shifts Affect Trauma Survivors’ Attachment Wounds

This week, I experienced an interesting situation at work where our senior executive announced he had accepted a position outside of our company for family and personal reasons. I observed various reactions from people at all levels, which made me think about how organizational change can trigger attachment wounds.

This article will explore how unhealed childhood attachment wounds manifest themselves in the workplace, how organizational change affects those with unhealed trauma, and what can be done to work through the emotional fallout of organizational change.

Attachment Styles in Adulthood

In a previous article, “Attachment Wounds in the Workplace,” I provided a primer on Attachment Theory and how having attachment wounds showed up for me in the workplace, so I won’t go into detail on that. However, I would like to spend a few minutes exploring what unhealed attachment wounds look like in adulthood.

Secure Attachment. In adulthood, secure individuals tend to form healthy and stable relationships. They are comfortable expressing emotions, seeking support, and offering support to others.

Anxious-Preoccupied Attachment. Adults with an anxious-preoccupied attachment style may exhibit clinginess, a strong desire for reassurance, and fear of rejection. They may worry about the stability of their relationships.

Dismissive-Avoidant Attachment. Adults with this attachment style may have difficulty with emotional expression, often downplaying the importance of relationships. They may value independence and be uncomfortable with emotional vulnerability.

Fearful-Avoidant. Fearful-avoidant individuals may struggle with both intimacy and independence, leading to difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships. They may have a heightened fear of rejection.

Can you relate to any of these?

Impacts of Organizational Change

For those with attachment wounds, depending on the relationship you have with the person leaving, you may experience any one of the following:

Heightened Anxiety and Stress: Organizational change can trigger heightened anxiety and stress in trauma survivors with unprocessed attachment wounds. Uncertainty about the future, role changes, or shifts in team dynamics may intensify their emotional distress.

Fear of Abandonment: Changes in leadership, team structures, or job roles may activate a fear of abandonment for trauma survivors with unhealed attachment wounds. They might fear being left behind or excluded from the evolving workplace.

Resistance to Change: Trauma survivors with unprocessed attachment wounds may exhibit resistance to organizational change as a way to maintain a sense of control and stability. Change may be perceived as a threat to their emotional safety.

Difficulty Trusting Leadership: Unhealed attachment wounds can contribute to difficulty trusting organizational leaders during times of change. Past experiences of betrayal or abandonment may influence skepticism about new directives or management decisions.

Impact on Interpersonal Relationships: Changes in the workplace can affect interpersonal relationships, triggering attachment-related insecurities. Trauma survivors may struggle with forming and maintaining connections with colleagues during periods of uncertainty.

Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome: Organizational change may exacerbate feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome in trauma survivors. They may question their abilities or worth, especially if the change introduces new challenges or expectations.

Coping Mechanism Shifts: Unprocessed attachment wounds may lead to shifts in coping mechanisms during organizational change. Some individuals may withdraw, while others may exhibit more outward expressions of stress, impacting their ability to cope effectively.

Impact on Productivity and Performance: Changes in the workplace can affect the productivity and performance of trauma survivors with unhealed attachment wounds. Distress may interfere with concentration, decision-making, and the ability to meet job expectations.

Seeking Reassurance and Validation: Trauma survivors may seek reassurance and validation from colleagues or superiors during organizational change. The need for affirmation may stem from a desire for stability and confirmation of their value within the shifting environment.

Potential for Re-Traumatization: Unaddressed attachment wounds may leave trauma survivors vulnerable to re-traumatization during organizational change. The upheaval and uncertainty may trigger memories or emotions tied to past traumatic experiences.

Have you experienced any of these as a result of organizational changes in the workplace? I know I have. I still experience many of these impacts even though my attachment wounds are mostly healed, especially when it is related to an earned attachment.

Several years ago, I experienced an organizational change that pulled the rug out from under my feet and left me in a dissociated state for three months. My beloved manager, my first earned attachment in the workplace, announced that she was leaving the company.

I was devastated. She provided a great deal of support to help me regulate when I was triggered at work…and now she was gone. What made things worse was that this was during a time when I was taking a break from therapy because I thought things were going well, so I had no other support.

I was NOT good. I was barely functioning. I was not showing up as the leader I wanted/needed to be for my team. I basically withdrew emotionally from everyone until a brave co-worker performed an intervention by having a hard conversation with me about how I was impacting the team by not showing up.

It jolted me out of the dark place I was in, and I decided to make some changes, like going back to therapy. It was a scary episode for me…a reminder of what can happen when I don’t “work my program.”

Strategies For Working Through Organizational Change

Below are some strategies to help you work through the triggering of attachment wounds due to organizational change.

Stay Present. When triggered, we often feel like we’ve been transported back in time to a moment in our history when we experienced a core attachment wound.

The benefit of triggers (yes, I did say that there is a benefit to triggers) is that they point directly to areas where we have unprocessed trauma. These are emotional memories from the past that are recalled when something similar happens in the present. This is why we feel it so intensely…because we are experiencing past and present feelings at the same time.

It is critical for us to stay anchored to the present by looking around the room and noticing the different objects in the room, or perhaps smelling a strong essential oil like peppermint or eating a peppermint…anything that will bring us back to the present.

Acknowledge Emotions. I will often say, “Ooh, this reminds me of…it feels the same.” Name/Claim the emotion. You might consider journaling about the original memory and how the present situation reminds you of it.

Separate Past From Present. Reminding yourself that this is not the past but the present can help diminish the emotional intensity. Focusing in on the present situation can make it more manageable.

Take a Different Perspective. Organizational change is very rarely personal, i.e., someone leaves because they couldn’t stand being around you. Children often personalize situations like death or separation by thinking somehow it was their fault. It may be helpful to put yourself in the “leavers” shoes and think about what the drivers were in the decision to leave. Any time you can depersonalize the situation, you can remove the feeling of responsibility.

Seek Connection. Sometimes, when our attachment wounds have been triggered, we tend to pull away from other earned attachments because we are trying to keep ourselves safe. While that makes sense, what we really need is to lean into the connections we have. Leaning into connection helps us to feel more secure and stabilize our “wonky” emotions.

In Conclusion

Organizational change can impact us in the workplace, but we don’t have to be afraid of it or isolate ourselves in our armor for protection.

When we understand what is happening, we can take the necessary steps to get ourselves regulated and functional once again.

You’ve got this!!!

An Invitation

If you are looking for an online community of other resilient overcomers focusing on their careers, I invite you to join The Resilient Career Academy™ Community. (RCA Community)

The RCA Community is a FREE group dedicated to helping/supporting those working to overcome adversity to achieve their full potential in their careers.

The benefits to you are:

• Community — The community provides support, encouragement, the ability to share frustrations and get feedback from people who understand the struggle
• Workplace/Career Resources — The group provides tools, resources, and templates to help you with your career journey
• Available Coaching Support — The community is supported by trained and certified coaches who are available for individual sessions
• Learning — You will have access to various trauma/workplace-related online courses developed by our coaches to help you in your journey
• Workshops/Webinars — You will have access to practical workshops/webinars targeted to help you in the workplace grow your career

If you are interested in joining us, click here: https://resilientcareeracademy.myflodesk.com/community

As always, you do not have to walk this journey alone. Contact me to schedule your free discovery call.

Trigger Tracker Template — This is a FREE resource to help you keep track of the triggers in your workplace and plan the coping strategies you will use to get through the experience.

Get on the waiting list for The Resilient Career Academy™. You won’t want to miss it.

If you want to stay informed on the programs, tools, and training I offer, sign up for my mailing list.

You can also visit my website for more information on courses and other freebies I offer at: https://www.cyndibennettconsulting.com.

Photo by Zoe Holling on Unsplash