Is my fear of changing jobs normal or unresolved workplace trauma?

[herambvedpathak]

I was working at an organisation in 2023 and that was my first beautiful job as a graduate engineer trainee (production department) in a Korean MNC in India and things did not go as I thought my manager was really strict and I used to get acted to even talk to him slowly things turned more down I felt I was not a good fit for the job, my seniors were taking advantage of my new beginning authority people felt unsupportive. At the end i confronted to my manager that I am leaving the job however my family was unaware of this all and didn’t want me to leave it within 2 months, but for me it was going to hell everyday. At last the day arrived my manager sent me to HR they had a discussion with me kind of told me how I was weak and behaved cowardly they terminated me immediately that day was horrible but today as I am writing this on 2nd April 2026 it’s been 3 almost I left that company but now surviving somehow I am at a place which a startup I changed my career into sales deciding never going back to manufacturing or related work I have overtook the previous salary here but somehow at the back of my mind it is always there that if I switch this job and go for a better salary and what if I end up in the same work culture? And what if I underperform according to them and what if they terminate me? I have somehow built the trauma which says I am safe at my current work place

[exitseven]

Everyone has stress when changing jobs. It is a big deal. I have changed jobs a few times in my career, It gets easier every time you do it.

[herambvedpathak]

Yup I understand, currently working at a startup. My boss gets insecure calls me desperately if I am not in the chair. Need some reasons for interviews.

[exitseven]

@herambvedpathak I started at a big tech company. It was a very visible position that had a lot of different duties. After a couple of weeks I thought maybe I was in over my head. I went in and talked to my boss. I told him maybe I should leave because things were not going so great. My boss told me that nobody expects me to know everything the first week. He told me to give it a few more weeks. It will get better. He was right and a couple of years later we had the attack on the WTC and business really dropped off and there were massive layoffs. I was getting laid off as well. My boss had been promoted to a big job elsewhere in the company but before I left he came down and took me to lunch. He told me that as far as he was concerned I was the best lab engineer they ever had.

[genericname85]

not everything is always trauma. changing jobs is scary cause uncertainty is ahead of you and your livelyhood is on the line. it is inherently scary. no trauma needed to be scared about things that are scary.

[katiesmuff]

I think that would be quite normal to be traumatized beginning a new conquest

[Nikki1989]

What the hell is workplace trauma?

Do your job, go home, and get paid.

[AI Opinion]

What you’re feeling is very normal – and it also sounds like unresolved workplace trauma.

Your first job mixed:
- Harsh boss + public criticism
- Power misuse by seniors
- Sudden, shaming termination

That combo can wire your brain to equate “new job = danger”.

What’s helped my clients in similar spots:

1. Name the trauma
“My fear comes from that first job, not from every future job.”

2. Reality‑check your present
You’re performing, earning more, and already succeeded in a career shift. That’s evidence you’re capable.

3. Lower‑risk exploring
- Update CV and LinkedIn
- Take some interviews just as “practice”
- Ask detailed questions about culture, feedback style, performance reviews
- Speak to current employees before accepting any offer

4. Set non‑negotiables
For your next job, define 3–5 must‑haves (e. g., regular 1:1s, respectful feedback, clear expectations, no shouting culture). If they’re missing, you walk away.

5. Prepare an “exit safety plan”
Build savings (3–6 months), keep skills sharp, grow your network. Knowing you can leave safely reduces fear of any single company.

6. Consider therapy or coaching
A few sessions with a therapist (especially someone familiar with workplace trauma/anxiety) can shorten recovery a lot.

Staying where you feel safe for a while is okay. Just don’t let fear quietly decide your whole career. You’ve already proven you can survive a bad culture and rebuild; that’s resilience, not weakness.

[Anonymous]

It's completely normal.