💥 The Emotional Impact of Workplace Injury: What Federal Employees Need to Know
By: Dr. Jenn Merthe-Grayson, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
A workplace injury changes more than your body - it can impact your identity, confidence, relationships, and mental well-being. For many federal employees, the emotional fallout is just as overwhelming as the physical recovery. The truth is: workplace injuries affect your nervous system, your sense of safety, and your day-to-day functioning.
If you’ve been injured on the job and feel anxious, depressed, stressed, or “not like yourself,” you’re not alone - and your symptoms are valid. 💛
😣 Workplace Injuries Affect More Than the Body
Federal employees often experience emotional reactions such as:
🧠 Anxiety or fear after the incident
😔 Depression or low motivation
⚡ Hypervigilance or increased startle response
😴 Trouble sleeping
🤯 Feeling overwhelmed by pain, paperwork, or uncertainty
🚫 Avoidance of reminders of the injury
These reactions are normal nervous system responses and are recognized by the OWCP (Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs) as legitimate consequences of workplace trauma.
🙈 Why Emotional Symptoms Get Overlooked
Federal workers tend to be helpers, protectors, and high-responsibility professionals. Many feel pressure to “handle it” or return to work quickly.
You might catch yourself thinking:
“Others have it worse.”
“I should be tougher.”
“I don’t want to look weak.”
But emotional injuries need care just as much as physical ones. Ignoring them often makes recovery harder.
💡 Good News: OWCP Covers Mental Health Treatment 100%
OWCP recognizes that workplace injuries can cause stress, trauma, and psychological injury.
Mental health treatment - including therapy with an OWCP-enrolled psychologist - is fully covered for approved claims.
Covered emotional conditions include:
🧠 Stress or anxiety from the incident
💥 Trauma responses
🔄 Adjustment issues
😞 Depression linked to injury or chronic pain
As an OWCP psychologist in Ohio, I provide CA-16 mental health treatment, therapy tailored to federal employees, and all required documentation.
🌱 You Deserve Full, Holistic Recovery
Your injury didn’t just affect your body - it affected your life.
Your emotional healing matters just as much.
🔵 If you’re a federal employee struggling after a workplace injury, support is available - and fully covered by OWCP.
Let’s walk this path together. Contact me today!