Lessons from the Frontlines

CHAPTER 10Self-Help Strategies

In the early days of the pandemic, I got a ping from one of my leaders. They told me that an employee of theirs was suffering from PTSD due to the pandemic, and that the employee was afraid for their job since they needed to go back to taking medicine to control stress.

Now, I am dealing with PTSD from my military days, but back then, the only people that knew were my wife and kids. I felt compelled to do something, so I went on a very public Slack channel and wrote an “I am dealing with this” message. It was detailed, explaining my circumstances, and showcasing that we are all dealing with something.

I sat on that message for three days before sending it out, but I had to do something to create psychological safety during that time of duress for so many people around the company. That way, PayPal knew about my PTSD before my parents or my extended family.

The response was very supportive. In the message, I shared the resources available for employees and advocated for professional help. I actually don’t know how the specific employee who was struggling reacted, but that wasn’t the point. The point was creating an environment where people felt safe to acknowledge their challenges and seek help.

This chapter explores the often-overlooked mental health challenges of security leadership. Through personal reflection, I share the psychological costs of hyper-responsibility, control-driven leadership, and constant vigilance—including anxiety, chronic ...