Thread regarding ExxonMobil Corp. layoffs

Sickness or anxiety working at Exxon

Hello! I have seen a few times on this board people have mentioned that after quitting ExxonMobil their digestive/stomach issues or anxiety went away presumably due to less stress? May all be the same anonymous poster.. would anyone care to confirm that or elaborate how leaving EM made them feel better?

I still work at Exxon, but have had stomach issues for years that doctors couldn't and still can't figure out which really impacts my quality of life. Strangely these issues started when I started working at EM in hindsight when I saw these posts! I am wondering if I have been more stressed working for this company than I even realized. I certainly acknowledge the extremely competitive culture, unwillingness to think outside the box, and looking for any mistake to nail you in ranking for is not at all natural to me.. I am the opposite of all these.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to help out an anonymous person over the internet.

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| 2995 views | | 15 replies (last September 24, 2020) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+172RqFYA

15 replies (most recent on top)

@4xwo+172RqFYA

I used to work for a clown lady boss too! She loved her OIMS and making up work. Once I left that site it made me happy and I’ve heard once she retired the rest of the team rejoiced.

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Post ID: @4kxz+172RqFYA

Experienced insomnia in my first years, bad boss checking on me every day and the sight of him made me nauseous. Overcame this when I transferred out for a new assignment reporting to a clown lady boss who enjoys networking with LTs than doing the real work. I am feeling healthier after leaving the job, such toxic workplace is not a place to grow your career.

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Post ID: @4xwo+172RqFYA

@2rmq+172RqFYA, sure we could get it at a million places, we could get it at Amazon, the battlefield, a horrendous accident, childhood trauma, spousal abuse ... but we didn't: we got it at the hands of ExxonMobil. Saying they have great insurance is like saying they amputate your legs but they give you a fancy wheelchair so why are you complaining. As others have said earlier, the EHAP therapists tell you that they see tons of ExxonMobil people, all with the same empty souls, and the invariable advice is, ignore ignore ignore, hang in there till you are retirement eligible. This is not a sustainable company: this is a company that lives on burning people out and s—ing their life energy.

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Post ID: @2qxl+172RqFYA

Perspective check- you can get this anxiety and mental stress anytime at any workplace. Go check Amazon or Google sites... this is an odd thing to blame ExxonMobil for causing... we have the best medical insurance and health services to help you deal with this.

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Post ID: @2rmq+172RqFYA

I've had recurrent clinical depression every few years since I started working here - brought on by powerlessness and hopelessness at work, and sadness at the total lack of humanity in that place (and yes I have not been able to grow a thicker skin). Once I happened on a verbally abusive and manipulative supervisor, I'd throw up on the bathroom after every meeting, totally went away after she left. Less than a year to retirement, fingers crossed I'll make it, I expect to feel a lot better once this is behind me.

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Post ID: @1mox+172RqFYA

When I started working at XOM, I begin looking for a new job my second year. I have felt from day 1 that I do not fit in and never will fit in. I have seen a therapist and a psychiatrist since I started. Taking antidepressants and anxiety medications and started drinking again after 7 years of sobriety. My therapist told me I will never feel valued by my boss Or the company and told me to look elsewhere to fill that need. I have turned down offers from other big and small companies and could never understand why I couldn’t or wouldn’t leave. I absolutely thought I was the only one suffering and not sure why or what was causing my suffering. I came to the company from another large corporation and was not born and raised in XOM. I remember what it feels like to not dread Monday morning or get the pit in my chest or stomach on Sunday evening. Life is too short to be this miserable the majority of your time. Time for me to move on. Wish me luck and thank you for the honesty In your posts. I wish no one or the company any ill will and pray a massive overhaul, from the top down, Will happen to the company.

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Post ID: @1vuv+172RqFYA

I secretly carry me own mixed drink to deal with this by issue. The trick is to manage dose enough to keep you going.

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Post ID: @sib+172RqFYA

No stomach problems for me but around mid-day on Sunday I start to get this annoying, depressive feeling. By Sunday evening, I'm dreading the thought of going to work. I didn't feel this way when I first started with the company.

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Post ID: @duw+172RqFYA

I am the one that wrote more than once my stomach is better and chest tightness is gone after leaving ExxonMobil. I decided to take the 3 month paid salary option and sign waiver not to sue ExxonMobil. Thankfully and blessing from God, I got an excellent job in just 2 weeks after leaving ExxonMbil. I am so very happy. ExxonMobil bosses were damaging my health. Peers and colleagues are in turf-protecting mode, very unhelpful and aloof - how can you blame them?? - if they can make you look bad then their ranking goes up, so understandable right? I have been at my new job for 3 weeks, asked my manager I need to go to auto car shop and may be out for an hour, will make sure no lost time. He wrote me back a very nice email, not to ask for permission for such things and he trusts me and that I am very professional. The tone and content of the email was so heartwarming, respectful and nice, you could never see such an email from anyone at ExxonMobil. Managers, SLSs and the rest at the top are so permanently and badly in a mafia type thinking, unless the whole sewer is drained and the sewer pipes changes, there is not going to be anything different. I am so happy I took the 3 month pay option, I started a new job in my same field where I have excellent technical skills in 2 weeks, so got paid 2.5 months extra salary and the new company has 6% 401K match and excellent bonus. PIP was the best thing that happened to me! If you have stomach, chest, anxiety, stress or other problems, 50% chance could be ExxonMobil and 50% something else like gluten/food allergies etc.

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Post ID: @jnl+172RqFYA

I think most of these messages are the same poster.

I’ve changed between high stress and low stress roles. The stress this poster is talking about is really serious but I think there are really less major benefits that come from an improved diet, less screen time, regular meal schedule, etc.

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Post ID: @unz+172RqFYA

Yes
Stress affects your body in terrible and unusual ways. My first couple of years at Exxon I noticed a lot of people seemed to have serious health issues in younger age groups than I’ve seen before. After I while it did occur to me it is the high stress levels. Stress has terrible effects on the human body

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Post ID: @skp+172RqFYA

I had digestive problems and realized just two years ago that it was gluten. Try stop eating any wheat related food for three weeks and see

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Post ID: @arf+172RqFYA

Hello! I’ve experienced the same things. I certainly have had some issues my entire life with these types of health issues, but it got way worse working at ExxonMobil the past several years. I wouldn’t say I’m even in a stressful group, nor am I a poor performer - but you can never fully escape that nasty culture even if you have a supportive colleagues. It’s kind of always looming. When I take extended time off these issues get better, but then come back once I’m back at work. It s—s and I’m planning on leaving the company to address the issues more fully. I’m very lucky to be in a financial situation to do so, but I know a lot of people aren’t.

Also I second the stuff about feeling the anxiety and depression in your body said by someone else and also second what their therapist has said. I’ve worked through the same things with my therapist as well.

At the end of the day, you can improve these health issues by managing stress (obviously easier said than done and I will likely have to leave to do this fully, and I’m sure other corporate environments will cause the same thing) and by improving diet. If I eat a pretty strict diet I can manage the digestive issues while working, but it’s not really sustainable considering how careful I have to be with food. It takes a lot of time and effort and my life becomes pretty bland when all of my time outside of work is spent maintaining health issues partly caused...by work. Haha. If this weren’t an anonymous site I would get in touch to help more if I could! Good luck. You’re definitely not alone in this company with those issues, and from what I’ve seen a lot of people sacrifice their health to stay in this sort of corporate culture and aren’t fully aware of it.

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Post ID: @ous+172RqFYA

I had a really terrible boss who had this effect. I’m gradually getting much better in a new assignment with a great boss. It’s not the company as a whole, but we do have a higher proportion of people in management positions with the characteristics that cause this.

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Post ID: @gft+172RqFYA

Yes! I’ve never had such anxiety and depression - - it can really affect a lot of things in your body: digestive system, immune system, nervous system, blood pressure. There are many people on campus who have heart attacks at work. My anxiety and other symptoms are much better now after I realized what’s happening. I saw a therapist who said they see a ton of ExxonMobil people who are fed up with the culture and everything, and who have depression and anxiety. It’s like you feel in your body something is wrong but you can’t pinpoint to what at times. I think the sh–ty culture, the really sh–ty managers and leaders, being at odds with your morals and values, it all adds up.

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Post ID: @iec+172RqFYA

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