most of us are able to match our role and behavior to the appropriate context. but this may not be true of people in inpatient settings. so it's likely that you will encounter more odd, inappropriate, or offensive behavior than usual.

and yeah, it's important to confront it. "hey, jack, i don't like that; i want you to stop." "hey, bill, you're making me uncomfortable." "joe, those comments are hurtful." it may not stop the harassment but it's important to verbalize a rejection of these cat calls. by confronting, you are literally, pervasively, shaping the context.

as far as your own history, it may be helpful to remember the ways in which the two situations are different. when we're threatened, our minds overwork. we are actively defending from the painful experience. it's overwhelming. so one way to train our minds to feel safe again is by restoring the connection to the body by expanding our physical presence and restoring the connection to the mind by orienting to the present. whatever is happening to you now is not the same as what happened to you then. a threatened mind will always recreate a past memory, and an anxious mind will always create a future fantasy. so the trick is to stay between those states in the present where we have the most control.

that said, it's not easy. use your supervisor, coworkers, friends! and always, seek help if you notice it becoming too difficult to manage.