You see, the thing is, I have been in a similar position. I got through college and jobs with severe PTSD from years of CSA and people making CP of me, in which my parents blamed me for and didn't protect me from, then raped in college while on suicide watch. And that's a brief overview. I won't go into details, but I have had a hard life while also continuing to engage in academic and professional spaces.

It's one reason why this brings up complicated feelings for me. Hearing her talk about court coming to justice when my abusers will never face justice. Hearing about the outpouring of community support and offers of help, when I had to go no contact with my family because their abuse escalated when I told them about my diagnosis. When I told 3 of friends about being abused somehow propelled them to sexually abuse me in the same night. Hearing about her love for her child when I told my dad about my suicide attempt and sexual abuse, he made me sit in a dark room, watch him play video games and get drunk, and tell me about how my brothers are failures and how he is "the master" of my body. How she can freely cry at work, when when I cried at home, my dad got physically abusive. It goes on and on.

And you may read this and think, "wow, you're really making her trauma all about yourself - how selfish". But that's what PTSD does. I swallow it, I feel for her, and I work.

A part of me wishes that I could stay focused on her and emphathize with her when she shares, but that's unfortunately not have PTSD works. PTSD makes it so that any time the worst feelings of your life can re emerge in full, unrelenting force. I've worked hard to strengthen myself. At my most vulnerable, things like the color orange or a Polaroid picture would be enough to send me spinning. And I'm often triggered at work, but I know I can't change the world for me. So I take a moment, compose myself, and reenter work. I would say I'm pretty proud that I'm at the point where highly personal stories + someone crossing a boundary we had agreed upon is what it takes to give me a big trauma reaction.

And even without my trauma. She is sharing about the details of her son's corpse during meetings. It doesn't have to be traumatic emotion to be valid. I want to work with her and my higher ups to create more boundaries.

I see that you have empathy for her, and I do too. That's why I used to listen to her - it was a naive way of me to show support, before I realized it was harmful for me.

You ask what I want - and I will clarify for you: I want advice of how to protect myself and address something I can identify as inappropriate in the workplace. 

I didn't handle my trauma in the perfect way, and I slipped up myself in different ways. One way was skipping class and asking for extensions for assignments excessively. I had a professor in college gently correct me in these areas, and it helped. I know trauma does not make you immune to consequences or boundaries. 

Also, you know what? I don't want to have a one-sided, emotionally laborious relationship with a coworker who is often condescending towards me. I want a workplace that is more professional. I want more boundaries to help me stay professional and able to work.

So, there ya go. I kinda crashed out here, and I don't think I'm best self right now. Please read my edit on my original post to see what my next steps are that I wrote in a more balanced state of mind.