So maybe I should introduce them with embarrassing photos and semi-accurate bios? Did I hear a resounding yes?! Hey girls, this is for you. Thanks!
First, Shannon:
Shannon is a soon to be graduate of an MA program in Human Rights at Columbia. She cares deeply about undocumented immigrants that are in detention centers throughout the United States. She hopes to create a program to meet their needs in Galveston, TX.
And Kerry?
Kerry describes her current job with AIRS in Baltimore, MD as "basically i get to hang out with HIV-positive and at-risk homeless youth and watch them turn their lives around. and all of this at the organization i fell in love with in americorps! how lucky am i?!" She has her MA in Theology and would love to some day return to Africa.
All three of us experienced what could potentially be the most compassion fatigue inducing year of our lives, AmeriCorps. Why did we continue with human services after this year of little to no pay, long hours, and many many frustrations? I'll let the other girls speak for themselves, but it may be that as a part of our program, they offered weekly "debriefing" meetings with self-care options. We were not sheltered, but we were supported. Yet, the overlying response to "Why in the world would you continue in such a profession?" seems to be passion. This weekend, a theme wase the ache we feel when others are in pain, whether that is emotional or physical. During our weekend of journaling, conversation with kindred spirits, and stopping to enjoy nature; I began to remember why I got mixed up in this human services racket to begin with.
Passion and compassion.
I never forgot about my passion and compassion. I could tell you all day long that I am passionate about the immigrant community and I would do anything for them! However, as my boss (a wise wise woman) so delicately put it: I tend to care too much. Rather, I tend to take on other peoples' pain as my own. Does that sound familiar?
That being said, here is an article that both defines compassion fatigue and offers a nice introductory to the concept.
Compassion Fatigue: Understanding and preventing compassion fatigue-a handout for professionals. By Dr. Angelea Panos
Read it and tell me, are any of you experiencing the beginning signs of burnout and compassion fatigue? Why did YOU get involved in the helping profession to begin with?
Can I comment even if I'm not a social worker? I am in a helping profession, I promise. :)
ReplyDeleteWhy did I get into a helping profession...I honestly don't know. It wasn't some conscious decision to choose it over business or some other crap I'd hate. It just happened, and I don't think I ever really had a choice. As for why I got into my specific profession, I can honestly say it's kind of the family business. My dad used to be an SLP (now in administration) working with adults with developmental disabilities, now I'm an SLP working with kids with DD/MR/Autism who can't be managed in the public schools. It's exhausting and frustrating, I get physically assaulted on a disturbingly regular basis, and I love it.
Amazingly, I don't really feel burnout/fatigue too often--I've become good at leaving work at work. Honestly, a big part of that is that I have a 45 minute commute each way, so I have time to prepare myself, to decompress, and (of course) get my NPR fix. I really think there's a lot to be said for having some kind of tangible separation between work and home.
What about you, Deanna? How do you avoid it/stave it off?
Hello! You're more than welcome of course! Dare I say even those not in the helping profession?
ReplyDeleteHow do I stave it of... Well, honestly sometimes I don't. I wouldn't say that I necessarily take my work home (in a non-literal sense), because I've been very good at not doing that, but I am learning to differentiate between my pain and that of someone else. I think my best strategy is my drive to and from school and school itself. School is occasionally stressful, but more than anything it helps me to work through a lot of the frustrations and share them in a constructive environment. It helps me to "stay in the solution" as Dr. Drew says as opposed to non-constructive venting.
I'm also listening to a LOT of books on tape that are Buddhist inspired (on my hour and a half drive to school...) and help me to see the world as interconnected and that my impact is significant.
So there! =)
my heart is happy =)
ReplyDeleteI love your happy heart=) It's very inspiring!
ReplyDelete