Help I am on Fire How to put out the fire without putting out the flame April Lott, LCSW President & CEO Directions for Living ALott@DirectionsForLiving.org
Quote of the Day: Learning is what you remember after you have forgotten everything that I said
Ah-ha!
Disclaimer D H A S
Agenda What is it? How do I get it? How do I know if I have it? Is there anything wrong with having it? What can I do about it? How can I prevent it?
That which is to give light must endure burning. Victor Frankl
You are not alone Ricky s story
Where it all began for me
Burnout The chronic conditions of perceived demands outweighing perceived resources Emotional exhaustion Reduced personal accomplishment You do not like what you do You do not want to do what you do What you do has changed you
Compassion Fatigue The chronic conditions of perceived demands outweighing perceived resources Emotional exhaustion Reduced personal accomplishment You like what you do You want to do what you do What you do has changed you
Truth: It is going to hurt when we work with people who are hurting
How Do I Get It? When you are helping people who are in harms way When you are helping people who have experienced severe trauma When you are hearing the painful experiences and remaining present
Sadie Mae 9 years old and pregnant
Society The effects of trauma are denied. Help is under funded. Victim blaming attitudes. Unrealistic expectations for trauma survivors. Boundary setting and self care is labeled bad. Workaholism is labeled good, devoted, etc.
The Organization Low pay Staff turnover Benefits Opportunities for training or to integrate new learning following training Lack of supervisory support Politics and or bureaucracy
The Adults The horror of the victimization Wakulla County It changes who you are and how you see the world Adults can present with poor interpersonal skills
The Children The children s pain is emotionally draining The children do not have the capacity to change their circumstances or environment
The Rescue Legacy Baby Jessica
The Helper Helpers have high expectations of themselves Helpers have their own beliefs about the expression of feelings
The Helper We all have a story to tell When you have experienced first hand a trauma as a child and/or When you have experienced first hand a trauma as an adult
The Helper Personal life circumstances Personal coping strategies Level of training Too long or too short in the field
Effects of Compassion Fatigue Frequent headaches You no longer enjoy the things that use to give you pleasure You often feel frazzled You believe that you have do not have time to be proactive You no longer hear what your clients are telling you
The Gift of Fear Gavin de Becker
Symptoms Cognitive Low concentration, rigidity, minimization, disorientation Emotional Powerlessness, anxiety, guilt, anger, numbness, fear, helplessness, sadness, depression, depleted, shock, blunted or enhanced affect.
Symptoms Behavioral Irritable, withdrawn, moody, poor sleep, nightmares, appetite change, hyper-vigilance, isolating Spiritual Questioning life s meaning, pervasive hopelessness, loss of purpose, questioning of religious beliefs, loss of faith/skepticism
Symptoms Somatic Sweating, rapid heartbeat, breathing difficulty, aches and pains, dizziness, impaired immune system, headaches, difficulty falling or staying asleep
Symptoms will not be ignored
Secondary Traumatic Stress Criterion A: witnessing or gaining knowledge of an traumatic event Criterion B: intrusion Criterion C: avoidance/numbing Criterion D: arousal
Truth: Symptoms are not shameful Symptoms tell us we are put together right Symptoms are calling us back to center Symptoms will not be ignored
Preventing Compassion Fatigue Own your story - resolution of primary trauma Developing resiliency skills Keep balance in your life Develop a personal Self-Care plan Confidence in others-delegating
The 4 Pillars of Health Be Proactive Eat Sleep Play Relaz
Resiliency & Self Care Guided imagery Visualization Humor Music Prayer Meditation Massage
Remember the Never plan It is never to early to develop a plan It is never a bad idea to assess or reassess your plan It is never to late to change a plan
Balancing Exercise List one mini-escape or diversion that worked well to restore and renew you List one thing that brings you joy Name 3 things you feel grateful for today Think of something that has brought you a sense of joy (Make your top ten list) Who do you love that you can reach out to today? (Call them!) What made you laugh today? (Share it!)
Truth: You are right where you are suppose to be! Our children can not afford to lose you! You are awesome! You are a chosen one!
Is Your Glass Half Full or Half Empty? Opportunityisnowhere
Thank You!