To return to Convening's homepage, click here.
To return to Convening XXIX's Table of Contents, click here.
Dr. Olive Poliks, LPC, NCC, EdD
THE OLIVE BRANCH OF STRESS MANAGEMENT & CONFLICT MEDIATION
350 Old Indian Trail WestAurora, IL 60506(630)859-8707
Crisis intervention personnel are more at risk for feeling like a victim than most helpers. To always be emotionally
available, detached, loving and non-judgmental is difficult, at best, but in a crisis, it is even more stressful. Research
shows that intense and unrelenting stress, such as this, tends to make people depressed, less emotionally responsive,
more anxious and less flexible. Behaviorally, individuals under this type of stress demonstrate less efficiency, less
interpersonal involvement and less commitment to their profession. When once we felt "noble" in our passion for
serving those in need, we gradually experience a transformation into a "victim" mentality. This does not occur
immediately. It is a slow process, with progressive stages of disillusionment that gradually reduce motivation and
effectiveness. This is sometimes described as "compassion fatigue." It is a state reached by those who lose concern and
emotional feelings for the persons they had once been committed to help.
A return to a sense of passion and nobility is not easy. It requires stress management and a commitment to change.
Stress management can be defined as self-responsibility in action. It involves a willingness to change and adapt new
behaviors and attitudes. With it, we must develop a realistic sense of our own capabilities, a healthy sense of humor and
a detachment for the clients or patients we serve.
In learning to manage stress, we need to look at boundaries, time management, prevention, self-care and goal setting.
To manage this stress, a balanced life is not only helpful, it is essential. Setting boundaries is critical. Time
management needs to include time for work, time for play and time for a life beyond the job. We need to work smarter,
not harder. An effective prevention plan includes a review of current self-care and the development of additional,
specific goals. Once these goals are established, resources and resistance must be analyzed. These include regular
periods of evaluation.
A plan for prevention can only be effective with positive support at home, at work and in the community. Support
systems can provide a means to implement professional strategies and intercept and alleviate "victim mentality.
CONVENING is an excellent example of the support that is available where professionals and volunteers alike can learn
to manage their stress. In managing our stress we can avoid the epithet of THE NOBLE VICTIM.
Suggested Reading:
Care of the Soul. Thomas Moore (1994)
Loving Kindness. Sharon Salzberg (1995)
Where You Go, There You Are. Jon Kabat-Zinn (1993)
To return to Convening's homepage, click here.
To return to Convening XXIX's Table of Contents, click here.