Fragile

I have been reading an interesting blog written by a burnt out social worker. You may have guessed that the reason for doing so is career-related. And you're right. Everything was informative and making sense, but then something came up that I hadn't truly considered before.

Mental health of a social worker.

I don't like admitting this, but my mental health is fragile. My physical health gets closer to fragility every year. I knew about this before, but it didn't really click: social work is a dangerous job. You're working with mentally ill people, physically abusive people, sexual convicts, etc. They get injured all the time - something I am sure I could handle, but there is a possibility of getting raped.

If your boss tells you to take a case alone because the agency you work for is overloaded (which it most likely will be), you are on your own. With a rapist. Or a violent ex con. The physical trauma is horrifying, but the emotional/mental trauma? That can last forever. It can ruin your relationships, the way you view people, your sense of security... everything.

So, I'm thinking social work would be a no for me. I hate to be a chicken, but my mental health couldn't handle something like that, let alone the daily grind of only being able to help so much. You can't help everyone, and that's a reality I'd like to be ignorant of.