TW: Trauma and relationships

[creative_writer]

[defaultusername]

Aw wow, good on you @creative_writer! I'm really keen to do that myself (eventually, haha). I think you'll make a wonderful social worker because, in my honest opinion, the best ones are the people with a lived/living experience of mental health challenges.

I think the fact that you know that you need a break and are concerned about burnout is a definite warning sign that you need to try to pace yourself as much as you can, and try to be a bit kinder to yourself right now 🧡

How are you travelling this week? Looking forward to hearing from you again 😊

[creative_writer]

@defaultusername I’m grateful I’ve been able to complete my second placement in one piece. I’ll be resting up this weekend. Lived experience is a double edged sword, it can help you empathise with others, but it can get overwhelming at times.

It’s been a long week. I’ve been noticing more intrusive trauma thoughts and it’s probably worsened from the burn out. I think working part time as a mental health clinician would be the way to go, 5 days a week is a lot of clinical work and I’ve had no life during placement. Never really had much of a life to start off with. Masking constantly has meant I am unable to connect to people in my life on a deeper level

[creative_writer]

I get this suffocating feeling and feel trauma surrounding me from all angles. It feels like there is no escape. I have to keep the mask on so nobody knows, it’s a very isolating feeling, to be so close to people yet so far. Better to be closed off than be shut down by others after talking about trauma. Being shut down is retraumatising

[Glisten]

@creative_writer are you getting enough rest? Good quality sleep?

How long has it been since you had a holiday?

G

[creative_writer]

@Glisten I’m definitely sleeping enough, I don’t know if I have great sleep quality though. I finished up with placement yesterday and have a week off. It’s a relief, but I can’t help but feel miserable. I wish I knew the answer, but not sure what I can do. These thoughts won’t stop

[tyme]

Hey @creative_writer , 

I'm hearing you. I feel the suffocation. Would you be able to go for a walk in the sun today? Take deep breaths?

I spend yesterday going on mindfulness walks. It was incredible for my MH.

[creative_writer]

@tyme grounding myself with the outside world will probably help, particularly with the re-experiencing happening in my body right now. I think I’m going to make a cuppa to start off with, caffeine seems to have a paradox effect and calms me

[tyme]

I'm in the sunshine at the moment. It's incredibly powerful to sit in nature @creative_writer 

[Glisten]

@creative_writer I think you need to be and or do something completely different.

Go for a horse riding 🏇 lesson.

Cheese 🧀 tasting

Learn to fly a kite 🪁

Plant trees with a community group.

Do something weird. Go to a play ground and hang by your legs.

Paintball. Mini golf ⛳️ 

Go and stand under a cold shower 🚿 

Indoor Rock Climbing 🧗 
Does Qantas still do mystery flights?

Any of those will sort you out 

G