Lesson of the week: Sometimes it is WAY easier to be a social worker than a friend. One of dearest and most beloved friends is currently dealing with extremely debilitating anxiety. If she was a client, I would know what to do, but it's so much harder to be a friend. That comes across sounding wrong somehow. I'm not sure it expresses what I'm truly trying to say. Let me try again.
I'm not trying to say that I want to be my friend's social worker, because I very much do not. What I am trying to say is that as a social worker, I have techniques and boundaries, and coworkers to debrief with, and time limited situations etc... Very rarely, does the emotional pain of my clients deeply hurt my heart. This is a good thing. It's what keeps me sane, and what enables me to be good at my job.
When my bestest bud is hurting, it breaks my heart. I hurt with her, and I hurt for her. I want to make all her pain go away. I certainly don't want to throw the responsibility back on her, I just want to fix the situation, so she doesn't have to deal with it. And I know she feels the same way, when I'm in the depths of depression (we've talked about it). Friendship is so deep on such a mutual level.
As social workers, we are able to make amazing differences in people's lives, we connect with people on a deep emotional level, but it's their emotional level, most of the time. We still have that inner running social worker dialogue going on in our heads. When it's our friends that are hurting, there's something else there.
This seems to be one of my more rambling posts, I haven't slept the greatest the past two nights, and I'm trying to express so much in this, and it's just not working.
On a positive note, because I like to end on a positive note, I got a BIKE! My last two were stolen, but hopefully this years bike, complete with even BIGGER lock, will last longer. That's the goal at least... In anycase, I'm riding to work tomorrow, and I'm very happy about that. SO glad to leave the car behind! Oh, and I made a pasta salad for lunch tomorrow, I'm very proud of myself.
+050.JPG)
and that folks, is a rare picture of the mess inside the dreamers house.
2 comments:
Sorry bout your friend. Hope she feels better.
Sweet bike. I've been wanting one of those ones that folds up personally. Then I could store it in my apartment.
My brother has 2x caught a person in the act of trying to steal his bike. I'm amazed he still has the thing. It's a bit of an expensive one. He has a sweet lock thought.
I have been (and actually continue to be right where you are with your friend.
(http://eyesopenedwider.blogspot.com/2009/05/social-worker-247-even-when-i-cant-be.html)
It is so difficult to take off the SW hat - it would be so much easier if I could distance myself the way I do with my clients. I'll be thinking of you - especially during my own somewhat sleepless nights!
Post a Comment