MHM Magazine

Issue 6 | 2022 | MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS | 39 MHM Of the 491 healthcare workers who reached out for help, 279 began therapy. Average number of sessions per profession Allied Health 3.2 Doctors 2.9 Nurses 2.5 Support staff, admin, cleaning 2.1 Psychologists who saw patients during this time reported the following as being some of the most common themes: • COVID-19 infection contributing to emotional discomfort. • COVID-19 infection contributing to emotional discomfort due to occupational stress. • COVID-19 pandemic contributing to emotional discomfort due to relationship stress. • COVID-19 pandemic contributing to psychological problems. • COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating prior psychological problems. • Emotional discomfort related to effects of COVID-19 on family. • Emotional discomfort related to contracting COVID-19. Healthcare workers, above all, battled with stress related to Covid-19, family, and relationships. They were at the coalface of fighting the pandemic, often contracting the virus themselves and passing it on to their families. Thousands lost colleagues to the deadly pandemic and had to persevere through it all. A QUICK FIX Judy Klipin, author of the book Recover from Burnout, says many healthcare workers believe going on holiday will help them relax and recover from burnout. However, she says, living through burnout and then using an annual holiday as a quick fix will only put you at risk of being a repeat sufferer. Klipin says you should be able to manage and deal with burnout throughout the year. The more other-centered you are, the less attention you pay to yourself. Naidoo suffered from burnout because, like many other healthcare workers, her scale tipped strongly towards doing things that benefitted others, rather than herself. These are not purely confined to work related tasks, but include social events and family gatherings that are time consuming and prevent you from connecting with yourself. It’s crucial to remember that your body is the best source of information about how you feel and what you need. It’s essential to listen to our bodies and give them what they need in order to be in good mental and physical health. Naidoo has suffered from burnout for years. These were some of her symptoms: • Physical: Headaches, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, digestive ailments, craving sugar, carbohydrates, caffeine • Emotional: Irritable, sadness, worry • Mental/Intellectual: Impaired concentration, fog brain, memory loss • Social: Reduced motivation, social isolation and withdrawal from relationships • Spiritual: Things that used to make one feel meaningful and important are no longer rewarding Often people that suffer from burnout question why they are in the profession that they are in. They lose interest in community work and erode the pleasure in their lives. As the burnout progresses, so do the symptoms. They find themselves feeling tired, angry and depressed. Some people experience insomnia, anxiety, physical exhaustion, and sometimes begin substance abuse. There is often a breakdown in relationships, inability to function normally, and acute chronic illness. All the above are quite serious on their own, but when strung together, could have disastrous consequences. If not treated, burnout can result in the dreaded 3 D’S TYPES OF BURNOUT Compassion fatigue • The cost of caring • The response to the ongoing stress of caring for others • Emotional and physical exhaustion of caring for people, particularly those in significant emotional pain and physical distress • We become exhausted of being exposed to emotionally drained clients that look to us for help Anyone who cares for others is in danger of getting compassion fatigue. It’s often because healthcare workers care too much and are exposed to people who are experiencing varying degrees of pain and suffering. It’s important to remember that it’s your empathy that makes you both good at what you do and at the same time vulnerable to emotional overload. COVID-19 fatigue • A response to the anxiety and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic • The pandemic has taken its toll on everyone, and many people are experiencing