Burn-Out

When I did my first internship for my Master in Social Work, my field supervisor asked me what my support network was. I didn’t know what she was talking about and then when I figured out that she was talking about who I turn to when I needed support I said my brother. I also thought I’m in community organizing I don’t need a support network; it is not like a therapist where they hear other people’s problems all day.

I was wrong.

Community organizers do need a support network. I wrote this Thursday on Facebook.

I'm getting in another blue funk mood. With all the stuff coming out of Washington it is getting depression.

I getting emails about protesting but I don't think it will make any difference. They just don't give a fuck about us. Sorry for my language but they have their agenda tear apart the government. To get rid of all the social programs, to strip the EPA, to do away with the Department of Education, HUD, everything. To sell off the federal lands. To strip Social Security and Medicare.

There are even some reports that some Republicans want to reply the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

They are like kids in a candy store fighting over who gets their pet project first.

I had someone that walked into the health collective wanting to change their documentation as soon as possible because they were worried about not being able to change it in a couple of months. That rubs off on you after a while.

On top of all that I threw my back out over the weekend and I had had the guy out here twice to fix the hot water heater. There is nothing like getting ready to take a hot and finding out you have no hot water. This new guy said he found the problem, but then so did the guy before him.

It does get to you after awhile, the terrible frustration, trying to keep a stiff upper lip while people are telling you that they are scared when all you want to do is agree with them.

So I decided that I am going to concentrate on local helping, I am going to keep helping out at the Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective, I am going to continue doing training and guest lectures, I will also still work with the agencies and non-profits that are going to homeless shelters to train their staff, I will continue helping out at the NASW, and I will still work on the Trans Health & Law Conference until the after the conference. I will also continue my blog. But I will not take part in any national protests.

Nationally it seems like we are banging out heads against a brick wall, and I will let those who more energy fight that battle.

Oh and about the support network, I have developed friends who I can also turn to in times of crisis who understand what it is like to get burned out because they also been there.