Week 5

1) Considering that burnout has been related to the amount and type of work done along with the type of work that you do or hope to do, are you at risk for burnout? Why?

No, I do not believe that I am a candidate for burnout. I work with children and they change every year and there is never a dull moment so it doesn’t become monotone, boring, and repitious, which all is a clear description of burnout.

2) Describe some of the effects that secondary traumatic stress can have on professional capability.

This can have detrimental effects on individuals, both professionally and personally, including a decrease in productivity, the inability to focus, and the development of new feelings of incompetency and self doubt.

3) Review the factors that contribute and explain burnout on page 89. Have you ever experienced these in your professional experience?

I can honestly say that I believe everyone over some period of time experiences those symptoms or something similar to those symptoms. It is just a part of having a steady career that has to do with a repetitious field. How you handle the day to day or how you chose to see your daily career may make or break the fine line between a rut and burnout.

Week 6

1) Describe some of the ways humor helps relieve stress related to trauma (physiologic and therapeutic.)

I’ve independently read that laughing releases endorphins that help you calm and relieve stress. I have also learned that changing the mood helps your mind deal with the situation at hand a little better. You are not approaching the situation with an angry clouded mind, or a frazzled unsure mind. You are allowing yourself a moment to process, defuse, and then solve the problem at hand. It is also therapeutic because laughter gives you positive emotions that help you become healthy. Research shows that laughter can reduce stress hormones and lower blood pressure thus, boosting ones immune system.

2) Give examples and some benefits of; coping humor, reframing, humor to provide distance, and gallows or sick humor.

Coping humor is the humor that helps you deal with satisfaction, reframing means that by reframing a situation or context, thus sees a situation in another frame, humor to provide distance means distance is gained a humorous perspective is accepted and even appreciated, and finally sick humor means to find humor in someone else’s misery or to find humor in something that brings grief to others.

3) How can humor, in light of tragic incidents and their aftermath, create a sense of belonging, emotional bonding, and create a positive experience in emergency work?
Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It helps you step back emotionally and give yourself the break you need from the severity of the situation.

Week 7

1) Describe the silencing response.
The Silencing Response is defined, as a reaction which guides the caregiver to redirect, shut down, minimize or neglect the disturbing information brought by an individual to the caregiver. In other words, when we are already emotionally overwhelmed, we find ways to silence others' painful stories so that their pain doesn't add to our trauma load. This is an effective form of self protection in one sense but in another, it can add to our feelings of guilt and shame as we realize that we are not the empathic listeners we used to be, and it keeps us from being effective helpers.

2) Could the silencing response be a form of defense mechanism for the caregiver?

Yes, it is definitely a defense mechanism because it is a shut down. The only time you shut down is when you cannot take anymore and your body forces you to stop.

3) How is silencing response related to compassion fatigue?

They are somewhat related do to the fact that they both effect the caregiver, are almost a silent disorder because it forces them to keep to themselves, and it is a direct reflection of something that occurred second party. This is how I believe they are both related.

4) What do you feel are some of the main challenges that clinicians face when coming to terms with the silencing response?
The emerging field of traumatology has many of the therapists experiencing the client’s symptoms. Just as it is not uncommon to find ex-substance abusers counseling those currently trying to break away from addictions, likewise, it is not uncommon to find those who are personally knowledgeable about trauma trying to aid others who have faced terrible events.
Clinicians and caregivers have to develop and maintain good self-care disciplines and also complete a periodic self-assessment of compassion fatigue symptoms.