What physical and mental pain does a social worker develop?
I'm asking because i am doing research on a social worker because i want to be one. #psychology #career-details #social-work #phycologists
7 answers
Rose’s Answer
Compassion fatigue is common among caregivers and social workers. It can be difficult to stop thinking about your clients at the end of the work day, and that leads to feelings of helplessness and depression. There will never be enough time to help everyone who needs assistance, and some individuals will never achieve the quality of life you want for them no matter what you do.
Elle Colombel, CSM
Elle’s Answer
Hi, Trenidy. I'm afraid I don't understand your question. You're question asks what physical and mental pain do Social Workers develop. If you would clarify the question, I'll do my best to answer or point you in the right direction. Here is some basic information.... Social Workers have the opportunity to pursue a number of different career paths, from direct clinical practice to administration and advocacy roles. Social workers can work in the government or private sector, in corporate and community settings. It's important to note that the level of education will differ based on the type of Social Work you'd like to practice.
I hope this helps and I look forward to your follow-up.
My best,
Laura
Yandira’s Answer
Your question is interesting since I have never been asked about physical pain. It has not been my experience to have physical pain in working except maybe climbing 5 flights or stairs to make home visits to clients living in a building with no elevator.
Mental and emotional pain is another response it is important to be able to empathize but not have you emotionally blocked that you cannot help. This is when you have to accept supervision and if you don't have it (some agencies don't have adequate funding for supervision) to get it on the outside ie group supervision or start one yourself to include someone who has experience in the group as well.
Good luck!
Angela Chan
Angela’s Answer
There have been good responses to your question already so I won't say too much more about mental pain. I agree with the importance self-care and finding a balance between work and personal life. In general, social workers are salary employees so it doesn't matter how many hours we work, we get paid the same each paycheck so many, if not most of us, work a lot of hours since there is so much to do so I would caution against working lots of hours per week.
I'll say types of physical pain that may be common are associated with being stuck behind a desk and working lots of hours on a computer. Good posture and appropriate ergonomic set-up are important to prevent carpal tunnel of the wrists, back pain from too much sitting and bad posture or tired eyes from too much computer work.
Find other interests, balance between work and personal life, and manage the number of hours worked per week.
Hope this helps!
James Constantine Frangos
James Constantine’s Answer
Social workers may experience both physical and mental stressors in their line of work.
Physical pain can manifest in various ways for social workers. Long hours spent sitting at a desk, dealing with paperwork, and traveling to visit clients can lead to back pain, neck pain, and eye strain. Social workers may also be exposed to traumatic situations, leading to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and other physical symptoms. Additionally, they may face threats of violence or harm from clients or their families (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2017).
Mental pain is more common among social workers due to the nature of their work. They often deal with emotionally challenging situations and must maintain emotional resilience while providing support to clients dealing with trauma, abuse, addiction, or mental health issues (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2021).
This emotional labor can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and depression (SAMHSA, 2017). Furthermore, social workers may experience moral distress when they are unable to provide adequate resources or services for their clients due to limited budgets or bureaucratic red tape (NASW, 2021).
References:
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Occupational Health & Safety: Stress & Burnout. Retrieved August 8, 2023 from https://www.socialworkers.org/practice/standards/occupational-health-safety/stress-burnout
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2017). Occupational Stress Among Human Service Professionals: A Review of the Literature. Retrieved August 8, 2023 from https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma17-4965.pdf
God Bless You,
JC.
Donna’s Answer
Nancy’s Answer
Perhaps you have heard of "burnout," a term sometimes used to describe the stress, exhaustion, and lack of motivation some people in helping professions, including social work, can experience. Careers that involve helping to solve human problems and relieve human suffering have unique challenges, especially when there are limited resources available. I'm talking about not enough money, staff, beds in hospitals or spaces in treatment centers or special schools, for example, or not enough safe, affordable housing, or mentors for all the kids that need help. Sometimes social workers and other helpers like nurses, teachers, and counselors can feel overstretched or incapable of doing enough. They can feel tired and like, "what's the point?" However, these professions teach ways to prevent burnout and to stay healthy as a human service professional. They include having healthy relationships outside of work, keeping fit, enjoying hobbies, utilizing supervision, and focusing on the small successes a worker may achieve each day in helping someone. Working to make our corner of the world a little better helps. I'm not saying you will never feel sad or upset about a client situation as a helper, but it is manageable as you learn the difference between helping and taking on others' feelings or problems. Many find social work very rewarding.