Posted by orchid on May 24, 2006, at 22:54:11
In reply to Re: An alternate opinion on patients becoming Ts, posted by Jost on May 24, 2006, at 22:22:12
Actually the subject could be argued both ways, and each person would be the best judge for themselves.
I feel, no matter how much healed I become, I am always at a higher risk for depression and emotional problems than one without the history of mental illness. So knowing one is prone to it, attempting to work fully in that field might become disastrous. There is a reason why suicides are the highest amongst Ts. Too many people choosing the wrong profession for the wrong reasons. And if one has been suicidal in the past, I think there is a very high likelihood of risking their lives if one takes up emotional stress and trauma voluntarily. It is like a person who has low immune system to start with, wants to work in the most contagious diseases ward. The analogy may not be appropriate 100 %, but the risk of getting thrown into an emotional roller coaster is much higher for people who have had emotional problems in the past.
And also, one should be aware of the greatest downside to the profession - yes one will be able to heal other persons, but also one has to constantly let go of other persons from your lives. If you have helped someone, the natural tendency is to be in contact with that person forever or for as long as possible. But you have to terminate at some point, and I think terminations put tremendous strain on the Ts too (atleast in a few cases). Also willingly or unwillingly you end up hurting patients also when you forbid post therapy contact etc - so it is not all helping and the rewards that you get out of this kind of limited artificial helping minus the hurt that you induce on your patients might not be that much at the end. A better option would be to do social work or do some other work where you would help, but not be emotionally drained yourself or have to hurt other persons emotionally. Especially when dealing with Children, I cannnot ever comprehend asking a child who has developed a bond with you to stop seeing you for whatever reason. IT is just brutal, and many times Ts have to do it. The consequences can be devastating to the T as well.
Knowing SV and how she had been attached to her Ex T, and how painful she found it to let go, I think it will be very very hard on her to repeat it even from the other chair.
My 2 cents.
poster:orchid
thread:648075
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060517/msgs/648181.html