Rekindling the Fire for Addiction Counseling: Beyond Burnout

Rekindling the Fire for Addiction Counseling:Beyond Burnout Jim Seckman, MAC, CACII, CCS

What do you like about this field? ?

What happened? • Managed Care • Government Funding • Regulatory/Accreditation Bodies • Evidenced Based Practices In the old days we really began to see how we made a difference in people’s lives. Gradually, we began to have to dance to the tune of different masters.

Crisis Counseling • A crisis of hope • Probably led to a lack of energy • A crisis of relationship • May have led to a decrease of confidence • A crisis of expectation • May be what led to burnout

Burnout Feeling robbed of vitality helplessbetrayed Overwhelmed immobilizeddepressed Fatiguedoppressedapathetic discouragedresistant Negativeisolatedlike a failure

Causes of Burnout • Doing the same type of work with little variation • Giving personally but not getting back • Being under constant pressure to perform • Working with a difficult population • Conflict and tension among staff

Causes of Burnout • Lack of trust between staff members • Not have opportunities for personal expression or initiative • Jobs that are taxing without supervision • Unresolved personal conflicts

Awareness Knowing others is wisdom. Knowing oneself is enlightenment What are you feeling? What are your feelings telling you?

Awareness Our feelings give us information about What’s going on inside of us What‘s going on around us What we need to do

Suggestions • Work on clearly identifying old messages • Evaluate your goals, priorities, and expectations • Let go of unrealistic expectations • Learn to monitor the impact of stress • Immediately process intense encounters • Take responsibility for yourelf

Boundaries The emotional/physical space you allow What defines our roles Who we are as a counselor Protection Taking care of ourselves

External Boundaries Snow White and the Huntsman Develop detached concern How is your energy taken? How do we protect it? How do we give it away? How do we replenish it?

External Boundaries • Container Model • Suggestions for working with clients • Get rid of any “me vs. them” • Be present in the present • Separate the urgent vs. the necessary • Be clear about our stuff vs. their stuff • Be realistic about outcomes and expectations • Don’t act out their anxiety • Work with the team

Internal Boundaries Helps protect ourselves from self-defeating thoughts and behaviors Our focus shapes our feelings Our purpose defines our priorities

Internal Boundaries Don’t get caught up in: Allowing yourself to complain Picturing yourself in other circumstances Comparing your situation to someone else’s Allowing yourself to wish things had been otherwise Dwelling on tomorrow

Choices Who do we blame? Responsibility and control Concentration Camp mentality What choices are we making, or not making, to keep ourselves alive?

Choices Care for yourself Be deliberate about doing good things for yourself and renewing your energy

Change Two types of activities in life Those that lead to life and those that lead to death Death is easy Life takes deliberate, intentional, choices and behaviors

Change Individuals who experience burnout believe they cannot change their situation. To revitalize a career and move away from a burnout state, individuals need to change their thought processes and viewpoints about the people and things that may be contributing to their burnout.

Change Get busy living or Get busy dying

Change God, grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference

Rekindling the Fire for Addiction Counseling: Beyond Burnout