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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ptsd on July 2, 1998, at 17:00:53
What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness has to do with burnout ?
Any insight ?
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 6, 1998, at 8:39:37
In reply to Burnout, posted by ptsd on July 2, 1998, at 17:00:53
> What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> has to do with burnout ?What do you mean by burnout?
Bob
Posted by ptsd on July 6, 1998, at 10:41:37
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Dr. Bob on July 6, 1998, at 8:39:37
> > What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> > has to do with burnout ?> What do you mean by burnout?
> Bob
Being in a drift mood ? want to find the answer and limit the drift mood or cope with.
Wanting to be a drifter today. That is the best way I can describe my burnout.Thank you for the response Bob.
ptsd
Posted by Dr. Bob on July 9, 1998, at 8:17:41
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by ptsd on July 6, 1998, at 10:41:37
> > > What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> > > has to do with burnout ?> Being in a drift mood ?
> Wanting to be a drifter today.Well, it seems like assertiveness is kind of the
opposite to being in a drift mood, then...Bob
Posted by Buffalo on July 9, 1998, at 12:40:39
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Dr. Bob on July 9, 1998, at 8:17:41
> > > > What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> > > > has to do with burnout ?> > Being in a drift mood ?
> > Wanting to be a drifter today.> Well, it seems like assertiveness is kind of the
> opposite to being in a drift mood, then...> Bob
I feel I can weigh in here with some authority, because I experienced severe burnout, in the form of severe depression, as a result of ignoring the signs that I was giving myself every day. I was in situation that horrified and frightened me (working as a psychotherapist with inmates in a jail setting), and I ignored both my feelings about the setting and the work, but also the fact that I was in a highly abusive situation re: my employers. I was just determined to ignore all input and do the job, dammit. I suffered a breakdown more than a year ago that took me more than a year to recover from- to the extent that i'm recovered now. What I have to tell you is this: Pay Attention to your feelings. Don't continue to do what you hate doing. Don't let others abuse you out of fear. There are worse things, believe me. We don't need to be unhappy for money; we just think we do. That's my opinion, anyway. Good luck! -B
Posted by Benjamin Tang on July 12, 1998, at 5:42:16
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Buffalo on July 9, 1998, at 12:40:39
> > > > > What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> > > > > has to do with burnout ?> > > Being in a drift mood ?
> > > Wanting to be a drifter today.> > Well, it seems like assertiveness is kind of the
> > opposite to being in a drift mood, then...> > Bob
> I feel I can weigh in here with some authority, because I experienced severe burnout, in the form of severe depression, as a result of ignoring the signs that I was giving myself every day. I was in situation that horrified and frightened me (working as a psychotherapist with inmates in a jail setting), and I ignored both my feelings about the setting and the work, but also the fact that I was in a highly abusive situation re: my employers. I was just determined to ignore all input and do the job, dammit. I suffered a breakdown more than a year ago that took me more than a year to recover from- to the extent that i'm recovered now. What I have to tell you is this: Pay Attention to your feelings. Don't continue to do what you hate doing. Don't let others abuse you out of fear. There are worse things, believe me. We don't need to be unhappy for money; we just think we do. That's my opinion, anyway. Good luck! -B
I have also experienced some difficulty w/ burnout. I am a mature student who is in college in HOng KOng for the first time and in the latter part of my first-year second semester experienced an exhaustion period. I think it was a typical burnout case. I felt unmotivated to do my studies, worried a lot, had guilt about everything, and was depressed. I think, now in retrospect, that stress, or stressors, had a lot to do w/ my burnout. I wonder what Dr Bob has to say about how to deal positively w/ stress in everyday life and how to prevent it from escalating into a burnout.My experience in the recent months was that I prayed a lot, did a little exercise (strictly speaking not enough, w/ only about 25 minutes a week), and generally eased up on my emotional demands. NOw, w/ school over for a year, I seem to be back on a normal mood, and able to experience the joy of everyday living. I suspect that my religion, that unseen, untangible psychological force, has helped me a lot.
Benjamin
Posted by Vanessa on August 11, 1998, at 10:10:37
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Benjamin Tang on July 12, 1998, at 5:42:16
> What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> to do with burnout?> Being in a drift mood... Wanting to be a
> drifter today.> ...authority, because I experienced severe burnout, in the form of severe depression, as a result of ignoring the signs.... I was in situation that horrified and frightened me.... I ignored... my feelings... I was in a highly abusive situation.... I suffered a breakdown more than a year ago that took me more than a year to recover from.... Pay Attention to your feelings. Don't continue to do what you hate doing. Don't let others abuse you out of fear. We don't need to be unhappy for money; we just think we do. -B
> I have also experienced some difficulty w/ burnout. ...in the latter part of my first-year second semester experienced an exhaustion period. I felt unmotivated to do my studies, worried a lot, had guilt about everything, and was depressed. I think stress, or stressors, had a lot to do w/ my burnout. I wonder... about how to deal positively w/ stress in everyday life and how to prevent it from escalating into a burnout.
> I prayed a lot, did a little exercise, and generally eased up on my emotional demands. ... (I am) back on a normal mood, and able to experience the joy of everyday living. I suspect that my religion, that unseen, untangible psycho-logical force, has helped me a lot. -Benjamin
The degree of my burnout worries me at times. I believe the roots of this period lay in a series of hospitalizations in which psychic material was accessed but not properly addressed and/or the abuses that I witnessed (first- or second-hand) compounded my difficulties. I was brought up in an abusive, and now disintegrated, family. I am an incest survivor and bulimic. I was also a high-achiever in my youth. I worked my ass off to do everything right and good, to be good enough and to excel. I made it to the Ivy League and broke-down (or broke-through) in my first semester. I was later diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder (as had been one of my two sisters and my brother).The last series of hospitalizations seem to have broken me down more than before. I wish for the benefits of excellence, but I lack the drive to excel... even when my mood is at baseline. It is all I can do to get by. I wish I could hold a job and get my own apartment, but for now I work as a temporary (in no way utilizing the degree of skills and talents that reside in me) and live in a run-down women's residence.
This morning on the Metro I got the idea that the reason I am not getting full-time work is because on some level I do not want is badly enough. Or I do not believe I can handle it. I am quite weary, soul-weary, and rather disappointed in the contrast between the me I had always thought I would be and who I am at present.
Assertiveness, to the extent that I employ it, takes me forward. Prayer (spirituality) is essential, and exercise helps. Allowing my feelings to be my guide gets me out of a situations that was hurting me, but they tend to undermine my ability to hang-in when a situation is merely demanding my performance. -Vanessa
Posted by Thea Kelley on August 21, 1998, at 20:58:59
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Vanessa on August 11, 1998, at 10:10:37
I'm searching the Net for items on burnout because I'm a personal/professional coach and burnout is one reason to seek a coach. So that's confessing my agenda. I would honestly like to suggest that coaching is a great antidote for burnout, especially of the variety Vanessa was talking about, where you want to make things happen in your life and yet find you aren't moving forward. Anyway, I'd love to hear comments on how I might learn more about burnout. Thanks! - Thea Kelley, CCHT, thekelley@aol.com
> > What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> > to do with burnout?> > Being in a drift mood... Wanting to be a
> > drifter today.> > ...authority, because I experienced severe burnout, in the form of severe depression, as a result of ignoring the signs.... I was in situation that horrified and frightened me.... I ignored... my feelings... I was in a highly abusive situation.... I suffered a breakdown more than a year ago that took me more than a year to recover from.... Pay Attention to your feelings. Don't continue to do what you hate doing. Don't let others abuse you out of fear. We don't need to be unhappy for money; we just think we do. -B
> > I have also experienced some difficulty w/ burnout. ...in the latter part of my first-year second semester experienced an exhaustion period. I felt unmotivated to do my studies, worried a lot, had guilt about everything, and was depressed. I think stress, or stressors, had a lot to do w/ my burnout. I wonder... about how to deal positively w/ stress in everyday life and how to prevent it from escalating into a burnout.
> > I prayed a lot, did a little exercise, and generally eased up on my emotional demands. ... (I am) back on a normal mood, and able to experience the joy of everyday living. I suspect that my religion, that unseen, untangible psycho-logical force, has helped me a lot. -Benjamin
>
> The degree of my burnout worries me at times. I believe the roots of this period lay in a series of hospitalizations in which psychic material was accessed but not properly addressed and/or the abuses that I witnessed (first- or second-hand) compounded my difficulties. I was brought up in an abusive, and now disintegrated, family. I am an incest survivor and bulimic. I was also a high-achiever in my youth. I worked my ass off to do everything right and good, to be good enough and to excel. I made it to the Ivy League and broke-down (or broke-through) in my first semester. I was later diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder (as had been one of my two sisters and my brother).> The last series of hospitalizations seem to have broken me down more than before. I wish for the benefits of excellence, but I lack the drive to excel... even when my mood is at baseline. It is all I can do to get by. I wish I could hold a job and get my own apartment, but for now I work as a temporary (in no way utilizing the degree of skills and talents that reside in me) and live in a run-down women's residence.
> This morning on the Metro I got the idea that the reason I am not getting full-time work is because on some level I do not want is badly enough. Or I do not believe I can handle it. I am quite weary, soul-weary, and rather disappointed in the contrast between the me I had always thought I would be and who I am at present.
> Assertiveness, to the extent that I employ it, takes me forward. Prayer (spirituality) is essential, and exercise helps. Allowing my feelings to be my guide gets me out of a situations that was hurting me, but they tend to undermine my ability to hang-in when a situation is merely demanding my performance. -Vanessa
Posted by Depressed in San Jose on August 31, 1998, at 16:29:28
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Vanessa on August 11, 1998, at 10:10:37
> > What has setting/boundaries and assertiveness
> > to do with burnout?> >Having been in and out of burn-out most of my life, I think
the element everyone is forgetting here is something
larger than ourselves, other forces at work. When I have reached
my lowest (and this is beyond feeling lifeless,
unmotivated) when I have seriously planned out my suicide, I had to
reach deep into something outside of myself to see the biggest
picture. I do not adopt any specific theology...but I have recently
been focusing on more spiritual issues (especially from a Buddhist,
Shamanic perspective) and found that I can mix the spiritual with the
psychological (in fact, the psychologist I am seeing, once studied to be a
priest in the Catholic church, before changing his mind) to come up
with my own unique healing formula. At some point, all the medications
in the world, all the positive coaching in the world, all the best advice
in the world, all the grieving and moaning, can only go so far. At some
point, I had to acknowledge that much of it was way beyond my control
and for some reason I was on this path. It was the way I decided to
walk the path that has helped me more than anything else. To know, that
I am learning some lessons long overdue, has helped me keep some perspective
and helped reduce the time I spend in emotional/psychological burnout.I don't know if this makes any sense...but I think it does address part of the
original question raised. Assertiveness and "boundaries" are only
man made inventions used to offset man's existence on this planet at this
given time in this particular space. Its sort of like the bandaid
applied to the cut. The cut is the issue at hand. The healing has to
begin from within the body (i.e. soul) and then the bandaid will no longer
be needed.My thoughts anyway.
D.I.S.J.
Posted by ptsd on August 31, 1998, at 20:45:14
In reply to Re: Burnout, posted by Depressed in San Jose on August 31, 1998, at 16:29:28
PTSD was involved in a single car auto accident.
love/Trust/Peace
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