Having a career in healthcare is extremely rewarding, but can leave you feeling emotionally drained. As a first responder and helping professional, you are always there to give a hand to others, but often find little time to care for yourself! Particularly during the pandemic, as a nurse, doctor or healthcare professional, you are stretched to the limit. You dedicate yourself to taking care of the emotional and physical needs of everyone else without a second thought to the traumatic toll it takes on you.
We all originally had wishful thinking that the pandemic would come and go. New York and New Jersey were hit especially hard- we went through astronomical numbers of sick and dead. You operated on a level of constant fear, panic and adrenaline. Now the numbers have dropped and the climate is adjusting to this new normal, but this can also be frightening. Reality is setting in that this may not be going away soon. With the winter coming and cases in New York and New Jersey rising again, we are looking at a second wave.
You are human! It would be impossible to go through an ordeal like this without any difficulties. It is important to take a look at how you are functioning and explore any signs of post-traumatic stress. As a healthcare first responder, you need to take care of yourself in order to help anyone else!
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and life transitions. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing telehealth (video/phone) sessions to residents of New Jersey and New York.
Burnout versus Post-Traumatic Stress
When COVID-19 started to spread, it was a traumatic event. It was not anything near a normal day at the office. What you went through is not the average amount of work stress and cannot simply be classified as burnout. You endured a level of post-traumatic stress. The emotional toll it has taken should not just be ignored, pushed down, and swept aside.
Typically, you endure moments of burnout on the job when you are working extra shifts, have a particularly challenging patient, and manage a case load larger than clinically appropriate. On a normal basis you are probably going through compassion fatigue, utilizing every last ounce of patience, and giving all you have to your career. You feel tired, anxious, and irritable. These are signs of burnout and should definitely be attended to, but unfortunately you tend to roll with it as a part of your routine as a healthcare professional.
During the height of COVID-19 you were not only experiencing burnout, but the trauma of having so many sick and in fear. You had an overwhelming influx in patients and were trying to keep up on the frightening news stories. No one knew what was going on or how to best respond to this change in climate. You were working late and barely sleeping. You went from being told not to wear masks, to needing N95 masks and face shields. You were constantly evolving your practices to keep your patients and family safe. You probably know many who have passed on and may have even been at their bedside because their family members were not allowed on site. You facilitated zoom meetings, tried to smile even through your mask, and bring comfort to those suffering around you. Everyone around you was scared and quarantining at home, but as a first responder, you showed up every day trying to be the rock that provided hope and gave everyone support.
It would be superhuman for such a traumatic event to not have any impact on you! What you went through is a level of traumatic stress that was triggered by an unforeseen pandemic. It does not mean you are not coping well or could not handle COVID-19, but it could mean that you can use support in order to deal with the emotional toll this event has taken on you.
Signs of Post-Traumatic Stress:
Exhaustion or insomnia
Lack of motivation or concentration
Irritability, frustration and impatience
Arguments at home and aggressiveness
Not taking care of yourself: increased drinking, smoking, lack of exercise
Health problems
General decreased satisfaction or depressed mood
Anxiety or alertness
Flashbacks or nightmares
Feeling out of control or overwhelmed
Lack of sex drive
Behavioral Changes to look out for:
Trouble trusting others
Feeling numb or detached
Using alcohol or drugs to avoid feelings
Trying to always stay busy
Having trouble expressing emotions
Feeling like no one understands
Blaming yourself or feeling like you could have done more
Being more reckless or erratic
When these symptoms are left untreated, you may find that your life is becoming more unmanageable. Relationships, career, parenting and hobbies will suffer if you are not in the right head space. Ignoring signs of post-traumatic stress can lead to even greater problems such as stroke or heart attack. Take care of yourself and dedicate the time to treating these symptoms caused by COVID-19 and your heroic response to an unpredicted pandemic.
Why therapy works
Talking about trauma is never easy. It feels like it will only kick up painful memories. The reason processing your trauma is so important is because it helps give narrative to the emotional memories your mind has stored. When we undergo trauma, our brain typically processes these occurrences as feelings and not as facts. By speaking to a therapist, you will be able to re-process COVID-19 and gain more control over the emotions associated with the trauma. When your symptoms kick up as hypervigilance, anxiety, restlessness and nightmares it is because your brain is still experiencing the emotions that you are trying so hard to push down and avoid. By seeking out a therapist, you can empower yourself to take control over these painful memories and reduce the subconscious ways your body is handling the post-traumatic stress.
Heroes deserve therapy too
As a nurse, physician, or helping professional you are not immune from needing help too! It can be difficult accepting help when you are the person who always gives. However, by dedicating one hour weekly to take care of yourself, it can make all the difference. It can even be done from the comfort of your own home with so much flexibility!
Working with a therapist will help guide you through processing the impact of COVID-19 and traumatic stress. You can begin to unpack the trauma witnessed, grieve those lost, and find clarity in what you went through. You will not be able to rewind or undo the trauma, but you will find by uncovering what you went through you will gain more control over your life. Your symptoms will diminish and you will again start to feel energy and balance.
For more information please contact us at Anchor Therapy by filling out the form below to see how we can help!
Elena Lucanie, LPC, LMHC
is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in Hoboken, New Jersey. She specializes in helping teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, relationship issues, and life transitions through counseling. Elena can help NJ and NY residents through telehealth (video/phone) therapy sessions as well.
