Doctors, those who work with battered women, children and abused animals; how do you detach yourself from your work?

You could also ask this qusetion in relations to a police officer.

We see as much, if not more, than medical doctors.

How about police officers, as well.

I think that this is a pretty good question and would love to hear what others have to say.

The worst thing you can do is detach yourself. You have to learn to care without being sentimental. I still haven’t learned this skill when it comes to animals.

@tinyfaery what about counseling youth?

This is an interesting question. My surgeon seems very reserved and I always wonder if that’s just how he is, or if he just doesn’t want to be buddies with the people he’s going to be cutting open.

@Mariah, that reminds of the father of this guy I dated. He’s an orthopedic surgeon and a miserable misanthrope. He hates people and told his own son he regretted having children. I think he might actually be a sociopath.

I have wondered this as well, having been a cancer patient. My oncologists were so involved with me emotionally and so thrilled when I got better, that I wondered how they coped when they lost patients.
In the 80s I worked at a battered women’s shelter and I wasn’t able to detach enough to stay with it. It burned me out after a very short time.

Honestly, I was an abused kid so my attitude towards abused children is a lot different than someone who was not abused.

With kids, you can use skills that actually help them. Seeing them heal takes the sting away when you think about your past.

@tinyfaery I have the same attitude as you (I am thinking).

I was a part time drug and alcohol advisor in the Navy. The more sailors and spouses that I deal with, the harder the job got. I finally had to give it up because I found myself wanting to drink to forget their problems. I think that I had too much empathy and could not separate my feelings about and for my clients, I have no idea how a good counselor can handle that sort of work for an extended period of time.

I did a stint, also with the military police. My experiences were mild compared to what big city police face. I admire them for being able to do their job until retirement but I understand that it wears on them too. There is a high level of divorce, alcoholism and suicide among police officers. I try to make my contacts with them as stress free as possible.

@Ron_C and @tinyfaery, thank-you for responses.

@Jude I think @john65pennington deserves a thank-you too.

@anartist You are right. I would like to hear more from him.

Thank-you for responding, @john65pennington.

I worked with an oncologist who suffered for each of his patients who died. He became very grim.

You are welcome.