Suffering from the Heart
People sometimes ask me why psychologists charge so much money. I tell them, "I'll tell you when I get there!" But seriously, it is something I think about all the time.
Being a therapist or a psychologist is more difficult than being a firefighter in the following way: firefighters usually know where the fire is, so they can focus all their resources on what's burning. Now imagine trying to fight a fire, but you don't know where it is, how big it is, or how it started. You don't know how many people it involves, or what kind of resources you will need to put it out.
We're talking about mental fires here, and it's the psychologist's job to walk in there and figure out what's going on. It's hot as hell in there, and you have to be very careful. Sometimes, or a lot of times, you make a wrong turn and get your fingers or your hair singed, so you step back and reevaluate. Sometimes you have no choice but to run into the building and burn up with your patient, because that's what they need you to do, and that's what you get paid for. If you're not willing to do that, you're probably in the wrong profession. It's a hard road.
Dealing with suffering on a daily basis can be lonely. No, not can be, it is. I've walked into many burning buildings. There are a lot of scars inside of me that you can't see. I get angry, sad and depressed, but I'm learning that trying to be macho in this job can get you killed. And truthfully, at the risk of sounding like a heretic, I'm not really sure how much meditation helps. I'm sure that it does help, but you've got to do other things as well, like exercise, see your own therapist, etc. You have to be able to laugh at yourself, look in the mirror and say, "what a fool I am."
In the end, there is no cure. And that leads back to some deeper existential questions, but I'm too tired for that now.
Gassho
Being a therapist or a psychologist is more difficult than being a firefighter in the following way: firefighters usually know where the fire is, so they can focus all their resources on what's burning. Now imagine trying to fight a fire, but you don't know where it is, how big it is, or how it started. You don't know how many people it involves, or what kind of resources you will need to put it out.
We're talking about mental fires here, and it's the psychologist's job to walk in there and figure out what's going on. It's hot as hell in there, and you have to be very careful. Sometimes, or a lot of times, you make a wrong turn and get your fingers or your hair singed, so you step back and reevaluate. Sometimes you have no choice but to run into the building and burn up with your patient, because that's what they need you to do, and that's what you get paid for. If you're not willing to do that, you're probably in the wrong profession. It's a hard road.
Dealing with suffering on a daily basis can be lonely. No, not can be, it is. I've walked into many burning buildings. There are a lot of scars inside of me that you can't see. I get angry, sad and depressed, but I'm learning that trying to be macho in this job can get you killed. And truthfully, at the risk of sounding like a heretic, I'm not really sure how much meditation helps. I'm sure that it does help, but you've got to do other things as well, like exercise, see your own therapist, etc. You have to be able to laugh at yourself, look in the mirror and say, "what a fool I am."
In the end, there is no cure. And that leads back to some deeper existential questions, but I'm too tired for that now.
Gassho
posted by David H at 9:37 PM
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