Post by Mea on Dec 16, 2015 9:15:43 GMT
Anonymous asked: Ever since i started therapy i really wanted to be a teacher or therapist and i've been looking into being a counselor for youth with mental illness but my empathy is really strong and it's disoriented by my bpd and other illnesses, but my question is if you think it's okay for someone like me to pursue my dreams of working with kids with my brain working in these ways? im also a compulsive liar but my therapist says im getting better im scared ill ruin the kids lives idk where to turn im sorry
Answer: Dr Marsha Linehan, a professor of psychology, therapist, and the inventor of DBT, has talked publically about her personal experience with BPD before (trigger warning on the link: self harm, suicide, hospitalisation, ECT / ‘shock therapy’, some ableism). Dr Linehan is probably one of the most famous and celebrated psychologists alive at the moment, she has won multiple awards for her work. DBT is popular worldwide and helps patients for whom no other treatment works.
I’m sure there are many, many other people with BPD who become great teachers and therapists. Our personal experience of mental illness and our empathy often draws us to other people who are hurting. Many of us feel the need to nurture others. We can absolutely do well in these careers, we can excel.
It’s understandable to be worried. You probably know from your own experience that kids can be fragile, especially mentally ill ones. And it can be hard for people with BPD to ever feel like we’re fully in control, even when actually functioning well.
I definitely don’t think you need to or should give up on your dream. If you’re passionate about helping mentally ill kids, then there’s no better motivation for you to work on your own mental health. You just need to take time for your own recovery beforehand. Learn to recognise your symptoms and control your behaviours.
It’s probably really hard to picture how you would cope as a teacher or therapist because it involves lots of skills and knowledge you don’t have yet. When you see someone else teaching or delivering therapy, you forget that they have had years of study and practice in this job. Of course it’s perfectly fine that you can’t step into that job right now. It doesn’t mean you can’t learn to be a teacher or a therapist if you choose to.
I’m very supportive of peer support of all kinds, including mentally ill people entering psychology/psychiatry. Mentally healthy people can study us, research us, teach us skills; but they can’t know what it feels like to be mentally ill. Sometimes just knowing that other people feel the same can be a lifeline. It’s especially important to know that mentally ill people can achieve their dreams and live a fulfilling life.
- Exo
Answer: Dr Marsha Linehan, a professor of psychology, therapist, and the inventor of DBT, has talked publically about her personal experience with BPD before (trigger warning on the link: self harm, suicide, hospitalisation, ECT / ‘shock therapy’, some ableism). Dr Linehan is probably one of the most famous and celebrated psychologists alive at the moment, she has won multiple awards for her work. DBT is popular worldwide and helps patients for whom no other treatment works.
I’m sure there are many, many other people with BPD who become great teachers and therapists. Our personal experience of mental illness and our empathy often draws us to other people who are hurting. Many of us feel the need to nurture others. We can absolutely do well in these careers, we can excel.
It’s understandable to be worried. You probably know from your own experience that kids can be fragile, especially mentally ill ones. And it can be hard for people with BPD to ever feel like we’re fully in control, even when actually functioning well.
I definitely don’t think you need to or should give up on your dream. If you’re passionate about helping mentally ill kids, then there’s no better motivation for you to work on your own mental health. You just need to take time for your own recovery beforehand. Learn to recognise your symptoms and control your behaviours.
It’s probably really hard to picture how you would cope as a teacher or therapist because it involves lots of skills and knowledge you don’t have yet. When you see someone else teaching or delivering therapy, you forget that they have had years of study and practice in this job. Of course it’s perfectly fine that you can’t step into that job right now. It doesn’t mean you can’t learn to be a teacher or a therapist if you choose to.
I’m very supportive of peer support of all kinds, including mentally ill people entering psychology/psychiatry. Mentally healthy people can study us, research us, teach us skills; but they can’t know what it feels like to be mentally ill. Sometimes just knowing that other people feel the same can be a lifeline. It’s especially important to know that mentally ill people can achieve their dreams and live a fulfilling life.
- Exo
