Sanya Bird, Writer

The stigma of psychology….stigma, shmigma.  Would you tell someone who finds a lump in their breast that they shouldn’t go to the doctor to get it checked out because they aren’t knocking on death’s door?  Of course not!  Then why would there be a stigma to seeking out a psychologist to learn some ways to manage stress before you feel your life is out of control? 

I hit my burnout breaking point two years ago.  I reached a point where I could not manage any stressful situation in my life.  I was also compounding the stress by creating some of it myself.  I had become paranoid, thinking everyone was out to get me, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t arrive at any solutions to issues I encountered, and began unwittingly sabotaging my own career, health, and relationships.  I had just arrived at my new assignment and within two weeks, succumbed to a major mental meltdown. 

I work at a medical facility, and spend my days among some of the most compassionate and caring people I have ever known.  I began going to Mental Health to gain some practical knowledge on how to get my brain to a healthier state.  It’s like your body.  You aren’t going to even be able to walk to the doorway, much less run around the block with broken legs. 

I learned about how important sleep is and how I can train myself to get to sleep and sleep longer.  I learned about HOW to think about things…there are angles that you should never look at things from.  I learned about breathing.  You would think that people should know how to breathe…I mean, we are all still alive, so we must know how to breathe.  Try this: Close your eyes and take a few deep, slow breaths.  Don’t tell me that didn’t feel good!  I learned about having a mantra.  When things seem to be getting to be too much and I want to fall back in to my old ways of panic and paranoia, my mantra is “It’s going to be okay.”  That, and some deep breathing, and I’m back.

I now recognize burnout in others, like they are wearing a flashing red sign around their neck.  I see their behavior and am utterly baffled that I spent years of my life dealing with things the way they do.  I have softly suggested they visit Mental Health, if for nothing more than to grab some of their literature.  I often get told, “I just don’t want people knowing that I am going to Mental Health.  People will think I’m ‘unstable’.”  Seriously?  People pretty much know you are unstable…they work with you every day and can see you are seconds away from knocking your computer off your desk, screaming and running out!

So, suck it up, Buttercup!  Get the help you need that is readily available to you.  I did…I do…and it has made all the difference.

The more bases I am stationed at, the more plaques and framed tributes I amass on my office walls.  It makes me feel all warm and tingly inside to be surrounded by the memoirs of my history in the Air Force.  Feeling especially worn today by the seemingly monumental task of taking the next few months to pass the torch of my duties in preparation for moving on to yet another assignment, I stopped on my way out of my office to read the things that were written on my going away gift from the previous base.  “Thanks for all your hard work”, “You will be missed”, “Keep in touch” are written by various hands around the picture in the center.  Those were heartwarming, but the best messages were “You presently sing off key, so work on that at your next base”, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know how to properly peel a banana”, and “I will miss you the most out of everyone–don’t even test me”.  There was one sentiment that the person didn’t even sign their name to, so I don’t even know who wished me “much luck in the faraway land of Turkey”.

I starred up at that frame until I had read every message.  Oddly enough, it made me a little nostalgic about my current location.  People come and go.  The landscape completely changes every couple of months and work goes on.  Work just.  Goes.  On. 

It’s not about the work anyway.  It’s about the people.  It’s about that guy who talks to inanimate objects like he is going to convince them to do something.  It’s about that lady who always seems to want to ask you a question right when you are in the middle of something.  How about that girl with the squeaky boot that provides the signature announcement of her arrival?  Or how about that guy who goes way overboard with the holiday decorations in the office? 

As I finally turned off the light and left my office, I felt a bit more relaxed and less weighed down.  In a few months, I’m going to acquire another going away gift.  People here will ink their goodbyes on it and I will display it in my new office.  In a few years, when I stop to read what was written on it, I won’t remember all of the work I did.  I will remember the people, and I will feel amazing.

Sometimes the fires ignite and we have to be ready to put them out.  Our days can actually get quite consumed by fires.  Just when we stamp one out, another one crops up, and before we know it, the day draws to a close and we feel we have virtually nothing to show for it.  Increasingly, people in all industries are consumed with burdens, fabricated out of misguided perceptions, burnout, and unrealistic expectations.  Because of this, people face the fires at a deficit.  When the fires ignite, it becomes increasingly more difficult to keep up.

Long before a fire ignites, the fire marshals survey the area.  They learn the layout and identify where everything is.  They ask questions to understand why things are the way they are.  They plan.  They create guidelines and make signs to warn against potential fire conditions.  When fire marshals do their part, fires can be less frequent and more manageable.  The investment in marshalling is worth the payoff.

Every industry needs good fire marshals.