How do you work through it?
I changed my career, so I
now freelance and work to my own schedule. I literally live at a slower pace,
and I plan anything social with a good few days in between to rest.
How can the Healthcare system help?
Maybe it’s simply
a case of listening and communicating better with patients. Talking about what quality of life they want to achieve and discussing whether that’s realistic. If not, what is?
Create a plan of action together.
What advice do you have for others?
For me, it’s
literally just been a case of learning to listen to, and understand what my
body/mind needs. Don’t scold yourself when you can’t do something, and don’t
judge your life by what others can do, or are doing!
Part 2 focused more on advocates.
Have you experienced burnout as an advocate?
Of course. Sometimes,
it just seems like there are too many battles to fight and not enough time and energy
to do it.
Main cause & solutions?
Misinformation is a huge
problem, but sometimes I don’t feel like I have the energy to type a response, call
someone out on it, and deal with any backlash. I ALWAYS try to respond to the
people who need support, and for me, that has to take priority over the rest. It
can also feel really overwhelming when the people you have come to care about are unwell, and there’s nothing you can do to actually help. The only
solution has been to keep reminding myself that I can’t be everybody’s,
everything! The pressure I feel is usually just pressure I've put on myself!
