Posted by Toph on November 14, 2013, at 15:31:08
After almost 35 years of social work in child protection and adult protective services I will be retiring December 27. Oddly this event has stirred a range of emotions from relief to nagging anxiety. I feel only some loss that comes when one loses the identity of a profession. Mostly I am hounded by unrealistic perfectionist thoughts that I could have done more, worked harder, or used better judgement in the thousands of cases I was assigned. My psychiatrist who I see every 6 weeks to monitor my lithium says in his analytic way that these self-judgements stem from both real and imagined expectations in my childhood. He uncharcteristicly shook my hand in a congratulatory fashion as I left last night which caught me off guard. He has listened with interest to countless scenarios, challenges and stress I have endured all these years. Maybe he feels some loss as well.
poster:Toph
thread:1054343
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20130930/msgs/1054343.html