Anyone else a social worker?
I'm a community in-home social worker. Meaning, I travel to my clients' homes to help the entire family system. I see and deal with A LOT of tremendously heart breaking issues. I put so much energy into helping each family, and it was alcohol that numbed the vicarious trauma that I experienced every day. I'm newly sober, I see an amazing therapist weekly to help me through my own issues, and I'm seeking more supervision on the job. However, I find myself avoiding visits as much as possible because I'm afraid I'll drink at the end of the work day. Luckily I can hide behind paperwork deadlines for now (and I'm not totally avoiding the families. I'm just not getting as involved as I normally do). How have other people in this type of field dealt with this particular stress while staying sober? ...I know I can do it in the long run, it's just that I'm doing my best to avoid triggers right now until I get my own self together (I feel like Humpty Dumpty).