Emotions are contagious and negative emotions are like rotten apples that can spread to the entire basket. Constantly being in an environment where one sees a lot of pain and suffering can have huge impacts on the moods (and in the long term) mental health of the individual. Professions involving a lot of human interaction can be very taxing. Due to this nature of their work, psychotherapists experience burnouts frequently. Burnouts are mental or physical strains that are caused by an over load of stressors. This over loading of stressors causes the individual to break down. In extreme cases, burnouts can make people show defiance towards their work. Imagine a pressure cooker. If you over fill it, then the pressure builds and the safety valve comes off causing the cooker to explode. Therapists experiencing burnouts become ineffective in their profession, thus affecting their clients and themselves. Sometimes, psychologists who are just starting their career can be overwhelmed by the intensity of cases they are asked to handle. This can make them suffer from compassion fatigue which is a common phenomenon that affects those in the service profession. As normal individuals, emotionally touching stories have a severe impact on our minds and in some cases, they make us probe into existential questions like ‘What is my purpose in life?’ or ‘Am I giving back to society enough?’ and leads us to act upon them. A repeated routine of dealing with clients who have suffered a lot causes a psychologist’s mind to go through this same toil. While I was interning at NIMHANS, India; students were prohibited from entering the psychiatric wards for this very reason.
As mental health is very important for the normal functioning of the individual, it is important for psychologists to visit therapists to deal with their problems. Although, it isn’t as easy. Taking the example of just India, mental health in this country still faces a lot of stigma and criticism. People treat them like contagious vermin, believing they must be outcasted from society. A person suffering from depression or anxiety in India is less likely to go for counseling sessions as most families aren’t supportive enough. Some argue saying that the low education levels and lack of awareness among communities in India is the reason for the taboo that exists towards mental health. But research has shown that rural communities that have comparatively lower levels of education and insufficient access to information show a more open-minded outlook towards mental health and illness than the higher classes as the later believes mental health problems affect their status in society.
This being the general attitude, it seems impossible for well educated, respectable psychologists to seek professional psychotherapy. Most universities offering psychology courses also emphasis on psychotherapy for the self but in India, there has been very less research conducted to find out what are the major problems faced by psychologists from seeking help. Hopefully, with increasing awareness, the approach towards mental health and seeking professional help will be respected and encouraged.
A Tone of My Own 