The last Thursday of the month we highlight a person in ministry and their testimony of burnout. This month we are featuring Desirie Dougall. Desirie ministers in a highly stressful area specializing with helping transition young ladies into a new lifestyle. She gives us a wealth of knowledge along with what she personally looks for in relation to when self-care is needed. Just as a reminder, we are accepting nomination for ministers to go on retreat, and there will be instruction on how you can do that at the bottom. Please enjoy the following. . .
“Working in a trauma-based ministry brings several important aspects to burnout that aren’t necessarily seen in other types of work. When we start talking about the dangers of stress and exhaustion, of heavy caseloads and long hours, we need to be clear that missionary workers don’t just “need a break” or a quick pick-me-up. Self-care is an essential part of what we do to sustain our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health.
A phenomena common to trauma workers is that of vicarious victimization, in which the worker suffers the emotional experiences and reactions of the survivor as they are walking through the healing process together. Details of the experience are discussed and relived, emotions are expressed and shared, and the worker begins to take them on in the form of heightened fear and anxiety. Another similar phenomena is known as secondary traumatization, whereby the retelling of the traumatic events may begin to cause PTSD-like symptoms in the worker, causing nightmares, over-identification with the survivor’s situation, and depression.
The staff of my organization was on a retreat this past January and the facilitators of the weekend made an excellent point; they said, “When you’ve come to the point where situations are not the problem, but people are now the problem, you’re reaching burnout.” It took me a few moments to grasp his meaning, but then I realized he was right. I may become frustrated because of a conflict within the ministry, but those of us involved pray and come together to work it out. However, when I’m starting to take conflict personally and become angry, blaming the other person rather than seeking guidance and resolution, I’ve reached the end of my rope.
Taking a proactive stance is best when caring for yourself or your missionary staff. Require time off for all those who work in direct care with victims/survivors. Regular counseling is a great way to keep things from building to a breaking point, and there are a number of great counseling services who offer their services to missionaries at either no cost or at a reduced rate. Schedule time to have fun, no matter what is going on in your ministry!”
– Desirie Dougall
Desirie, thank you for your wisdom and insight. Paying attention to what we are seeking and how come we are seeking it is always a key piece of information when self-evaluating personal levels of burnout.
As mentioned earlier, if you would like to nominate someone in ministry for a retreat, please go to the “contact us” tab and give us the “who, what, where, and why”, of how come you are nominating them. They could be chosen for a 4 day, 3 night retreat where their main objective will be to Renew their connection with God, Restore their spiritual, mental, and physical self, and Return to their calling. Also, if you would like to help support Elijah’s Tree please click on the donate tab. We hope to hear from you soon, and as always, To God be the Glory!