Hi skm. Ahhh, I just peaked at your thread, and I think we have more in common than we may both know! What I can say is that people in certain professions are notorious for unhealthy relationships, and not just with poeole, but with substances as well. I try to be acutely aware of that now. I hope that my awareness is/will lead to better life decisions in general.

I also had to take a step back from work for a short time during my separation. I felt weak and unfocused, and one error could have been the difference between life or death, and that is a great responsibility that I could not shoulder. What i realized is that I could change my perspective and allow myself to be absorbed in my work and let it be a distraction from my life.

I have now gotten very good at keeping work and my personal life completely seperate--I can switch in on and off like a light switch--and this has served me well in life. In this line of work, you simply have to let it roll off your back. So as hard as this is now, if you can create that separation, it will also serve you later.

Of course there are always going to be those patients and families that touch us deeply, but it's okay to feel it and grow, but leave it at work. And when you are at work, it's okay to put H on the back burner. It may become a welcomed distraction. This s one more silver lining I have personally found in my sitch.

Blu

“Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear. That is why it is such a powerful weapon.” – Nelson Mandela