Sep
06
2010
Jessica Stage, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
Hopefully many of you out there have a three day weekend in celebration of Labor Day. Labor day was first celebrated September 5th, 1882 in New York City. Labor day was meant to recognize the impact of the working class on American life. How often do you feel “celebrated” in your work life?
According to a 1999 study, three out of every four American workers describe their work as stressful. No job is without every day stress and worries. You may feel as though your boss is constantly looking over your shoulder and checking your work. You may dream of becoming self employed, and having no one to “tell you what to do”. On the other hand, your friend who is self employed is stressed out because she is working seven days a week, because she has totally responsibility over whether her business succeeds or fails!
New challenges at work can bring more stress. A promotion can lead to longer hours and more work done at home. This “drain” can lead you to feel overwhelmed and overworked. When you complain about the workload, do you also complain about the increase in prestige or in pay? Sometimes we forget that achieving our dreams is not easy, and can result in more work and responsibility.
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Jul
12
2010
Jessica Stage, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
As one of the Orlando therapists at Life Skills Resource Group, I have the honor of serving clients from diverse backgrounds and ages. In my “day job” I work in a hospital, where I see patients every day who are struck with the unexpected trauma of an injury or illness. I have been focusing my counseling work on clients who are coping with chronic illness and traumatic injury. It is a great way to blend my knowledge of counseling with my experience in the health care system. I will see clients sometimes who are tearful and depressed due to being in unmanageable pain. Sometimes they are searching for a diagnosis, other times they have been told they have a chronic, incurable “condition”. Being thrust into the medical system when you have always been “healthy” can be a shock. You lose so much control over your life. A doctor is telling you what you can’t do. A nurse is telling you to “take this medicine”. You may feel confused and overwhelmed, and feel that you have no say in your treatment. This is not true!
As a social worker, we work to show people the tools to advocate for themselves. YOU are the person who knows the most about your own (or your child’s) medical condition. A doctor or other health care professional is only seeing you for a few minutes, and has to try to obtain the most information in order to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. You can work with your doctor or other health care professional in order to maximize your time and help them to help you. It is important if you are dealing with chronic pain to try to keep a “pain journal” of what times of the day, or what activities you are doing, in order to help the doctor find the root of the pain. Try to give the pain a numeric rating as well, on a scale from one to ten. If you tell the doctor ” my back hurts all the time” versus ” I feel like my pain is a 7 out of 10 when I take a shower, a 5 out of 10 when I am driving, and I only feel “normal” when I am in bed” this can lead to a clearer picture of what you are experiencing.
If you are going to a first appointment with a specialist, try to bring a trusted friend or family member along to help “take notes”. You can get told so much information that you may not process it all, or may not realize what you need to follow up on. It is important to write down any questions you may have so you don’t forget to raise your concerns. If you only have a half an hour with a specialist, try to maximize your time. Have the name and phone numbers of any referrals that you wish with you for the doctor’s office staff.
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May
31
2010
Jessica Stage, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
Memorial Day weekend is upon us. For some of us it means a weekend at the beach. Going to barbeque and picnics with friends and families. Unfortunately, for many American families Memorial Day can bring on the grief of the loss of a loved one who was in the military. These men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind parents, spouses and children whose lives will forever be changed. Soldiers are usually in the prime of life, with new families and parents who never wanted to outlive their children. The loss of a soldier may have been recent or many years ago, but family members may have a harder time around holidays such as Memorial Day where much of the news coverage and even advertisements mention soldiers and the armed forces.
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May
02
2010
Jessica Stage, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
It seems like many of my friends are pregnant or new parents. Pregnancy is an exciting time, where you have so many wishes and dreams for your child. You imagine how they will be as adults, and what kind of people they will become. In those moments, you don’t generally imagine arguing with your child about the benefits of not having their underwear on backwards, or telling them that no, cake is not an acceptable dinner entrée. You also may imagine that you will be the “perfect parent”. A parent that doesn’t raise their voice, that uses reason and understanding that the child will respond to and obey unconditionally. You won’t use a pacifier, the baby will sleep through the night, and everything will remain exactly the same as it was before you had children.
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Mar
27
2010
Jessica Stage, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
I often speak about how excited I am for the weekend to come. It is great to have time to spend with your family and to complete important tasks, and most of all to relax. However, sometimes I feel that always wishing for the weekend can make me not appreciate the good times that I do have at my job. While I am a counselor at Orlando Life Skills Resource Group, my full time job is as a hospital social worker in an intensive care unit. My job can be very difficult, but also rewarding. Some days I see families caught up in the sudden tragedy of a loved ones illness or traumatic injury, and work with them on coping with this. Other days I might see a patient who has recovered from severe injuries and gets to go home from the hospital. While working with patients and families is how I spend the majority of my day, I also constantly interact with fellow social workers, nurses, physicians and therapists. I have developed several close friendships at my job, and it can make a bad day go much better having these friends to commiserate with. No one else understands the challenges and joys of being a health care worker than these people.
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Feb
27
2010
Jessica Stage, MSW, Registered Clinical Social Work Intern
Although the weather is still chilly, it is nearly March! What have you accomplished since January? Have some of your resolutions been neglected or forgotten? Spring is a time of new beginnings and the perfect time to speak to one of the Orlando life coaches or therapists at Life Skills Resource Group!
Spring cleaning is not just for your house! Your mind may have negative thoughts or anxious feelings that have outstayed their welcome. You may not realize how often you tell yourself that “I can’t do that!” or “they probably wouldn’t think I was capable”. There could be an opportunity for a great new career or meaningful relationship out there that you have overlooked due to not thinking you are worth it. A therapist can help you to find the faith in yourself that has been missing, assisting you to become more assertive and less anxious.
A bad habit can develop over a lifetime, but do not require many years to overcome! A counselor can share proven techniques that will empower you to end negative thought and behavior patterns. You may use food to give yourself a “reward” but wind up feeling guilty after overindulging. You may be so anxious that you don’t speak up enough at work, and get passed over for a promotion. Your angry outbursts may be threatening your relationship. These challenges are in your power to control, and overcome!
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Sep
20
2009
Do daily temper tantrums make running errands a nightmare? Are the terrible twos getting to be more than you bargained for? Do you think that only “perfect parents” have well behaved children?
Young children are learning so much about the world and their families, and it is a great age to make changes that will last a lifetime!
As the mother of a three year old, I understand what other parents could be going through! My degree is Clinical Social Work did not prevent my son from throwing a tantrum at Target a time or two! However, many of the parenting techniques that I learned from the book PARENTING YOUNG CHILDREN changed how I react to my son’s outbursts. This has resulted in less whining and more peaceful shopping trips!
Even though there is no “magic book” that will help you to become a “perfect parent” there are many parenting skills you can develop that will improve the quality of you and your child’s relationship. Best of all, it uses the power of positive parenting to encourage your child to do well, rather than focusing on punishing for bad behavior. Learn how to make consequences logical and fitting for different kinds of behavior challenges.
The terrible two’s can become the terrific threes!
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Jun
11
2009
Jessica Stage, MSW
When you look in the mirror who do you see? Do you focus on your bright eyes, friendly smile and go about your day? Or do you spend time focusing on what you would change if you could. Maybe my nose could be smaller? I wish my face was clearer! If only I could lose 15(25,30,50) pounds, then I would be happy!
Often times our emotional health is tied to the way we feel about our bodies. Our bodies are amazing vehicles. They get us through the day, meeting and interacting with new people. Our bodies can create life, run marathons and dive into the ocean. Too many of us focus on what our bodies CAN’T do. I CAN’T fit into the jeans I wore last year! I CAN’T run a mile without stopping, it’s impossible! I CAN’T ever be happy looking the way I look!
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