It is the last week in August, and I have started my September sick already. There is something about September that has brought out the allergy/cold/cough stuff in me for the last 13 years. This year, it started early.
I spent most of Friday wishing I was medicated. Today, I am. This is a good/bad thing because the medication that I take has a 24-hour adjustment period where I am extremely tired and dizzy. After that initial 24 hours, I am able to function with a slight level of drowse. So, I have to start the medication on a day away from clients. It kinda defeats the purpose of having a music therapist who snoozes through music therapy sessions.
Today, I spent some of the day at the car dealership getting an oil change and having a tire patched. I then spent the rest of the day sleeping. My brother woke me up with a phone call. I am now tired, but awake, and doing some thinking about therapist wellness.
My illnesses are not life altering or serious for anyone but me. I am prone to asthma here in the Midwest, and it is getting progressively worse as I continue to live here. I am going to have to move somewhere else soon, I think, just for the health of my lungs! I do lots to keep myself breathing - I don't smoke, I avoid situations where I know I will have a reaction, I use my inhaler when needed - but there are times when the things I do fail me. Like now.
One of the things that I have always found to be important to my well-being and health is the sick day. I use my time when it is needed. I do not like to be around people who are obviously sick, so I selfishly keep my germs to myself. I wish that others would do the same. There are times when we need to be away from every other human being in the world, especially when we are emitting contagion! Use that time!
Wellness for a therapist is essential to good therapy. If a therapist is not able to focus out of his or herself during a session, how is the client supposed to be assisted towards growth and development? It is better for a therapist to acknowledge the effect of her or his health on the therapeutic relationship rather than inflicting germs on clients. Now, most of the time, all of my clients have the same germs, which I appear to be rather immune to, thanks to my own complicated health issues, so I don't often skip days, I adjust. But there are times when I am not fit to be around other people, especially the clients I serve. So, I stay home.
Here's hoping that I get accustomed to the medication before Monday!
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