It’s important to remember that your own well-being needs to come first, period. While helping others can be a key component of your healing journey, if this becomes too overwhelming, it’s time to scale back a bit. You are also likely to encounter situations in which you simply cannot save the person you’ve been determined to help. While it’s nice to believe that there is a one-size-fits-all strategy that can be easily transferred from person to person, the reality is that everyone is different, and everyone’s healing process will be different. Just because something worked for you or for another individual, it may not be foolproof one hundred percent of the time.
Always use your best judgement and trust your instincts when you’re reaching out to fellow survivors and helping them start anew. If something is simply out of the scope of what you are capable of taking on, practice acceptance and let it be. You will likely find that you will need to walk away from particular situations or certain circumstances that are beyond your control. All too often we develop symptoms of PTSD because we lingered in trauma for too long believing we could change things. Ultimately, however, we can only control our own actions. We cannot control the actions of others. So, it will be entirely up to you to determine when to walk away.
Pay attention to the signs of burnout.
These often include an inability to feel at ease or sleep at night, exhaustion even after getting an adequate amount of shut eye or feeling generally down in the dumps. Energy depletion and an increasing desire to isolate are signs that you’re taking on too much or your helping pursuits aren’t going as planned and it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate. You should never sacrifice your own health by giving too much of your positive reserves away.
It’s important to remember that it’s okay to walk rather than continue to push against something too heavy to move. You are not superhuman and you shouldn’t shoulder the weight of a burden you cannot eliminate on your own. Learning to make positive waves where you can and walking away whenever necessary is key to recovery. Keep the serenity prayer in your back pocket: God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Embrace this wisdom, always, and decide accordingly.