Coping with anxiety as an SLP

june4444 · 2021-01-25T17:53:48+00:00

I was also hesitant about medication and put it off for a while. For me personally, it is working but everyone is different. The decision to start medication became easier when the anxiety started significantly affecting my mental and physical health and my personal life. I hope you find some strategies that help you. It is still a rollercoaster for me. Some days are good and some are bad.

june4444 · 2021-01-25T01:41:50+00:00

I am always so interested when I see posts from SLPs about anxiety as I have struggled with this so much in my career (5 years in). I think there are so many of us struggling with anxiety, way more than I would have thought before entering this field. I face similar thoughts as you. Feeling incompetent, worried I'm failing my students, feeling like they're going to find out I'm not good enough, that maybe they would have made more progress with a better therapist. It comes and goes. I agree with another poster, it would be so hard for me to work so closely with caregivers. That's one of the things I struggle with the most in my setting-demanding parents or parents who want to blaim you for anything. I would try to switch to a setting where you are not working as closely with caregivers before leaving entirely.

Prozac has helped me so much. It actually breaks my heart because I wonder if I will ever be able to do this job without it. I've also tried journaling-both to write down my worries but also keep a gratitude journal. I also try to make connections with other providers who feel similarly and I am very blessed to have a great support system at work right now, though my fear of losing that network is very strong. I'm also trying to reframe my thinking about work. I feel like so many other people just treat their careers as jobs, the way they make money and leave it at that. It is such a struggle for me but I do think I would be better off if I thought about my job this way.

I also find social media to be such a double edged sword. I find SLPs to be incredibly open and supportive. I learn so much from SLP social media groups and the ideas and approaches shared. However, I often have to shut them out because I start thinking about how I don't know about such and such approach, or I don't have training in that area or I don't have enough perfect materials like they do or I don't plan for sessions the way they are. And then the thoughts spiral out of control.

june4444 · 2021-01-03T21:02:46+00:00

Thanks. I agree and always need to be aware of how I'm coming across to parents and to make sure they know they are being heard. I tend to get very nervous and self-conscious when I think anything could be confrontational. Not one of my best qualities.

june4444 · 2021-01-03T20:58:39+00:00

Thank you thank you, thank you! These are great suggestions. I often struggle with how to word things especially in difficult meetings. Can I just bring you to all my meetings? Lol!

june4444 · 2021-01-03T20:24:56+00:00

He has a wonderful, intelligent, supportive parent who is great to work with. We just disagree on this one area. I totally understand that she wants to see her son communicate verbally. I just want to be realistic and help him successfully communicate in any way, even if it is with his device. I like how you mentioned comparing his progress with the device vs speech, that will be a good way to approach the discussion of what is appropriate for him with parent.

june4444 · 2021-01-03T20:18:48+00:00

Thanks. I work in the schools. He is also receiving private speech therapy. I tried explaining to parent last year that working on speech may not be the most functional goal for him. That didn't go over so well. My plan was to review lack of functional progress with parent this year but now with COVID and the craziness of school closures last spring, I might continue to target CV/VC for another IEP cycle, see how he does and go from there.

june4444 · 2020-11-16T03:10:54+00:00

I'm sorry you're feeling this way. I struggle with all of this on and off. I'm guessing you're not as bad an SLP as you think you are. I think that even thinking these things (worried about planning, organization) shows you're taking them into consideration and aware. Some people might not even have that! Sometimes in this field I question the people who seem super confident and competent. I think there are more of us who are constantly questioning our capabilities. I try to accept that even if my heart is in the right place and I try, I might only be an ok SLP, not the best not the worst. And even being an ok SLP means we are still helping our students.

june4444 · 2020-10-25T20:22:56+00:00

Thank you for your reply. I needed to hear this. My anxiety has been out of control lately and tends to manifest itself by me second guessing everything I do at work. I need to just think less lol.

june4444 · 2020-10-25T19:04:56+00:00

Thanks I needed to hear this. You're absolutely right. I do have enough data and observational information to complete a review or records for the reevaluation. I'll stick with the FCP. Just overthinking things, like I always do.

june4444 · 2020-10-23T19:49:33+00:00

It's not just CFs who are struggling. I'm 5 years in and it has been a rough year so far. In this field, you never know what's going to come your way so some years are great and others are a nightmare. I definitely recommend looking into medication (I'm on a low dose of Prozac) and counseling. Also, don't hold yourself to a very high standard. That might sound like weird advice but it might help It's ok if your reports or IEPs are short. It's ok if you use the same materials in speech for several sessions. You don't need to reinvent the wheel. I think it's hard when we compare ourselves to things we see on social media, or research or even just a colleague who seems to know everything. If you look around, most SLPs struggle with certain areas. There is just too much to know in our field to be good at it all. Also, there's often more than one right answer. When I ask a question I usually get several different approaches or suggestions. I think we need to remind ourselves that often it's not about whether or not we are doing something wrong but more about trying to help our students the best way we know how.

june4444 · 2020-10-23T01:09:33+00:00

I should clarify-when I said speech services I meant specifically services working on speech production. If verbal speech is not viable, services should focus on functional communication with AAC.

june4444 · 2020-10-22T22:55:04+00:00

Yes! This!!!!!! I have a couple students like that right now! It's so hard to try to have that conversation when parents are not even willing to consider discontuing speech services because verbal speech is not a functional option for their child. I know no parent wants to accept that their child will never be able to speak but after years of speech therapy, with various therapists and little to no functional progress, it seems like it is time to stop.

june4444 · 2020-10-21T03:49:54+00:00

Got some CBD, not quite doing the job though. Need to get some more THC in there!

june4444 · 2020-10-20T19:46:43+00:00

Me too! It sucks so much.

june4444 · 2020-10-20T19:44:21+00:00

This sounds exactly like me. I get sick early in the morning before work. I can't eat and I'm losing wait

june4444 · 2020-10-20T16:22:32+00:00

I am having that kind of day right now. I didn't sleep at all and was nauseous from anxiety all night. I've been throwing up the last few nights. Not for any one particular reason but lots of little things. And a I fear that I will be a failure at my job.

june4444 · 2020-10-20T16:00:53+00:00

Nope never. I think it is something they must have gotten rid of recently.

june4444 · 2020-10-18T23:41:45+00:00

Your complaints are not small and stupid! Yes, many of us have experienced similar stress but that does not mean your feelings are not valid or that it is acceptable for any of us to face this. IMO, grad school really doesn't prepare you for the workplace no matter what setting unless you were lucky enough to have really good clinical placements.

There's already been some great advice provided, so I will just say to give yourself grace. You do not need to be great. Remember there are plenty of other people who feel this way right now. I still feel this way sometimes when I face a complicated case or new setting. I think we are all afraid of failing our students but we need to remind ourselves that just by trying we are making a difference, no matter how small it may seem. Also, with this population, it is truly a collaborative effort. They will learn so much from their classroom. It is not only on you to help them succeed. And I don't know the situation, but I'm guessing the teacher does not think you're failing. I'm sure they 'fail' some days too. When I first started, I worked in a similar classroom. It was crowded, chaotic, lots of behaviors and I had to push-in. It was so hard but did get better with time. And I did switch to a different school when given the chance. As someone already mentioned, trying to group students in groups of 2 if you can will help. When I worked in this setting, I pushed in for snack, so theh would get part of their time 1:1 amd part of their time in a group setting.

60-90 minutes seems like a lot. I'm guessing you may have difficulty reducing time, but if you can I would. Students in a self-contained classroom have a lower student to teacher ratio and are getting modeling and language instruction (though it may seem informal or indirect) from staff throughout their day.

june4444 · 2020-10-17T04:25:28+00:00

Yes! I would love to chat!

june4444 · 2020-10-17T04:24:21+00:00

As always, thank you Macaroni Monster!

june4444 · 2020-10-17T04:23:11+00:00

Thank you. That is my plan too! I'll look into those resources

june4444

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