This past week was my first week of training to work on the psych helplines. Talk about intense. It's every Tues. & Thurs. from 6-9 pm for 5 weeks. And with traffic going into the downtown core where the hospital is, it takes me a full hour to drive there from work, so no stopping for food. Looks like I'll be living off power bars for a while.

But the training is really good. Basically the first two hours are lecture format on specific issues around addiction and mental health and then the last hour is roll playing calls.

I also feel very old. With one exception, all the other volunteers in training are 3'rd and 4'th year psychology majors trying to get experience to help them get into grad school. There's one gentleman older than me, who self - identified as a consumer / survivor, so as far as I can tell we're the only two with direct experience of the mental health system. That surprises me a bit, because generally the hospital says it encourages former clients to come back and volunteer.

But so far I've enjoyed the first week of training. Just wish it wasn't so intense on top of work.

Plus I've had to reschedule my regular therapy appointment from Tues. evenings to Monday afternoons (I work a compressed week so I get Mon afternoons off) but that means I have both group addictions therapy and then private therapy on the same day which just wipes me out emotionally.

sorry just need to whine a bit.

--splitimage