A very small group of workers are experiencing extremely high stress due to an extremely incompetent EO who has been appointed by an even more incompetent CEO. I can vouch 100% for the stress of those workers as I am one of them. We don't want to totally ruin the organisation by making a big scene but I think if the Government changes we might have a chance. The whole situation is really taking it's toll on family life in our area. The labor Government is protecting these incompetents yet some workers still will not support a change to a Coalition Government. Now if there are any psychologists looking for research material, remote communities in Far Nth Qld. are the place.

Hi C Steel,

You've hit the nail on the head for me, a currently serving prison officer at a maximum security prison. I've had my share of stressful incidents, but nothing as horrible as yours. And yes, it changed my outlook on leave.

Today, I have been tested for measles after coming into contact with an infected prisoner. If I indeed have measles, it is a 1/3 chance of hospitalisation and can lead to death. Fortunately, I can receive workers compensation.

Unfortunately, our new Minister has accused officers in the media of "rorting" the system by taking work compensation, personal leave, stress leave. The Minister has challenged officers to leave the profession or toughen up. I am disgusted by these sentiments following my experience. We put ourselves on the line.

Some people will find a situation or occupation stressful, others wont.
How you handle these situations or occupations is in your genes, in your make up. Same with the resolution of any long term effects, no dramas for some, a lifetime of looking back for others.
We are all different, it is not a matter of strong or weak, just different.

SD

I work from a truck. A few weeks ago a motorbike went under the side of it making an illegal manoeuvre. He came off second best by far. It has haunted me since. He is okay but took some serious damage. I now have anxiety and sleep problems as a result.

It's weird, it has just stuck with me and I don't know why. My logic says one thing but my mind has a completely different idea on how to deal with it. Which isn't very well.

I'm not sure where to from here.

POrK ChoP, "If I indeed have measles, it is a 1/3 chance of hospitalisation and can lead to death"

Your 'heads-up' on the danger of measles should be taken very seriously by the many mature people who may not have had the vaccination in the past.

No-one should doubt the highly infectious nature of this dangerous disease. Any exposure, even entering a bus or rail carriage occupied by a person with measles is likely to result in infection. With international travel being so common it is about.

Yet the solution is easy and safe, MMR vaccination.

The other reminder is to refresh some other vaccinations. Some do wear off with time. Talk with your doctor, people.

Dear PorK-ChoP,

Welcome to the forum,

Thank you for the post.

I am not proud to admit that until this incident I probably shared at least a little of the sentiments expressed by your minister. Not any more. I would hope that your organisation provides decent training on how to handle stressful situations but I have no idea how cumulative these might be, I suspect a lot.

Being self employed I was able to make time for myself to work through what I was experiencing emotionally yet the thought of quickly re-entering a workplace where the likelihood of it happening again was at least significant would have, in my view, lengthened the time taken to deal with the feelings that so afflicted me.

Dear Shaggy Dog,

Point taken however I think often those who enter many of these fields such as health, policing, rescue work etc do so because they have a caring disposition and an aim to help others in difficulties. Community minded so to speak. So perhaps the empathy they feel toward others that was a prime motivation for engaging in the work they do is what makes the impact of others being injured or killed more heartfelt and therefore more difficult to cope with.

Cont..