Detachment- Its Not Inhumanity.

There is a syndrome, (would you believe that it was identified in Sweden, where all these syndromes seem to be identified), which is called Volunteer Syndrome.
Apparently it works like this....

People who are involved in voluntary work eventually succumb at some time during their work to various feelings:- depression, resentment, anger, hopelessness, guilt, fear.
These emotions are a direct result of what volunteers see and experience and are part of the process of helping those in need.

In some cases it can be severe with symptoms such as lack of sleep, nightmares, feelings of being inadequate.

The good folks in Sweden who identified this say its quite normal. It may be quite normal but for those who experience this it can be an experience that questions many things in our mind.

Most of us go through this. If you have compassion you do this work. If you do this work you get these feelings from time to time.

I have. I continue to do so from time to time.

But at least I know its 'normal', (that is if I can actually be considered normal at the best of times hehehe)!

An example of this Volunteers Syndrome can be seen from time to time in Reach Out's Street Feeding Programme.

We know that there are an estimated 790,000 hard core poor in Malaysia. We distribute about 2,000 packs of food to those in need each week in Kuala Lumpur.

Look at that number and it seems that Reach Out is doing nothing for those that are hungry!

I say, look again!

If we didn't feed 2,000 who will? Who will give them food? Who will give them clothes? Who will care?

It would be easy to allow our emotions to overwhelm us.

We need to feed more. We need to get everybody off the street now.

Indeed that is a noble vision and something we aspire to. But we have to be realistic and do what we can. Otherwise the Volunteers Syndrome takes over.

And if that happens we become so questioning about the state of affairs we forget the objective which is to inspire those on the street that we care enough to get out there with them and do what we can.

Regrettably another cause of Volunteers Syndrome is the street folks themselves. Sometimes the way they interact with us causes us to question what we are doing.

It could be that they want more.

Want something we can not provide.

Want things for nothing.

Expect us to do everything without any contribution from them themselves.

That contribution is important for if the street folks don't take responsibility for their lives, (all be it with some help from us at Reach Out), all we are doing is creating dependency.

And the more they become depended the more chance we become emotionally involved, and then the Volunteers Syndrome raises its ugly head more frequently. And we lose sight of the objective.

That's why I have said in the heading to this blog Detachment - its Not Inhumanity.

Humanity means we care. Detachment doesn't mean we don't care.

Humanity means we will and can help. Detachment doesn't mean that we won't and can't help those in need.

Detachment means that we treat ever single person we meet on the street the same. That we recognise that some of our street friends will complain, demand, push our heart strings.

Why?
Because they can. Because they are humans and that's the way humans act.
If they complain there isn't enough food on the street I ask myself, 'what are you doing to get yourself off the street and reduce the burden on NGO's like us'.

I know who they are. Been working with them long enough. The ones who complain are the ones who we have tried to get off the street and wont go.

Don't get me wrong. I care for them the same way that I care about all the folks on the street.

Its just that we have to identify who they are.

From that we can overcome the symptoms and emotions we feel doing this work.

Volunteer Syndrome...it aint gonna get me because I have committed myself to this work, with the best that I can, when I can, with what I can.

I understand the street. The street folks have taught me. And I know that every volunteer with Reach Out does the same, the best they can with what they have got.

So humanity and detachment go hand in hand.

If every doctor cried at what they see would we have any doctors left?

What we do makes a difference you know.

That's what keeps us going.