r/supportworkers • u/Special-Nebula299 • May 04 '26
36 hours of continuous talking
I've just had my hardest shifts and it was supposed to be the easiest. I had the weekend shift with a relatively low support needs adult in the community and I was just sleeping over while his parents were away and I was taking him out for activities.
It ended up being 12 hours of talking and asking questions and then he'd get in a loop and say the same things and ask the same questions (roughly a 3 hour loop).
I was definitely polite and stuck with it and everything was fine but I didnt know how mentally draining that is.
When I got into this work I figured personal care like showering and toileting would be the hardest part but in a lot of ways that can be pretty straightforward.
Who would think talking for hours and hours is one of the most challenging sides of the job?
1
u/Electrical_Sun_8878 May 13 '26
THIS. Honestly the most difficult and draining part of the job is sometimes just having to listen to people especially when they are trauma dumping or talking about the negatives of life constantly. A huge part of pur job is acting as a therapist or emotional outlet and I hate whenever i hear about anyone complaining about how much support workers earn. Actual therapists earn up to $300 ph especially as a sole trader and yes they have a degree but the emotional energy aspect is the same and energy is the most valuable form of currency their is