[JazzyJazz]

I think it's great that you are interested in social work, but as others have said, you do need to consider your own wellbeing and longevity. If I were you, I would ensure that I put extra support in place before embarking on the training. Find a reputable counsellor that you feel you can trust. This is what I have done.

I'm studying to become a Speech and Language Therapist ('Pathologist' if you're on the other side of the Atlantic) and, despite the common misconception that all we do is get rid of lisps, the work is actually quite gruelling. A lot of the patients have lost their speech due to brain injuries and are not in a great place physically or mentally when we see them. It can be draining if you are not robust enough to cope with seeing people in distress. There's also the workload - there is a national shortage of SLTs, so the ones who are around have lots of cases, and each patient is very different. These are all issues which apply to social work as well.

My mother has always told me that I will not finish this degree. She is not trying to squash my dreams - she just doesn't want to see me fail and waste time, effort and money in the process. She thinks I should go back to working with children in day care centres. But the reality is that I want to do more than that and the urge would always be there. I have to follow my heart, even though I know there is a chance I might not make it because of my own issues.

But I still want to give it my best shot and it feels like you want to do the same. So my advice is to take notice of what the Katie and Susan have said but, also, do think about finding a counsellor before you start the training. It can be argued that counselling is a form of social work, so the counsellor will have some idea of what you are facing. But, more importantly, the ability to talk to someone should never be underestimated. Many professions have to provide workers with someone who they can 'debrief' with after difficult situations, but the option is not always there during the training period. Furthermore, it only happens in certain circumstances. I think that it is worth doing it on a regular basis to stop "emotional backlogs" and to do it with someone you know and trust, hence the need for a counsellor.

I wish you the best of luck with all of this. If you ever want to chat with someone who is/was in a similar situation, feel free to send me a message.