28 The Linguist Vol/57 No/2 2018
www.ciol.org.uk
OPINION & COMMENT
The stigma
of burnout
As a community and public services
interpreter and translator, I often encounter
people who are nervous and scared,
lonesome and sad. The key priority for
us, as professionals, is to stick to the
conduct of our jobs – to be fully impartial,
accurate and confidential. But is it possible,
even for the most prepared and motivated
individuals, to keep our minds unceasingly
open, fresh and clear enough to apply our
services properly?
At the end of an assignment, we do not
usually have any feedback, or find out what
effectively. The linguistic aspect of an
interpreter's work is widely understood, but it
is also important to be emotionally balanced,
patient, empathetic, communicative and
social; to be thoroughly aware and aligned to
the ethical and moral rules of the cultures we
work with; and to convey a positive attitude
and tolerance.
When things go wrong
A heavy workload with long hours can make
it difficult for interpreters to realise when
something is wrong. Exhaustion and stress
can lead to apathy, a lack of motivation
and negative feelings associated with
each element of the work (colleagues,
clients, location). This syndrome was first
Is burnout the interpreter's curse? How to
avoid, identify and cope with it when it happens
GEORGE DIMITROV
happens to the people we work with. Yet
many cases stay with us: a family making
the decision to withdraw life support from a
man in his 50s who was hit by a car; a
woman at a detention centre asking for
asylum because she is a victim of religious
persecution; a 5-year-old, held down by
her mother (as instructed by medical staff)
while being given an anaesthetic; a man
detained in custody for ordering an item
that he didn't know was illegal in the UK; a
man in his 40s turning to humour as he dies
of cancer.
Psychologists tell us that self-reflection
enables us to observe and control our own
behaviour. The more we develop this
facility, the more able we are to do our jobs
