60,000 Caregivers Needed in Japan

Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) announced yesterday that 60,000 caregivers are needed in Japan. It did not mention anything about expected salary however based on a report of TV patrol last year, the salary is around 70,000 or more. It was reported by Japan Times last year that the government is expecting shortage of 340,000 caregivers by 2025.   

Those who are looking for caregiver job in Japan should pass the exams in Japanese language and technical skills. They have to pass Japanese Language Proficiency Test and they must also be able to demonstrate daily conversational skills in Japanese when spoken slowly. In addition to these, a test which is yet to be established, is the evaluation of their knowledge in caregiving terminology. 

A new specialized skilled worker visa of Japan is set to be signed on March 19. Private recruitment agencies can start processing the visa of qualified foreign workers starting April 1. The new visa system is classified into two; both are valid for 5 years however the other type is for work that needs higher level skills but they have the chance to acquire immigrant status after 5 years when they finish their contract.

Currently, there are two ways for non-Japanese nationals to work as caregivers in Japan. One is to participate in a work program provided under an economic partnership agreement (EPA) and gain a certificate while working at a nursing home and the other choice is to use Japan’s Technical Intern Program. Other Asian nationals like Vietnamese and Indonesians were one of those who have been working as caregivers in Japan through these programs.

The Agency have also warned applicants to stay away from agencies claiming they are accepting applicants for this new visa.

REFERENCES:
Japan Needs 60,000 Caregivers-POEA
Fewer foreigners than expected coming to Japan to work as caregiver trainees, data shows
Foreign workers in Japanese care will need good Japanese skills

Silent Treatment: A Narcissist Weapon

image from pixabay

I was browsing through my emails when I saw a message from one of the groups I have joined not so long ago. It was a discussion about narcissist having no contact.  The discussion aroused my curiosity and made me read more about narcissist.  The word “silent” on the discussion made me want to research and read about narcissist, wondering if I am a narcissist because I am usually quiet just because i desire a quiet lifestyle and don't want to mind other people's life however I have a temper and speak my mind when I want to or say things I shouldn’t say or mean when I am mad.

Narcissist is someone who meets the criteria laid out in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for the diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. It is classified under Cluster B of the 10 Personality Disorders. It is an excessive self-importance, loves to be the center of attention, one who takes advantage of others and lack empathy.

I was shocked to learn the appalling truth about narcissist behavior especially the way they resort to silence for a long time due to misunderstandings. How long is long? It could take months or years. So just imagine yourself living with someone who gives you that kind of treatment just because of trivial issues, it would be sheer torture.

In marriages, some couples resort to silent treatment when they have misunderstandings but it doesn’t mean they are narcissist too. For non-narcissist, it could last from hours to a few days and once they have both calmed down and reached the point where they could talk, they would resolve their issues. For narcissist it could last from weeks to years. A narcissist partner will not acknowledge your presence in the same room, or they will abandon the relationship for months or years.

Why do Narcissist go no contact?

There are many levels of narcissist but silent treatment is something all narcissists do. They go no contact when you have disagreed with them or their ideas. They go no contact to show you their dissatisfaction after you disagree with them. It is one of their powerful weapons; it is their way of controlling you so that you will react and make them feel like the center of your attention which they enjoy the most.  The more you react either in a positive or negative way, the more they feel better about themselves because they love attention, the more they will laugh at you and think lesser of you. Your reactions make them feel superior.

This is so far one of their best weapon but behind you they will be building lies. They may be quiet and won’t speak to you at all however they will be spreading lies and would make an issue in most of the things you do. They would love to talk about you, your downfalls, your failures and your mistakes, things that don’t concern them. They would love to manipulate others on what to think about you because they love to see you alone and left out. A study on narcissistic behavior stated that they love high-low post, making fun on groups of people or individuals, criticizing their behavior in a harsh way.

Narcissist will not say “sorry”  

Narcissist will not apologize because it will blemish their self perfection. They don’t want to take accountable to what happened because in their mind they are always better and can never go wrong. It is all about them and they only see their side of story. They will never think they might have done something. They would laugh at people who apologize; they think they are complete idiots for doing so.

What to do when you receive that silent treatment?

You can never win with a narcissist. So the best thing to do when someone treats you that way is just to stop talking to the person and move on. That person would enjoy it when you are affected and it would cause an irritation or the silent treatment will be stopped if you seem not to care because you have control over your emotion and not the narcissist. Break the relationship if you are already losing yourself. Don’t let it get into you because you will suffer emotionally and blame yourself for what happened. Never act angry or aggressive  because you will be made “wrong”.

Reading other forums and journals, I was shocked to know that silent treatment have caused a great deal of damage to those people who received this kind of harsh treatment. Both emotional and physical abuse are damaging, while there are more treatments or programs geared towards physical abuse, a study published in Jama psychiatry stated that there should be more treatment geared towards emotional abuse.

REFERENCES:

https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/a-narcissist-cannot-apologize-or-take-accountability

http://ajmahari.ca/2016/08/narcissists-never-apologize-dont-go-down-the-rabbit-hole/

https://kimsaeed.com/2018/01/17/10-surprising-facts-silent-treatment/

https://www.psychologytoday.com