Working in mental health/struggling

Hi and welcome, @elpossum , it's good to have you here.

I'm sorry to hear your mental health is not good at the moment 😞 And your work situation sounds tough 😞

Do you have any professional support? Like a counsellor, meds, psychologist or psychiatrist?

A handy forum tip is if you type @ and then click on a name in the drop-down box, that person will get a notification and won't miss your reply. 🙂

I hope you find the forums supportive...

That is a terrible thing for that patient to have said to you @elpossum . Not sure what the total context is, but if you were opening up about your own experience to build rapport and that was the outcome, there needs to be better protocols in place to manage such things.

Put it squarely back on that person, in your mind at least. Their problem not yours.

I am going through a stage of recognising other people's problems and decoding emotional and social cues in that context, rather than personalising them, but I need a lot of down time to do so. To let my thoughts go through their motions and come to conclusions.

Hope you navigate this challenge.

I am curious about the role of peer work, and its many manifestations.

Thanks @Appleblossom. The comment was just in the context of not giving the patient access to items to harm themselves with. It's a frequent comment on an acute setting unfortunately, sometimes people just try to say the most shocking or hurtful thing they can when they are very distressed themselves. Normally it's water off a duck's back, but lately it's been getting to me. That said, even this morning it's less heavy in my mind, and a good reminder that those feelings don't last forever, even though it always feels like they will at the time.

I wish we had peer workers on our unit. It's been looked into but I don't know where it's at, and obviously things in the health system are a bit all over the place currently.

Thank you @NatureLover, I do have a psychiatrist and meds, and I've just booked an appointment with them. I've got a referral for a psychologist, but I've been procrastinating for about a year on making an appointment. But thank you for the prompt, I will look into booking today.

@elpossum

Please correct me if I am wrong. Sounds like your work place doesn’t have adequate support in place for staff.

They should have qualified health professionals so that staff can de brief.
Being assaulted at work is never ok. Sounds like there was no plan or procedure in place for this as well. I get the impression that you are not being looked after properly by your employer.

considering you are working in acute setting they should be making sure that they are taking care of your health and well-being as well. The employer should be covering the cost of your treatments considering you have been assaulted and verbally abused regularly.

This should not be an out of pocket expense for you.

police and other public servants have these services readily available. I don’t see why people working in your industry deserve any less.

Maybe you should take some sick leave. I don’t see how anyone could be expected to work in an environment like that without support. Regardless of any underlying health issues you have, they as the employer are still responsible for your well-being while you are working for them.

Definitely would recommend taking some some time off(sick leave) and maybe even looking work work at a place that isn’t so intense. You dont want burnout and you don’t want to “help others” at your own expense.

you are doing great. Please take it easy and put yourself first.

Hi @elpossum as the mother of a daughter who has spent a lot of her past 10 years in and out of an acute mental health ward, Id like to say THANK YOU for doing what you do. It takes a special kind of person to work with and care for patients in this setting and I know it would be emotionally draining at times. I’m happy to read you are seeking support for yourself. 🙏

@Little_Leopard it's a challenging environment but it's the public health system, I don't know how much they can do in relation to supporting staff. I've had some support regarding physical injuries from assaults but that's about all that's offered as far as I'm aware.

It's not awful all the time, but it does feel like it's increasing. I've found myself experiencing physical assaults at least a couple of times a month, and verbal stuff is often a daily occurrence. I recognise that it's having an impact on me, but also I can recognise that I'm good at my job and the area is desperate for staff. I don't know what else I'd do.

@Krishna thank you, yes it's a lot but it's also an important role. It's not often that anyone says thank you so it's very appreciated.

@elpossum

Sounds like you are a dedicated worker and you are really motivated to help others.
I do not think that your employer is providing adequate support for you. Maybe you could seek further advice.

Id does not matter if the employer is public or private, they still have a duty of care o their employees.

please take care of yourself. There is no use in helping others if it is at the expense of your own health and safety. Being assaulted that often is not ok and it makes sense why you are going through this. The verbal abuse is also taking its toll as it would with anyone.

I would take a break, seek out some legal advice and reflect on if this work place is right for you.

I know you want to help others and that’s great but you are also entitled to work in a safe and supportive environment which is not the case for you at the moment.
getting some advice can’t hurt so worth a try.