How do I toughen up after being physically attacked at work?!
Question: I work in a psychiatric hospital and yesterday one of my patients spat in my face and kicked me hard in the belly. I was crying and I had to leave early b/c I just couldn't get over it.
Everyone else who works there seems to just take it in stride, they get hit, then they just shrug it off! I don't even want to go back b/c I'm so freaked out. How can I toughen up?
Answers: I work in a psychiatric hospital and yesterday one of my patients spat in my face and kicked me hard in the belly. I was crying and I had to leave early b/c I just couldn't get over it.
Everyone else who works there seems to just take it in stride, they get hit, then they just shrug it off! I don't even want to go back b/c I'm so freaked out. How can I toughen up?
woking in a Phychiarstic hospitial i have to assume you would expect something like that to happen once in a while it's a hazzard of the profession you choses to be in.my sugestion is be like the rest of the people you work with shrug it off and keep on working just be aware at certain patients will do that to you and try the bast you can to protect yourself and the patient from being hurt. Or plan b if you that freacked out over it I suggest you find another profession to persue because i can just about guarntee that someday agian you will be kicked or spat on
Mentally your gonna have to work on that yourself
Physically.. enroll in a gym
if you dont like your job, quit it . whats the point? easier way to toughen up is to talk to one of your closest friend about it or you could establish a better relationship with your patients so you wont get abuse that much
join a gym, go back and beat the patient silly
maybe this is not the job for you. I couldn't deal with that myself. Talk to others at work and ask how they deal with this.
Reality, it may not be for you, just like working in a prison has the same effect on people....tough job, and you might be better suited for something much better too ! You are a good person, and your niche is waiting for you !! Good luck !
Its all psycological. you somehow have to put your job and your own health in to different frames of mind. Physically, you could toughen up by going to the gym or doing your own weightlifting etc... It takes certain kinds of people to do cetain kinds of jobs, so unless your dead set on this as a career, well, maybe re-think it. If not, get back in the ring and remember its not personal... Its just a job.
This happened to me I was attacked by a psychotic patient whilst working on my own. I was lucky I found a great counsellor who helped me work through Post traumatic Stress. Dont try to do this on your own get help - some of your collegues are just that sort of people who can shrug it off, good luck to them. Never take your own feelings and distress lightly this sort of thing can be terrifying, it took me a good few months to be able to even drive past the place where it happened. All the best to you my collegue!
Working in a psychiatric hospital is a challenging job because of the care you have to give to mentally-ill patients. Based on my personal experience during my rotation to psych wards, you have to be not just physically prepared for it but mentally as well. Keep in mind that whatever the patient does to you it is because of his/ her illness, i suggest you calm down, relax and deal with each patient (they have different illnesses), try to know their soft spots (something that calms them) and be alert of course (just in case someone has an attack). If the patient already starts to be physical on you, you are governed by laws of your state to have someone help you deal with the patient on that moment and report what happened to your superior to document it, they may shift you out of that patient and assigned another one that would be more appropriate to that patient. Toughening up? I suggest mentally preparing yourself everyday would help rather than going to the gym, cause you can't hurt your patient. So, recall your psych101 on how to deal with different psychiatric patients so you'll know what to do. Jot them down on a piece of paper so can glance on it from time to time. It would be easy for you when you've learned and got used to dealing with each disorders.
you toughen up by finding another job....sorry that happen to you!!!~~~
To be honest ,we don't need no tough guy's in there anyway , just keep being the sweetheart you are , but don't talk sweet and deliver needles or fire will follow , if your going to talk sweet be sweet , to say this won't hert , and then hert them is unforgivable , if this is going to hert , say " this is going to hert !" and apologize and no one will spit on you ,, this is you ,,, only ,,on that other day ,, you know the day hell froze over, It happend to the you that your standing in front of ..Be good to yourself , and you can forgive yourself for kicking you ..