FragileGlass
Confident
For the past week I have been stressed to the max, pouring over Facebook, Twitter and local news outlets in absolute fear that someone posted a captured video of a violent exchange between a patient and I. Before the interaction occurred I had to warn people in the Emergency Room of hospital policy to not use camera phones due to Privacy and Confidentiality act of our Health Care system. There were half a dozen phones aimed towards the room.
After the situation was finally under control. I noticed someone was still videotaping the situation and had no context of my patients behaviour in the previous 5 days. It was Day Number 6 of a psychiatric hold in a secured room for this person. The man is a PTSD sufferer with dementia. It's a violently explosive and emotionally exhaustive combination.
From the outset, I am a physically fit 43 year old male, strong with a commanding presence. My patient 72 year old male with tendency to self harm or hurt others. I'm aware that it looks terrible and unfair to the patient.
I would not hold up emotionally to being labelled a violent bully to this man by arm chair critics and Trial by Social Media as I already feel horrible. There have been so many interactions, almost every half hour or more. Because of the repeated interactions, I can feel that my interactions are emotionally tearing this man down. It's not a good feeling to know you're breaking a fellow humans sense of strength and spirit.
I despise that I have to control this patient the way I do. I hate even more now that I'm hesitating in my job because I now have to be careful of who could be recording my interactions. I'm so worried of this videos existence, it's causing me to revisit these violent escalations over and over again rather than just letting it go.
After the situation was finally under control. I noticed someone was still videotaping the situation and had no context of my patients behaviour in the previous 5 days. It was Day Number 6 of a psychiatric hold in a secured room for this person. The man is a PTSD sufferer with dementia. It's a violently explosive and emotionally exhaustive combination.
From the outset, I am a physically fit 43 year old male, strong with a commanding presence. My patient 72 year old male with tendency to self harm or hurt others. I'm aware that it looks terrible and unfair to the patient.
I would not hold up emotionally to being labelled a violent bully to this man by arm chair critics and Trial by Social Media as I already feel horrible. There have been so many interactions, almost every half hour or more. Because of the repeated interactions, I can feel that my interactions are emotionally tearing this man down. It's not a good feeling to know you're breaking a fellow humans sense of strength and spirit.
I despise that I have to control this patient the way I do. I hate even more now that I'm hesitating in my job because I now have to be careful of who could be recording my interactions. I'm so worried of this videos existence, it's causing me to revisit these violent escalations over and over again rather than just letting it go.