What One Thing Would Make Today Better For You?

[Kris1984]

Thank you Sandra! Same to you!

 

[Sazza]

I agree with what has been said so far, with regards to froewarning but that should happen anyway. Also with regards to talking i think if nurse is restricted for time they should say so before they start talking, something along the lines of i don't have much time right now but will come back to you when i do or whatever.

I also think there should be more open ness around what is being talked about within the team, when i was in hospital it was a nurse that told me about what the doctor said i was suffering from no one else. Also i felt there was alot more being kept from me, so i think being open is essential for a good relatiosnhip and trust to develop.

Also i think there should be less judging as has been said, labels are just part of who we are. I think far too much emphasis is put on judging people through labels and dismissing them.

 

[Kris1984]

Very good points Sazza! Thank you!

 

[Marie E.]

If all my hurtful exs just dropped dead!! (Sorry)

 

[Hashi]

Thank you for your feedback Hashi! We learned in class that you are to never touch a PTSD patient without their permission and you tell them what you are going to do first. Anyone with an anxiety disorder deserves that type of treatment. I will be sure to remember this when I am on the floor and thank you for pointing out that this is important to you!

Ah, obviously you don't work in the National Health Service in the UK. To check the movement after an injury, I've had a consultant (ie specialist) grab my thumb without warning and twist it so hard I half fainted. I've also had a medical assistant suddenly put a tray of instruments down on my pelvis while I was lying down, as a handy place to leave them.

I'm glad you work in a better environment!

 

[cat]

Please, don't dismiss what i've said if I tell you I have PTSD & am sensitive to touch. This happened to me when i went for a mamogram, the radiographer was quite rough & didnt once ask me if i was ok, by the time i left i was a gibbering wreck!
Not waiting in a busy waiting room for ages, I can manage 15-20 mins but after that anxiety kicks in.
Don't pass your opinion on my diagnosis unless its relevant to my treatment.
Give me a little extra time to change/undress, behind those curtains is someone working hard to keep their anxiety under control, often working their way through another barrier.
Please dont patronise me, have PTSD I'm not mentally ill.
If I'm staying on a ward please be aware that i may not be able to sleep with other people in the room.
Sometimes I will need some time to myself, i can suffer from information overload.

Sorry thats more than one!

 

[Kris1984]

Hashi I am sorry for your experiences, hopefully nurses will become more aware of PTSD treatment protocols, and treatment of anyone for that matter. Thank you for your feedback Cat! I am happy for all of it!

 

[Paranoid10]

For me, it would be being treated as an individual, not a number.

 

[Srain]

Don't act like I'm something to be afraid of. Try to remember I'm somebody's mother, sister, daughter, girlfriend, wife, Auntie, friend. That I'm probably more afraid of you than you are of me. That I probably can't hear you for all the whirling noise in my head and over-stimulation going on and this is WHY I need you to look and speak directly to me in calm, reassuring, easy manner because otherwise I can't understand what you are saying. Things will go quicker and easier if you do. Please don't tell me you are in a hurry and need to get this "over with". I have always been a bother, I surely don't need to feel like one when I'm in seriously need.

Think how you would like to be treated, your child, or grandparent. I'm not stupid I'm probably going into dissociation out of self-preservation and will react one of two ways - introverted or reactive when pushed to frustration for feeling dehumanized.

I've been treated very well and very poorly. The poor treatment has resulted in some set-backs and issues for me, so for me it's VERY personal. I've known some very hard working staff in the field that were unbelievably gifted in dealing with clients and I considered myself incredibly fortunate to be in their care.

I hope it all goes well for you, don't forget to be kind and gentle with your own self care,
peace,
Rain

 

[maddog]

I'm really not that different from you. We're just two human beings... nothing more or less. Treat me the way you'd like to be treated and we're halfway there. When you ask me what I need and how you can help me, don't make it part of your script... mean it, and listen to my response, and remember it when you act and speak. Remember the "care" in healthcare.

Maddog

 

[Kris1984]

Thank you for the great responses!

 

[angel2write]

People with PTSD can be fuzzy and may sometimes need things repeated, or not track well on a question the first time, especially in a busy area. I also nearly always GET LOST trying to find my way out of clinics & appreciate directions to the door!