Anybody working in mental health?

Question

What is your job like?

Answer 1

Ah ha where to start!?

I used to work in a secure psychiatric intensive care unit with teens...

I'll start with the good points: building a relationship up with a young person under very difficult circumstances can be very rewarding, and getting to see them transfer to an unlocked unit or go home. If you are interested in psychology/mental health etc then it is great experience as you get to see the manifestations of a range of mental disorders from Personality Disorders, Anorexia, Schizophrenia, Depression, Cannabis-induced psychosis etc etc.

Bad points: physical restraints, being physically/verbally assaulted on a daily basis, near misses, clearing up bodily fluids, 12 hr shifts, dealing with things unimaginable to those who have never gone behind the locked doors..

But for all the days where I came home physically and mentally exhausted I still loved getting up and going back the next day.  

Answer 2

Get a tape recorder and record the following, "I'm depressed, I don't know what to do, my back hurts, I have no money, my health is getting worse, bad things keep happening to me, I was abused as a child."

Once you have recorded that, then play it over and over again eight to eleven hours a day, five days a week.  

If you still enjoy listening to the recording after a year, then you are ready for a career in mental health.  

Answer 3

I work in the field of Behavioral Health. I work at a transitional housing facility where we serve SPMI (service for Persons with Mental Illness) individuals. My job? Its exciting. Somedays bizarre. Somedays stressful. I will say this though, no two days are alike. It just depends how symptomatic my clients get. To be honest, its most exciting when their not doing so well with their mental health.

I work with them, help them develop goals, I write programs for them, and work with our county to help them receive the most assistance and services available to them.

I don't see most of the aggressive stuff. Thats more for state hospitals and other lock-down facilities. But yeah, there is the occasional fist thrown here and there. I truly like my job. I have turned down higher paying jobs to continue working where I work. I love it.  

Answer 4

I did co-op for college at a Psych hospital. I loved it. Had to be careful of sharp objects around the main desk, and be careful what you say to patients. Met a lot of interesting people with various mental disabilities.

I will never forget the suicidal 12 year old girl who had Schizophrenia.

She was such a sweet girl. She thought her mother was Marilyn Munroe. All in all, I would say it was the best job I ever had.

Answer 5

Personally, I don't work in the mental health field, but I DO want to become a Psychiatrist in the future!

Answer 6

i know some. all they do is give me food & i eat it. the nurses give me pills & i take them. a pshyciatrist listens to what i have to say but the pshyciatrist at the hospital didn't speak fluently in english so whenever he speaked to me, he's always asking me: "so do you still can tell the future?"

i didn't say anything  about me & the future to him, i wanted a different pshyciatrist.

Answer 7

I'm a psychiatrist, it's hard but rewarding.

I hate having to hear patients stories and what they have been through. I work mainly with children, so it can be challenging to listen how much pain is in their life. The worst part is wanting to help them more than you actually can, but the best part is making their life bearable.

It's great sometimes and it can be heartbreaking others.

Answer 8

i do and at the mo am at uni to become a mental health nurse.its a hard job but such a rewarding job.as with everything there are good points and bad points but in my opinion the good points out way the bad.  

Answer 9

no but i know people that do, it sucks