Anonymous OP 9w

Nothing new though I’m sure it’s worse. My mom worked in a mental hospital almost 10 years ago and it was the worst job she’s ever had. The only people that can continue working at mental hospitals have mental issues themselves, or are too empathetic and will end up with them from working there too long. It sucks the lack of support and pay they are given and how everyone treats them, from patients to bosses

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Anonymous OP 9w

next I expect to see prison guards making “we’re so burnt out and underpaid :( please please PLEASE be nice to us” posts to the yikyak community for people who’ve been arrested for survival crimes

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Anonymous #2 8w

Survival crimes? I don’t think someone who became a guard for a prison is comparable to someone who got a nursing license and is trying to help people at a psych facility when they could make more money at most other nursing jobs, but sure.

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Anonymous #2 8w

are you for fucking real right now

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Anonymous #2 8w

How are mental health professionals like prison guards?

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Anonymous #4 8w

notice that OP specified working at a mental hospital. that’s different from being an independent therapist or working as a regular psychiatrist at a normative clinic mental hospitals are where they lock you up when you get forcibly institutionalized bc someone misinterpreted your “I wanna die” as an “actionable plan”. they quite literally function as prisons for the mentally ill. everyone I‘ve known who’s spent time in one of those places came out the other side even more traumatized

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Anonymous #1 8w

do you think prison guards are well-paid? and do you think most of them sign up with the explicit intent to cause suffering? or do you think maybe they approach with ideals of Justice, Order and Safety in mind even though the system they’re choosing to participate in is unspeakably dehumanizing and sacrifices the goal of rehabilitation in favor of exerting control and inflicting punishment?

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Anonymous #2 8w

Yeah, as do the employees that work at them. That’s at least my point. They’re horrible places where both patients and employees (or at least the nurses) come out of them worse because of the way everyone around them treats them. Government definitely needs to revamp how they work because they benefit nearly nobody but we all know that won’t happen

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Anonymous #2 8w

I’m not gonna argue for the sake of arguing smh, people are people and everyone in these situations has different experiences, the workers are just people trying to survive same as you, some may even be trying to help you but theres also certainly some assholes, treat the worker how they treat you

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Anonymous #2 8w

the nurses and doctors and tech workers at mental health institutions are not the reason that those places can be bad for people, at least not always. just because inpatient was traumatic doesnt mean that it was because of the nurses or other staff working there. this is just an insane take

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Anonymous #2 8w

do you think that there should be no inpatient mental health care?

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Anonymous #1 8w

it’s obscene to talk as if the experiences of the patients and those of the nurses are even remotely comparable the nurses aren’t being drugged against their will, physically overpowered by teams of armed guards, or sequestered indefinitely in a cell by themselves with restricted access to communication with the outside world. they get to return to their homes at a set time. they may experience some degree of trauma at work, but you can’t just brush off the EXTREME power imbalance involved

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Anonymous #1 8w

the psych professionals at a mental hospital are objectively the ones in control at those facilities. the patients have zero tangible institutional power or leverage over the circumstances inflicted upon them. we’re talking about “choosing to work somewhere that turns out to be shitty because of patients lashing out” vs “having your entire life derailed without your consent as a consequence of suffering from mental illness”

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Anonymous #3 8w

right, because “they were just following orders!” has never been an excuse propagated to justify extreme mistreatment of vulnerable populations

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Anonymous #2 8w

i asked you a question

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Anonymous #3 8w

very funny timing to describe a take as “insane” btw. I’ve said my piece, you’ve already made it clear that you aren’t open to hearing me out. if you feel justified in shutting out criticism of psychiatric institutions then that’s your prerogative

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Anonymous #2 8w

when have i made it clear i wasnt open to hearing you out? you literally never answered my question. i'm genuinely curious to hear what you think a good alternative to inpatient is for people who are genuinely a danger to themselves. i dont feel justified in anything, i'm trying to have a conversation wirh you

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Anonymous #2 8w

sorry for using the word insane, i didnt realize you had a thing about it. ill try to be more careful

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Anonymous #3 8w

“are you for fucking real right now” & “this is just an insane take” are very much not the type of responses which communicate “I think your perspective is coming from a place that Doesn’t deserve to be immediately dismissed. while I don’t totally understand the sentiment, I’d like to hear you out until it makes more sense to me”

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Anonymous #3 8w

even your apology hinges on me necessarily “having A Thing about it”, rather than recognizing that maybe this was an issue of your word choice simply being inappropriate in this particular context. all I really have to say in response to your question is that I don’t think an individual needs to have an ideal replacement model in mind before they’re allowed to rail against a harmful system that’s currently in place

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Anonymous #2 8w

Your just looking to argue bro

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Anonymous #1 8w

ironic thing to say when you’re the one needlessly chiming in to try and shut me down without so much as engaging with my points. especially considering that nobody has addressed you in over an hour, And you already said you weren’t interested in arguing—why even reply at this point when you demonstrably have nothing to add?

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