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working in mental health- its not me, its you....

Ah ! it has dawned on me that it is indeed the workplace that I have been in that is getting me down, today I was in a new place with people who were less ill, and I found it much more profitable I could engage people in conversation more and built some fantastic relationships!

I think the difference was that these people knew that they are or have been ill, and so they even could joke about their symptoms. In addition, they can experience the symptoms and talk about them.

I learnt a lot, felt appreciated and loved on some level as well, no racism, just pure human friendship, I never thought I would gel with everyone so quickly, and have so much fun. Now I realise that working in mental health is where I belong, because I can make a difference to people's lives by just being me.

Further I was the only person there, so I cold pretty much run the show. some people talk to themselves, so I just join in the conversation, and then they talk to me.

I felt like I was using my skills today, I felt enrgised and at peace when I got home.

Gosh, I now realise what level of mental illness I want to work with. I can't work with the severely mentally ill, I get depressed and drained after work.

I also realised that I can express my creativity through my work much more in the new centre. It took me a long time to recover, I had to watch a lot of comedy ( billy connolly) to get myself back up again, I lilterally felt ill.
I am so glad I realised that it wasn't me but the workplace.
I think people on this blog will think that I have a crude sense of humour, or that my comments about clients are cutting, but humour is essential in this work, and a coping mechanism, and like all the great comedians I do not mean any harm by it, just a laugh to lighten the load, believe me, you'll only realise how hard and amzingly wonderful it is, when you actually come and work in mental health.