working with people who have mental health problems...why is this considered by many to be an unpleasant job?

Answer 1

Many have uncontrollable rage. I've witnessed on several occasions people going nuts and being restrained and shot up Haldol. I've been shot up with Haldol myself, but not because I lost control.

Also, alot of people with mental problems are overly sexual. And this leads to alot of frightening situations for people not ready to handle a situation such as this.

It can be a rewarding field for many, and a shock to many who are timid.

Answer 2

There have always been a misunderstanding about the mentally ill. In the bible mental illness was described as being possessed by demons. In today's Houston Chronicle, there is a picture shown of a new jail facility for people who are mentally ill. A jailer is shown facing the jailed rooms. It is supposed to house 300 inmates. Since when are the mentally ill to be treated as criminals? I think this is a step backward. Since government cuts have forced mental health hospitals to close down, this is being done. What is being accomplished? Instead of a hospital, they are now going to be in a jail until they can be releashed into society again. They should re-open the hospitals again and use the jail for offenders.

Today at work, the little boy I take care of has autism and behavioral problems. I heard his dad tell him to get out of his sight. It broke my heart. He cannot control himself and has such a hard time even getting dressed.

Answer 3

I think it would be a great job...

i have no idea why it might be considered unpleasant? Maybe those who don't like working with people find it objectionable.

I'd also like to say that, in the UNDIAGNOSED MASSES of people in the world, there are many who are volatile, angry and prone to attacking others verbally and physically. At least those who are in treatment for mental health issues REALIZE they have a problem and are not in denial about it.

Watch people in heavy traffic -- you can see loads of these UNDIAGNOSED morons... everywhere you look!

Answer 4

Having a mother whom has mental problems, I can see first hand how some people may be frustrated or short with those with these problems. A lot of people with mental illness, suffer from mood swings quite often which leaves them short with their co-workers, quiet, and over all acting different than us who do not have any mental illnesses at all. It is sad how bad some people treat those who did not ask for a disability. It is sometimes hard to read these people and it is difficult to understand how and why they say things or do things that they do... my best guess would be just because they are so completely different from those who do not have any mental illness, it's hard to accept and understand.

Answer 5

I was helping run a local drop in center, which is a support group/recreation thing we have had consumers run (a consumer is a person with mental illness who accesses mental health services -- it's a dumb name, I didn't come up with it). I have severe mental illness-bipolar disorder that has not responded well to medications. I keep a tight lid on my BEHAVIOR but internally, I am in absolute despair all the time.

Anyhow, when I signed up to be on the board, I thought I would be dealing only with mental illnesses, that is depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, phobias, panic attacks, etc. I had a lot of experience running things because I used to be a TA at a major university and had run a large (200 members) hobby club before, very successfully. I had specific goals - help solve the transportation problems, because often disabled people either can't drive or afford cars, help increase membership through planning more interesting activities, and finally, increase participation by those not on the board by having them help plan things, etc.

Well, it didn't go well for me. I just quit a couple days ago. I wasn't only dealing with mental illnesses, more than half the people attending had personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder or sociopathy. I had to endure one person making incest jokes and he wouldn't shut up when I asked him to, (I told him that many people going to the drop in center were incest/abuse survivors, it was against our rules, and he didn't care)and another dependent personality disorder person on the board did not help. Others would make the most outrageous statements, like tell people never to take lithium and whatever you do, don't wear a seatbelt because it will kill you. And they would say this in front of people with developmental disabilities, too. I personally think they had a disinformation campaign going against me, manipulating the developmentally disabled people (and laughing at them behind their backs). I know for a fact that one person on the board would try to make me look stupid. she would tell me one thing, and I would act based upon her information, then a month later, she would look at me like I was stupid, and ask why the heck would I do that? I didn't go work there for anything for myself, I personally did it to be helpful, so I had enough of that. I've been hating to go there for several months. 2/3 of the people going there are just great, though, which is why I had been sticking it out. I felt bad because one of those ladies cried. My brother who also goes wanted me to quit because of these problems, and so did my husband.

Personality disorders are very common in people with serious mental illness. When I talk to social worker type people they have clients that they like to see, and clients that are very difficult. There are clients who search for buttons to push on purpose, to get the worker upset. (This is what was being done to me.) The mental illnesses themselves usually respond at least some to medications, and I still think most people with mental illness try hard not to inflict their stuff on others, but if there is a personality disorder, that's not the case necessarily.

I am going to say that stigma is very much a problem, and social services in general is underpaid. You have to also hear some horrendous stories of abuse - you personally have seen these horrific tales on the news. Well, those children grow up, and turn into mentally ill adults. Then nobody cares anymore. Well, the social workers and therapists get into that, and they can get secondary traumatization just from hearing all that stuff.

Answer 6

I think this would be a difficult job, you could get someone that is unpredictable or really upset in a matter of minutes. I have heard that the pay is not worth what you have to go through. Do you have to have a Bachelor's Degree for these positions?

Answer 7

Society leads us to believe it to be an unpleasant job. Nothing wrong with it. Just like working at a nursing home.

Answer 8

Could be because people with mental health problems can be unpredictable and potentially be verbally and physically abusive.

Answer 9

Sometimes they cant be helped and you have to be very patient with people in general anyway. Also people dont really get paid so much working in social services.

Answer 10

Because a lot of people in this world are VERY shallow!