I started my new job last week. Our first week was an orientation/training. We spent an entire day learning how to deal with combative/aggressive patients and how to non-violently contain them should they become violent towards us (I work for a behavioral health hospital that offers impatient and outpatient services to client’s with severe mental illness).
Before resorting to anything physical, they teach us different techniques to (hopefully!) be able to de-escalate patients when they become combative. We then paired up together to practice the skills on each other.
I really struggled with de-escalating aggressive clients. I do not to well with confrontation…both in my personal life and professionally.
At first I felt ashamed and uncomfortable with lack of skills; I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and I have high expectations for myself.
But as I was reflecting on that day, and how I had preformed on the other days, I realized that it’s okay to have strengths and weaknesses.
Not only is it “okay”…I’m okay with it. I’ve come to a point in my life where I can accept myself as I am; both my good qualities, and my not-so-good.
look beyond the imperfections 