Nurses struggling with mental illness

[Severina]

I was just wondering if there are any other nurses who struggle with mental illness. It seems to be one disability that is met with little tolerance and support in the medical field. I do have major co-morbid mental illness, Major depression/PTSD/DID, and have had many problems in my career. I have been in therapy and on meds for a long time and have worked very hard to be functional, and I have suprised myself by what I have been able to achieve. Currently, I am a hospice nurse in a residential setting and it seems that I have found my niche. It doesn't aggravate my illness too much. I am very busy at times and most of my job revolves in much cognitive thinking and decision making about the best ways to respond to a patient's emerging or existing symptoms, and in assessing patients to see where they are in the dying process, plus lots of educating to patients and families. My extensive personal trauma background has made me able to have a different perspective on death and don't see it as the scary thing that is SO SAD, that a lot of people do. Plus, because of the things that I have been through, I am more able to be compassionate and understanding of patients and their fears. I especially do well with patients with existing mental illness or lots of anxiety. I notice that a lot of nurses have little tolerance for a patients anxiety and are not willing to take the extra time to walk them through things and provide the extra reassurance that they need.

Yes, there are some nursing jobs that I don't think I would be able to do because of the fast on the spot life and death action necessary. ER and Trauma/Burn are pretty much out for me. But thats OK. A lot of nurses couldn't handle doing what I do either for their own reasons. We are all suited to certain things.

Having mental illness doesn't automatically make you unsuited for the nursing profession. Even though I have heard many times, "what are you doing here?" "Shouldn't you be doing something else, less stressful?"

I am here and am doing the thing I am suited for. Yes sometimes I have to take time off due to my illness, but its no different than somone who has flare ups of a chronic physical illness like lupus, chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia.

I would like to know how other nurses have coped with their own illness and their nursing careers.

Severina

[Liddle Noodnik]

Glad to see this thread continuing :)

[sharona97, BSN, RN]

Hats off to all of you who work those night shifts. I usually worked 3 - 11,took up an extra shift for nights and thought I was really losing it. And any time I've been hospitalized for various surgeries, ya'll have been sweet hearts. (ok except one maybe.......)lol

[daydreaming]

i am very comforted to see this thread. i have been diagnosed with bipolar 2, panic disorder, generalized anxiety, ptsd, with disassociation.

i consider myself to be a very safe and conscious nurse. i put my patients first, double and triple-check everything i do. i will admit, some times can get triggering, but i try to remove myself from it personally and be a good patient advocate. the crash doesn't usually happen until after my shift and i am at home.

i am currently in therapy, and am playing the med merry-go-round, as i haven't found the perfect med-match for me. but i will agree, there definately is a mental illness stigma in the field. it breaks my heart just hearing other health professionals (nurses included) making wise remarks about patients and their mental health. i envy those here who have had the strength to discuss their disorders with their co-workers, but i don't feel i'm at that point yet.

[leslie :-D]

i envy those here who have had the strength to discuss their disorders with their co-workers, but i don't feel i'm at that point yet.

and i would be extremely careful, should you decide to do this.

even being at the same job for 11 yrs, there are certain things i would not discuss with my coworkers.

call me paranoid.

but for me, certain issues do not belong in the workplace.

and as an aside, i have had coworkers/friends, turn their backs in time of need.

leslie

[woody62, RN]

i am very comforted to see this thread. i have been diagnosed with bipolar 2, panic disorder, generalized anxiety, ptsd, with disassociation.

i consider myself to be a very safe and conscious nurse. i put my patients first, double and triple-check everything i do. i will admit, some times can get triggering, but i try to remove myself from it personally and be a good patient advocate. the crash doesn't usually happen until after my shift and i am at home.

i am currently in therapy, and am playing the med merry-go-round, as i haven't found the perfect med-match for me. but i will agree, there definately is a mental illness stigma in the field. it breaks my heart just hearing other health professionals (nurses included) making wise remarks about patients and their mental health. i envy those here who have had the strength to discuss their disorders with their co-workers, but i don't feel i'm at that point yet.

While I am generally open about sharing mental health problems, I went thru a very trying period back in the 90's. Over four years, I was hospitalized repeatedly for severe clinical depression. What the nurses said to me, while I was a patient, absolutely fried me. "You are a nurse, you know what you have to do to get better". "What is your problem"? are two of the nicer things said to me. Thank heavens a clinical psychologist and a psychiatric nurse practitioner were much more understanding and much more helpful, as were most of my fellow patients.

My advice, if you hear negative comments from your co-workers, don't share.

Woody:balloons:

[spydercadet]

Hey All,

I have thought about this for a very long time and these are just my own thoughts but...Most of us get out of nursing school somewhere between 20-22y/o and then we're thrust into life and death situations. Some of us choose ER, ICU, LTC actually any position as a nurse puts us in the role of caregivers to some of the sickest people in our society. Many times their families don't or just can't listen to them talk about being sick or even dying. We care for the critically ill and at the end of the day we punch out and just say, "see ya' all tomorrow."

If you watch TV now, with the war going on, everyone is talking about PTSD because of the youth of our military, but no one says anything about us, not even us.

We don't support one another, we don't even teach new nurses what to be on the look out for in themselves as far as PTSD. Does anyone else think this way? I graduated nursing school when I was 20y/o and went to work in the NICU. I can't even remember how many babies died or what they died from. There are a couple I will never forget but what I will never forget is that I became an Atheist while I worked there. 25 plus years later, I have come to understand myself and God in new ways. But I have also come to believe that if nursing is to be everything that it can be, PTSD must be addressed. And we must find a way to care for one another, not attack one another.

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

Well said, Spydercat! Thank you!

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I find it so sad that in this day and age, the stigma attached to mental illness still exists. If it were me, I wouldn't say anything about my diagnosis(as long as I was not a danger to myself or others)-too many people willing to stick a label on you. I had some problems with depression some years back and I'd sooner have a root canal than tell anyone I work with. Fellow nurses will hang you out to dry if you have physical problems, never mind a psychiatric disorder. Look out for yourself, other people won't do it for you...

[sharona97, BSN, RN]

I find it so sad that in this day and age, the stigma attached to mental illness still exists. If it were me, I wouldn't say anything about my diagnosis(as long as I was not a danger to myself or others)-too many people willing to stick a label on you. I had some problems with depression some years back and I'd sooner have a root canal than tell anyone I work with. Fellow nurses will hang you out to dry if you have physical problems, never mind a psychiatric disorder. Look out for yourself, other people won't do it for you...

Amen to that!

[amzyRN]

I find it so sad that in this day and age, the stigma attached to mental illness still exists. If it were me, I wouldn't say anything about my diagnosis(as long as I was not a danger to myself or others)-too many people willing to stick a label on you. I had some problems with depression some years back and I'd sooner have a root canal than tell anyone I work with. Fellow nurses will hang you out to dry if you have physical problems, never mind a psychiatric disorder. Look out for yourself, other people won't do it for you...

I couldn't agree more that it is sad and frankly ignorant that there is such a stigma still. And unless one is in a very enlightened environment, I would keep any diagnosis to myself. If one makes a close trustworthy friend, then it may be safe. It's nice to be able to be honest with people, but sometimes it's a mistake to reveal too much.

One question, do you (or anyone else) think there has been less of a stigma associated with clinical depression? Don't want to get off topic, but just curious. It seems that way to me.

J

[Liddle Noodnik]

...We don't support one another, we don't even teach new nurses what to be on the look out for in themselves as far as PTSD.

Back then it was unheard of - you either "had the constitution" or you didn't. In fact, the healthy coping skills I've learned now were actually discouraged when I was in nursing school. If you had the "nerve" to question, or to ask for help, or even to just "de-brief", your ability to practice came into question. I know a couple women who got kicked out just because they stood up for themselves. Had to be a special kind of doormat, it seemed.

I think it is essential especially in this day and age (and we have finally identified it!) that students are made aware, and people are taught healthy ways to deal with it! I think that for established nurses, along w/ inservices on new trachs, IV tubings, etc., they should be teaching about PTSD and self care. I think the big thing that needs to be taught is that it can happen to anyone.

(re the medicine merry go round)

Don't you just love it ... (rolling my eyes...) it sure does take a long time.

My last crisis was when I had the flu and could not eat or take meds for 3 WEEKS! I knew it was gonna happen, even warned the doc that since what I took got thrown up, I was dehydrated from the N + V, and then I couldn't swallow anything at all ... what were we supposed to do? I think that was worse than my very first episode, which was pretty bad! It was 2 yrs ago and I pray it never happens again

[woody62, RN]

Hey All,

I have thought about this for a very long time and these are just my own thoughts but...Most of us get out of nursing school somewhere between 20-22y/o and then we're thrust into life and death situations. Some of us choose ER, ICU, LTC actually any position as a nurse puts us in the role of caregivers to some of the sickest people in our society. Many times their families don't or just can't listen to them talk about being sick or even dying. We care for the critically ill and at the end of the day we punch out and just say, "see ya' all tomorrow."

If you watch TV now, with the war going on, everyone is talking about PTSD because of the youth of our military, but no one says anything about us, not even us.

We don't support one another, we don't even teach new nurses what to be on the look out for in themselves as far as PTSD. Does anyone else think this way? I graduated nursing school when I was 20y/o and went to work in the NICU. I can't even remember how many babies died or what they died from. There are a couple I will never forget but what I will never forget is that I became an Atheist while I worked there. 25 plus years later, I have come to understand myself and God in new ways. But I have also come to believe that if nursing is to be everything that it can be, PTSD must be addressed. And we must find a way to care for one another, not attack one another.

]I'm sorry if I don't seem sympathetic but just why do you think you suffered or for that matter, any new nurse suffers from PTSD. If you had been in NYC, on 9/11, you might suffer from PTSD. If you worked in an ER and suffered a mass cas incident, you could perhaps suffered from PTSD. If your next door neighbor's young child came into your hospital the victim of some terrible illness or injury, and you took care of him, perhaps you could suffer from PTSD. But sorry, nursing is composed of a lot of difficult situations and a lot of terrible things. And they are nothing like what our military is being exposed to, so prescribing PTSD to everyone is lame, just very lame.

Woody:balloons: