Rant

[SamL]

Usually annoyances are short lived for me.  About the time something registers as annoying, it's rolling off me like the proverbial water off a ducks back.  Usually.  But now it's been 48 hours and it's still pissing me off and so it's time to abandon the 'velcro on my back' plan and move on to the 'getting it off my chest in a post' plan.  Wish me luck...

 

I went to a low cost, inner city type clinic on Thursday that caters primarily to a homeless population that have no other options.  I needed to see a dentist immediately, they had a same day appointment and took my insurance and so, there I was.  Suddenly, everyone in the lobby was treated to some angry yelling coming from the bathroom.  I was close and stuck my head in to make certain someone wasn't being hurt and found some homeless guy with some clear mental health issues screaming at another homeless guy who was monopolizing the only stall.

 

Within moments, a dozen staff members including front office staff, social workers, and nurses - along with a security guard, convened on the bathroom.  They ordered the man doing the yelling out of the bathroom, shuffled him outside and repeatedly threatened to call the police on him.  He didn't have an indoor voice but he didn't threaten or put his hands on anyone.  Seemed like such a great deescalation technique - surround him with a dozen people, threaten him, and condescend to him.  They took turns turning away to roll their eyes and grin, stifling chuckles at the fun they were having at his expense.  Anyway, I watched in absolute amazement, until I simply had to intervene.

 

I had no illusions that they were going to treat me any more respectful than they did him but I was better suited for their bs. I approached the group and was told to step back.  "No."  And then I translated for them.  It appears that none of you are listening to him.  I understand he has poor communication skills but he keeps repeating the same thing: He had to go to the bathroom really badly, there's only one stall and the fellow in that stall was not using the stall for the intended purpose but instead was shooting up heroin in there.  The homeless man was screaming at him to get the hell out of the bathroom and go do his drugs somewhere else.  He's now flabbergasted that you are defending the fellow shooting drugs in your clinic and threatening the guy who told him to stop.

 

At which point they started looking for the guy who was shooting up and found him unconscious in the stall after an overdose (he lived).  They never did apologize to the homeless guy.  How has the human race lasted this long...?

Edited April 20, 2019 by SamL

[Littlest_Bee]

Oh, wow. That is heartbreaking.

 

I think the human race has lasted so long because there are awesome people like you who do what needs to be done if they can.

 

So, thank you for being you.

[SamL]

Oh, wow. That is heartbreaking.

 

I think the human race has lasted so long because there are awesome people like you who do what needs to be done if they can.

 

So, thank you for being you.

 

Thanks you.  The guy clearly needed a daddy in the moment...what's a daddy to do? 

[LittleTeacup]

 Unfortunately I think a lot of people who work at these types of clinics don't have much training on how to deal with situations like this. They are afraid, they threaten to call the police (who almost never have the right kind of training and often make things worse).

 

I'm very glad you were able to be an advocate for him. You could even ask to talk to the manager of the place and report what happened.

[RayneAlize]

I never comment on posts, but just reading your post pissed me off!!! This world is so full of ignorant individuals. I am very happy that you weren't just a bystander, and actually intervened on the mans behalf. The world needs more individuals who aren't afraid to stand up for others, just like you did. Thank you for using your voice for someone other than yourself

[MysticSand]

Gosh. You've touched on several points and experiences in my life in this one post.

 

It's sad to say that I wasn't shocked at reading the situation in the post (but was pleasantly shocked that you intervened!) which is commentary on itself on how terribly common such instances are. It's always heart breaking to see and know and experience when people are in the wrong field. I always ask myself why people are in the professions they are in when clearly they don't have the heart for it. Who knows.

 

I hope that people in such positions didn't start out that way, and that it was time and just... other people, who jaded them to become who they are now. I think it's hard to have empathy if someone's never been in such a situation. Is it too far to say that anyone that works in a client-interfacing position, should be made to experience the life of said clients before they can be posted to work? 

 

The human race has lasted this long exactly because of the instance you mentioned. We're animals at best and self preservation is a thing. We may tout that we're a superior species because of our "brains" but at the end of the day, everyone's out for themselves and if it means choosing to be categorized as "us" or "them" most of the time it will be the former.

 

Unfortunately, your behavior in this instance is what was deviant. So, thank you for being deviant.

[SamL]

So, thank you for being deviant.

 

Might just be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me...so thanks for that!

 

Further commentary coming..be warned.

 

It has been a long held belief of mine that when people are placed in charge of other people, they start to dehumanize them.  Many police officers would pull their service revolvers on ANYONE who spoke to their son or daughter the way they speak to citizens, and yet they didn't start out that way.  Correctional officers are starting to get rotated out of certain positions that require them to closely interact with inmates because study after study show that the longer they work in close proximity, the more sadistic they get.  The majority didn't get into the field so they could be sadistic.  Even in nursing homes you can see it.  How many people went to work in a nursing home or daycare because they hate old people or kids?  And yet how pervasive is abuse in these venues?  I work with a number of social workers who got into the business because they have such huge hearts...and yet, I've had to call them on their behavior sometimes and have had them in tears - not by raising my voice, but by holding up a mirror and showing them how they interacted.  

 

The solution to every problem in life (imo) is love, which is the only saving grace for our community - people in charge of other people only works when there is love involved.

[Tiger Striperino]

I feel like they should at least have some training on how to deal with situations like this. Or at least use common sense. Since it seems like they dealt with the guy who was angry about a problem instead of the guy causing the problem.

[Lil me]

Difficult to deal w on many levels.

 

I work a bit with the homeless and I can see their view along with the professionals, yours & the guy w a drug problem views.

 

And w no way to fix the problem, that makes it even more frustrating for you.

 

No answer for you unfortunately, I can just sympathize w you!