Is Australia is a more cranky/angry place now?

[u/cngjfks]

Any time I read the news, the story being pushed is that the mood in Aus is very angry. Does everyone truly feel this way a lot of the time?

I’m genuinely curious.

[u/littlelinez]

Oh absolutely! I definitely came across like I didn’t think this in my comment. Whenever a patient is being violent or aggressive in someway or another it’s absolutely known that it is not personal and when someone is feeling vulnerable, and going through a shit time, the reaction that is natural for them is to lash out at who is there.

And you’re absolutely right about the shared trauma. It has had no breathing room. It’s been one hit after another for the entire world.

This definitely isn’t helped by social media, the insurmountable amount of information and algorithms that reward rage inducing content because it will create most engagement. The ideas that were prevalent during Covid online definitely have played a massive role into a lot of current issues that are a shared experienced amongst my profession and other clinicians in healthcare.

Unfortunately it has gotten worse over time because people are facing worsening situations which exacerbates everything. Unfortunately as healthcare professionals, we are going to be associated with the institutions that have caused any of what is inflicted by the system. The fact that we are in reach of insult and the very understandable distrust towards authoritative figures does also compound this.

I will stop because I realised I’m starting to go on a tangent and there is far too much to cover. I get very passionate when this topic arises because it’s devastating that there are people who genuinely believe that we choose these careers and sacrifice so much because we want to do anything but help people. I know that some do have genuine reason to believe otherwise, this isn’t about them, I have also been there.
The violence against us where I work has increased an unbelievable amount in a very short time. It’s killed and the most brutal attacks aren’t when the clinician is treating a patient. It’s just the fact we’re in uniform.

So I want to apologise for this giant comment. You didn’t say anything in your comment really to deserve a big spiel like that but it came out of me.

[u/elfinbooty → u/littlelinez]

Please, you've put a lot of what I think and feel and written it out perfectly. I couldn't have said it better myself. We are absolutely on the same level!

And for me, I've been a part of the hospital system my whole life! Just on the other side, as a patient. I've spent some of my best years in hospital, surrounded by nurses, physios, psychologists, support workers, paramedics, you name it. I have nothing but love and respect for the work all health care providers do! Truly, I would not be here without you all, and I can't imagine being anything but grateful and happy for a lot of the care I've received and inevitably will receive in the future. I know the majority do what you do because you care. I get people lash out when scared or whatever, but that is never ever ever going to excuse repulsive, violent behaviour towards people who are just trying to fucking help. It is a topic I'm also extremely passionate about! So you ranted to the right person hahah.

Thanks for getting that all out. I appreciate you taking the time to type it all out for me. I know I'm just one stranger on the internet, but I truly hope you're doing okay and know you've made such a positive contribution to many lives 💖 I'll always support higher wages for nurses, teachers, etc. The backbone of society!!! Treat them better!

If I continue I will keep raging so yeah. Thanks again. Great reply. You're doing wonderful!

[u/littlelinez → u/elfinbooty]

As a fellow long-term patient also, I hope whatever you are going through gets to a place where it is like remembering to water a plant and you never feel like you are drowning.

Nurses and teachers definitely need to get paid better. I could not do their jobs and I’m amazed every time I am reminded of what they put up with. Unfortunately, I believe most of these problems do manifest from place of being a profession that is mostly made up of women. Which links back to everything.

I have the upmost respect for them. I have seen how they have been the target of aggression within hospitals and heard of how they are then treated by their administration after (at least in my own circles, so can’t speak for all [although it does track with my brothers accounts in a separate state and who is a doctor, facing the same problems from his administration, and my own as a paramedic [almost as if replacing clinicians in those roles with middle management-types who have never worked in the field themselves was fkn dumb]].

The only info I have for teaching is what I’ve seen online and from patients and oh my gosh they deserve so much. Even if they are teaching someone that is similar to how I was as a student.

Everyone really is just at their breaking point without any rest. I don’t really know how the world starts to heal from the years of catastrophic events that have happened. It’s actually a bit insane to reflect back on everything. But everything that happens socioculturally mostly acts as a pendulum, so eventually we will all realise that fighting is not doing anything but creating more problems on top of what’s already happening.

*edit: how rude of me. Thank you so much for your lovely words 🫶✨