Does anybody work in A&E?

[CrazyKittenSmile]

My self-harm has gotten out of control and I have had to go to the hospital for stitches five times so far this month. I’ve been several other times over the last six months but the last few weeks have been especially bad.

The nurses, doctors and health care practitioners at the hospital have never been anything but kind to me but many of them recognise me now and have treated me more than once.

Obviously they have to be professional as part of their job but I’m just wondering, if you work in A&E, how you feel when faced with patients who self harm? Is it frustrating to have people come back having done the same thing when you just treated them a few days before?

Please be honest, I’m hoping perhaps if I can try and see things from another point of view it will help motivate me to stop this.

It is frustrating in that the staff in A&E aren't equipped to treat the root cause of the injury you're presenting with. It's not that they see you as a bad person or a bother, it's that you need care that they can't provide.

Please seek some sort of psychological counseling or treatment that can address the problem more directly.

I’m a nurse but not A&E. Honestly. I don’t get frustrated. If breaks my heart. I just want to give them a hug and say please don’t hurt yourself.

I am receiving nhs therapy (CAT) but it’s not really helping right now. The first few times I attended A&E I also spoke with the RAID team but now they send me home without having me speak to them, yesterday I asked to speak to RAID but they told me there was no need and sent me home after the stitches which is what made me think maybe they see me as a bother or are fed up of treating me. Although maybe they just recognise the help they can offer is sort of hopeless right now. I don’t know. I want something to help but I don’t see what that could possibly be right now.