Reaching out

[Angel]

So if you or a co-worker had a difficult call, would you prefer to be left alone or silently hope someone reaches out?
Im struggling on the other side, if this person isn't bothered at all I don't want to trigger them, but if having them vent to me could help...I want to.
Im not quite sure what to say though

what say you?

 

[LACoGurneyjockey]

"Hey man, that sounded like a ****ty call, lemme know if you wanna talk about it. I'm here whenever."

 

[STXmedic]

I personally am not one to talk things out and vent about bad calls, but I still appreciate it when people offer to listen. It shows that they care, and that I wasn't the only one to think it was a ****ty call. LaCo's quote should more than suffice.

 

[Carlos Danger]

So if you or a co-worker had a difficult call, would you prefer to be left alone or silently hope someone reaches out?
Im struggling on the other side, if this person isn't bothered at all I don't want to trigger them, but if having them vent to me could help...I want to.
Im not quite sure what to say though

what say you?

If they aren't bothered at all, then bringing it up won't "trigger" anything.

I don't see what you have to lose by offering.

 

[Angel]

yea i dont know this person super well but like you said it couldnt hurt to ask....so I DID and they said they were OK.
Honestly I just read about provider suicides and wonder could stuff like this help? having someone unbiased to talk to?
I obviously dont know the answer or think its that simple, but if it helps then great.
I didnt think stuff got to me like that either but after one particularly sh!tty week I couldnt stop thinking about it but vented to a friend...so
anyway, I guess I said that to say...thanks!

 

[johnrsemt]

If I had a bad day or bad call I would hope a co worker reaches out to me and offers to help (I have had them, and had co workers help me). I wouldn't get upset about it.

Look at the other side: You see a co worker that is having issues and you don't approach them to see if they need to talk. They try (or succeed) to kill themself. Then you feel worse.

I have reached out to co workers in the past, and I have actually taken 2 to get help: Both were mad at me at the time "I hate you, I never want to talk to you again" mad. Both have since forgiven me, and thanked me for forcing the issue. One even told me that he had the note written, and all of his old medications in the car. He was going to kill himself after work. His partner had told him that he (partner) felt that the guy was having a bad day, and "not to do anything stupid at work, cause it will make the company look bad".

 

[Angel]

Make the company look bad...wow
But yea that thought runs through my head so it is better to ask than not. I know people process things differently but it can't hurt.the suicide rate in ems is unbelievable

 

[Brandon O]

They're people under stress, not bulls. You can't go wrong by giving a crap.

 

[JosephDurham]

I would offer an open ear. How many times have things gone wrong, and we, personally have felt bothered and had no one to talk to about the run, et cetera. But if someone had asked us................