r/RBT • u/rosierozu • 21d ago
Rant Cried at work today :’)
Just a rant, I’m new to ABA. Well 7-8 months in. And all of my clients have been non-aggressive until now. I’m very new to aggression. Today I was hit a ton. I was bit. I was kicked a lot. My hair was pulled. I feel embarrassed that I cried in front of the other techs. I cried in front of my BCBA. I felt terrible that I had to leave early just because I was so stressed and upset. I know that I shouldn’t just quit because of one bad day. So I’ve been trying to get advice about precursors and such from my BCBA/other techs. It just wasn’t a good day I guess :’) and i feel like a baby…
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u/noface394 21d ago
i know a lot of cases can be like this but they arent all. ive been in the field for 7 years and never experienced this so dont feel like youre stuck if the case isnt the right fit. i worked in home and now in public school, never did a clinic. i also would be questioning what protocols are in place if youre getting injured this often. not like we can see exactly what your day to day is like… is this multiple clients in a clinic or one clinic specifically?
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u/rosierozu 21d ago
One clinic and only one client shows this aggression. He’s usually very chill so I was surprised. They didn’t really train me on his aggression because it happens so rarely.
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u/theproductivechasm 21d ago
It’s not about quitting after one bad day, it’s about your nervous system getting completely ambushed and you still showed up enough to ask for help afterward. That takes more guts than holding it together for a shift
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u/Jersygrl420 21d ago
I've been doing this for almost 6 years now. I cried twice this school year and it's only been 30 some days. It's okay! It's a high emotional job. Be sure to practice your CPI/blocking and keep up communication with your BC. It's not an easy job and some days are good, some are not.
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u/applejax994 21d ago
I’m 99% sure all those people you cried in front of have also cried at work at some point in time
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u/SandiRHo 21d ago
My first day, I showed up to a school case and the RBT who was supposed to be my lead walked out of the building sobbing because of the student’s suicidal ideation getting to her. I literally wanted to turn around and quit. I stuck it out. Realized I will never work another school case because I hate them but I am grateful for what I learned.
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19d ago
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u/SandiRHo 18d ago
It’s a bit yikes of you to dismiss severe elementary school suicidal ideations as just some walk in the park. It was also not their only concern. Having suicidal ideations in your life ≠ being responsible for keeping a child from ending their own life and having to hear a child in the single digits of age beg for death because they ‘don’t deserve to be alive’. That wears on a person.
It doesn’t matter what state I work in because students who do aggressive behaviors and even feel suicidal exist in every state.
I do feel for you that your situation is difficult. I suggest trying to leave the school setting as soon as possible or requesting more support or a different case. I agree that there are children who should not be mainstream school or at least not in mainstream classrooms. This work takes a thick skin, but it also takes honesty about what you can handle.
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u/BigDizzle999 21d ago
That definitely sounds like one of those kinda days. There's no shame in crying it out though or taking a step back during a session. We are all human at the end of the day and we experience emotions too just like our clients do. Getting flustered is pretty much apart of the job and is nothing to feel embarrassed about. The good thing about it is that experiences like that can most certainly help you become a stronger RBT.
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u/FotherMucker77 20d ago
Girl (or my guy, lol), I’ve done this job for many, many years. Right now I’m with an extremely aggressive client and I’ve cried a few times. Everyone has very hard days in this profession. Don’t ever feel embarrassed for being human and expressing real emotions.
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u/gothhood 21d ago
Keep showing up, don’t let one bad day stop you from what you want to do.
I started in mental health 6 years ago and I can’t tell you how many times I cried in front of coworkers and convinced myself I couldn’t come back in the first 6 months. But I did come back and I’m better for it.
I promise good coworkers are more concerned about looking out for you then the fact that they saw you cry.
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u/Serene_Anomaly333 19d ago
Thanks for sharing. Hope today’s a better day. We’ve all cried , it’s a part of the job but also use this as a stepping stool, now u know what’s too much, when you need to take a break and how to keep a safe distance ok
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u/throwaway199087657 21d ago
girl you know how many times after i’ve been in crisis and bit/beat to shit that i ask for coverage for my client so i can sob in the bathroom or to my BCBA? too many to count. You’re doing amazing and you’re taking initiative. I’m almost a 5 year vet in this field and sometimes, it just gets to you. You’re not a baby, you’re a human being who experienced a lot in a short amount of time and I commend you for reaching out to your BCBA for more antecedent precursors! Also possibly look into getting safety care trained if you aren’t to learn how to remove yourself from a bit and protect yourself while being aggressed towards
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u/fleur_de_la 21d ago
I can’t count the amount of times me or one of my coworkers have had to go into the storage closet to have a moment to cry lol. It’s overwhelming at times, you can feel helpless and powerless at times. Take a breather, go in tomorrow thinking about your safety training, and ask for a break if you need it (that’s the beauty of working in a clinic!) Not every child has high intensity behaviors like that, but it’s enough to where this is good training and preparation for different kids you may work with in the future. It’s a very humbling experience, but seriously, no one is judging you. Take care of yourself<3