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De-escalation of agitated people is a trained skill and a team effort: 91Թ expert

Image of agitated patient and doctor
When someone’s behaving in an aggressive or threatening way during a mental health or emotional crisis, “they’re probably scared," writes Dr. Brittany Poynter (photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

It’s normal to want to run the other way when you come across somebody who is agitated, aggressive and yelling.  But Dr. Brittany Poynter, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the 91Թ’s Faculty of Medicine, says there are strategies to deal with an agitated person.

Poynter, an emergency department psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), says de-escalation is a skill that requires training and experience. It takes a team of people working together to make sure everyone is safe, she writes in the Toronto Star’s weekly column created by medical experts from the 91Թ.

“I don’t recommend anyone try it alone.”

When someone’s behaving in an aggressive or threatening way during a mental health or emotional crisis, “they’re probably scared," she writes. "Their actions are driven by fear, rather than a desire to harm anyone.”

She also advises family members who face an escalating situation with a loved one experiencing psychosis to call 911 sooner rather than later. 

 

 

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