755: Dr. Sohom Das | Rehabilitating the Criminally Insane

Aggression Management

In forensic psychiatry, managing aggression safely is crucial. Dr. Sohom Das explains that de-escalation is the first step when dealing with agitated patients. If verbal interventions fail, medication may be offered, and as a last resort, a trained emergency nursing team can physically restrain the individual 1. He notes that while violence is not constant, it does occur, and staff are trained annually in safe restraint techniques 1. Das shares, "Once a year we go through all these holds and actually learn how to sort of grapple with patients in the safest possible way."

   

Emotional Toll

The emotional toll of extreme cases can be significant for forensic professionals. Dr. Sohom Das recounts a particularly harrowing incident involving a prisoner who removed his own eyeballs due to delusional beliefs 2. Despite the severity of such cases, he finds the field fascinating, driven by an interest in criminality and mental illness 2. Das reflects, "I've always found criminality fascinating. I think people with mental illnesses, especially psychotic mental illnesses, to hear their beliefs that they are a hundred percent invested in."