Physically restrained at work

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An interesting day. There was a mix-up at work and I got highly confused. Then I got yelled at for being confused. Then I started to melt down and I tried to leave but I was physically restrained by the staff member who yelled at me. She held me tightly around the waist with my arms pinned against my sides. I was still heading for the door and dragging her behind me. In the end she let me go and I left.
The thing is, after all this I felt extraordinarily calm. I didn't go into meltdown. This is very unusual for me. I wonder if it was the physical restraint? I don't know if I was in shock, or what?

Don't think your workplace handled the situation very well at all. They should not have physically restrained you unless you were threatening another worker. If you were having a meltdown or about to, they could have asked you if you needed any assistance, sent you home or to the doctor or even asked you to go outside for a while to recover. I really don't see why they felt they had to restrain you. I hope there aren't any ramifications from the incident that may affect your employment. You seem to have taken this incident very well.

I don't know why she restrained me. I was confused and not thinking straight. Maybe she thought I might be a danger to myself? I don't think I was yelling. I told her I was going and I told her a few times to let me go.

Interesting what eventuates when you return to work tomorrow. Hope all is ok. Keep us posted what happens.

I don't think I really did anything wrong. I told her I was going which is a requirement. Anyway, she was the one who yelled at me. No doubt there will be a debrief tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to that.

Yikes, I would not react well to a workmate shouting at me, then restraining me, what a horrible experience.

That sounds upsetting -- you handled it really well, considering. I agree with the others that she did not do the right thing at all -- I don't think grabbing you and restraining you like that is even legal? Outside of someone actually thrashing around harming themselves or others, to lay contact that way on a worker is possibly not a legal act in the workplace -- I'm not sure on that at all but it's just something I thought I'd heard over the years, so don't quote me on that.

You might want to get legal advice or look it up online at the very least.

It is very interesting that you felt calm afterwards. Sometimes when I meltdown if I get hugged really tight, and only from certain people, I calm down. But it has to be from the right people not just from anyone. But the combination of safety and pressure makes me calmer I guess like a weighted vest or blanket would. So it is possible that her holding you like that actually helped since it seemed to have calmed you.

My guess is she was afraid you were going to hurt yourself. I would not be too hard on her for it. It's a very instinctive reaction and she did not hurt you and it was most likely out of concern and it did seem to calm you. But I would just explain to her that when you are having a neurological moment it's best to just allow you to leave, collect yourself, and then come back when you are ready. I would also tell your boss that confusion does not merit being yelled at and will never help the situation.

I just hope the they don't do anything to hurt your job position. You might have some protection with the ADA but I don't really know.

Next time, just tell them that you're "going on break," or just say that you have to go to the bathroom/washroom/toilet. Or just retreat to the bathroom.

I've done this many-a-time when I've become frustrated at work.

I'm sorry this happened.

What do you do for work?-- if you don't mind me asking.

Maybe it was the pressure that calmed you down? Temple Grandin has talked about so many times about how deep pressure relaxes her so she invented the squeeze machine.

Oof, the deep pressure from the restraint aside (I tend to calm down when I'm being held, too) the experience sounds traumatic. I don't think your fellow employees should have the authority to restrain you. I'm awfully sorry you had that happen to you - it boggles the mind how few people understand boundaries these days. I think you're brave to want to go back tomorrow; idk if I could manage that.

Wow - if someone had restrained me like that I probably would have instinctively hit them. Glad that didn't happen in your case. Maybe it's time to have a dicussion with your employer around needs and boundaries with respect to both parties.

Do you work in a healthcare establishment where they frequently have to restrain people? like a nursing home? That's the only kind of place I can imagine where this might be seen as remotely acceptable for her to do that to you.

I don't know what the law is in Australia but this doesn't sound like anything that would be lawful. It sounds like assault.

The pressure may have calmed you. Or maybe it was just the sense of things escalating into weirdness. I get very calm in situations like that.

I find it very odd that she restrained you. You said you were leaving and went to do so. She had no reason to do that.

I'd have my guard up if I were you. She may feel that she's in trouble and make out that you did something you didn't. You should try to remember as much as you can about what happened.

I work in an environment where physical restraint is commonplace. I have had training in these techniques myself and have used them where needed. The person who restrained me is highly trained in this field so I guess she must have seen something in my behaviour that warranted restraint. She followed me out the door so I think she was really concerned about me.
I don't have any ill-feeling towards her. I've known her a long time and we have a good working relationship. However, I am upset that she yelled at me for being confused - like that's going to help.
I'm thinking that it was the deep pressure that calmed me down like a few of you have suggested.
I also felt very detached from reality during the whole experience. It's a hazy memory. All I was thinking was, "I'm outta here." I don't think anything short of tackling and hog-tying could have kept me there.
Thanks for your replies. Your responses have helped me work through this weird incident.