MONSTER HOSPITAL...CAN YOU PLEASE RELEASE ME
The next 6 weeks I am doing clinical at the Mental Hospital (addictions and mental health). My first week was very interesting to say the least. One pt told me he like my hair...
Oh. Thank you.
yeaaa, it's purple like mine, but mine is from a hit of acid. yeaaa.
Another pt keeps paper balled up in her ears, wears safety glasses and walks really fast so that the pollution molecules cannot get into her bloodstream. She was brought in by the police because of an excessive amount of garbage in her apt, but is extremely worried about bacteria and will not sit on a chair before covering it. She also doesn't think she needs to be at the hospital.
Many of the pts are very young and are even registered students at the University (obviously taking some time off...) While the days can be quite long since I don't have actual nursing 'skills' (i.e. vitals, baths etc) that needs to be done, interacting with these pts really makes you think. What exactly is normal? Who are we to decide that these people are not normal and lock them up with no privileges? I've taken psychology and i'm in mental health nursing now, so I understand a little bit about the brain and diagnoses and all that, but I still find myself thinking about it from the pt's perspective ...feeling locked up against their will...(however many of the pts are there voluntarily...)
Really I think i'm just scared someone might hear me talking to myself on the street and call the cops and i'll find myself slapped with a Form 1 wondering if I'll ever be able to go outside again...
Bam-chick-a-bam, chick-a-boom-boom-boom
Sha-lang-sha-lang-boom, sha-lang-sha-long-boom
posted by paulette at
5:03 PM
3 Comments:
i cant wait for my mental health rotation :D i like weird things.
MY HEAD!
Mon Mar 12, 07:18:00 AM
Ya I think this would weird me out too. Mental illness is a strange animal to me because I don't understand the causes. I always find when I'm trying to talk to someone who's suffering from such a condition that I feel really awkward and don't know what conversation topics to bring up.
/I thought your hair was black?
Mon Mar 12, 11:28:00 AM
What is normal? A good question, if there ever was one. Although I think there are some mainstream mental conditions that people can have and get along just fine in our modern society, such as those who actually believe in horoscopes.
However, when a condition is so severe that a person becomes a danger to themselves and/or others, regardless of what it might be, is when they need to check into the nuthouse/crazyhouse. I think there are some people in prison who deserve to be treated (through any of the various humane methods) for the mental conditions behind their offending behavior.
And as for holding/treating people against their will, I believe that people should have at least a few choices with regards to treatment, but they should not be able to choose not to be treated. Should anorexics be able to choose to not be treated? I think legally requiring treatment should be a method of last resort, but it's still necessary for people who don't know any better. Like I've said before, objective self-perception is impossible.
The bottom line is that far more research is required in the fields of psychology and the like in order to better treat society as a whole.
/what ever happened to just plain crazy?
Mon Mar 12, 06:47:00 PM
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