Ask me about working in a psychiatric hospital - Page 12

DwightSchrute · #**111** 10-09-2007, 07:47 PM

The two hospitals I stayed in were nothing like what is being describeded here. Not that I doubt any of it for a second.

Both places I was in were pretty cool, yes I know that sounds messed up and just may be, you had little group meetings where everyone is supposed to act like they care. Then you go to some like artsy classes where you make a coffee mug, plate, etc.

TBH, I knid of miss it.

I did have a nice looking assistant type person want to go out with me. We were supposed to meet one night and she didn't show up. Turns out she thought about it and realized it wasn't the smartest thing to do.

Mr_Moore · #**112** 10-09-2007, 09:20 PM

Very interesting thread and op you are a good storyteller.
Please share more stories.

GinaSD · #**113** 10-15-2007, 10:11 PM

ooh, you got to make a mug? We had a pretty thin selection of wallet, vase, trivet, and little wooden trinket box.

[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

<I'm garden-variety Bipolar 1, and have gone into manic episodes scary enough that a few times I've been hospitalized until new mood stabilizers could kick in>

ROADHEAD · #**114** 10-16-2007, 12:09 AM

[ QUOTE ]

"I've heard psychotic drugs (LSD, shrooms, etc.) can trigger it to develop in people sooner in life, but if you are going to get schizophrenia, you are going to get it, even if you never did the drugs. Any chance if you know if this is true/false/just pure speculation?

[/ QUOTE ]
Environmental factors can definitely trigger the onset of schizophrenia. E.g., a period of high stress such as separation from family. I've never heard of illegal drugs such as these triggering the onset of schizophrenia but it certainly seems plausible that the drugs could have such an effect. For the most part Schizophrenia is something you will get or not get but timing can vary.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont know if this was true or not but a friend of mine said his friend ate some shrooms, and went crazy. He said that the kid that ate the shrooms lost his mind and thought that he was a glass of orange juice, and now he spends the rest of his life in a home trying not to spill.

jackflashdrive · #**115** 10-16-2007, 05:53 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I dont know if this was true or not but a friend of mine said his friend ate some shrooms, and went crazy. He said that the kid that ate the shrooms lost his mind and thought that he was a glass of orange juice, and now he spends the rest of his life in a home trying not to spill.

[/ QUOTE ]

A story (that is possibly an urban-legend) from when I was in the Navy about a guy getting out on a psych discharge:

1) So he has been in for a year or two starts walking around in a trance pointing at things and saying slowly "no, that's not it....no, that's not it" with an utterly blank and emotionally unresponsive expression. He's evaluated for a while and can't be helped so they kick him out on a psych discharge. They put his discharge papers in front of him and ask him to sign and as he's signing the papers his expression changes to a big grin and he says "ya, that's it."

daveT · #**116** 10-16-2007, 07:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]

I dont know if this was true or not but a friend of mine said his friend ate some shrooms, and went crazy. He said that the kid that ate the shrooms lost his mind and thought that he was a glass of orange juice, and now he spends the rest of his life in a home trying not to spill.

[/ QUOTE ]

Every one in the world's best friend had this very same problem, join the club and pretend you have one too.

Ron Burgundy · #**117** 10-16-2007, 09:22 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I dont know if this was true or not but a friend of mine said his friend ate some shrooms, and went crazy. He said that the kid that ate the shrooms lost his mind and thought that he was a glass of orange juice, and now he spends the rest of his life in a home trying not to spill.

[/ QUOTE ]

A story (that is possibly an urban-legend) from when I was in the Navy about a guy getting out on a psych discharge:

1) So he has been in for a year or two starts walking around in a trance pointing at things and saying slowly "no, that's not it....no, that's not it" with an utterly blank and emotionally unresponsive expression. He's evaluated for a while and can't be helped so they kick him out on a psych discharge. They put his discharge papers in front of him and ask him to sign and as he's signing the papers his expression changes to a big grin and he says "ya, that's it."

[/ QUOTE ]

Too bad Klinger never thought of that.

ROADHEAD · #**118** 10-17-2007, 12:00 AM

A story (that is possibly an urban-legend) from when I was in the Navy about a guy getting out on a psych discharge:

1) So he has been in for a year or two starts walking around in a trance pointing at things and saying slowly "no, that's not it....no, that's not it" with an utterly blank and emotionally unresponsive expression. He's evaluated for a while and can't be helped so they kick him out on a psych discharge. They put his discharge papers in front of him and ask him to sign and as he's signing the papers his expression changes to a big grin and he says "ya, that's it."

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the laugh I liked it

FaDi · #**119** 10-18-2007, 10:41 PM

this thread is sweet, if i have some questions i'll make sure to ask

Rooger · #**120** 10-21-2007, 07:58 PM

This thread reminded me of some of the patients I've met the last couple of years.
As a med student in Denmark, you can take temporary shifts at hospitals, monitoring patients who need 24-hour care - some of the worst somatic patients, and some psych patients.

This especially reminded me of P. P was diagnosed with Korsakoffs syndrome, a condition following heavy alcohol abuse. The thiamine deficiancy damages your brain, with anterograde amnesia & confabulations as a result.
He was at a medial section, as his condition didn't make him a danger to himself or others, he just couldn't function very well in the society - therefore they had a hard time trying to transfer him to a psych section.

The anterograde amnesia meant he couldn't make new memories, although he remembered everything of his past.
You could tell him he was at a hospital, but 5 minutes later he would've forgotten - at the same time he could tell detailed stories about his life as a bartender, and the shady environment there.
As an ex-alcoholic, one of the things he had a lot of memories about was drinking. We would chat for a couple of minutes, and P would ask in a sneaky way if it wasn't time for us to get a beer and a schnapps. I would tell him drinking wasn't allowed in the hospital. 5 minutes would pass, and he would ask again if I'd like a beer - rinse and repeat for 8 hours [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

When he faced something he didn't remember, he confabulated. Kept making up the most insane stories. He loved playing backgammon, but couldn't quite remember the rules, which lead to the most bizzare games I have ever played.
He was easily correctable though - when he said he needed to get ammo in his room because he was going hunting, you could just say calmly that he was probably mixing it up with an old memory or appointment, he would think for a second, and agree.