Mental Health and You
 

What? You dont really expect me to have anything real to say, do you? This was just a primer for Wolf.

I'd like to volunteer Wolf to come up with something good to post on mental health.

What do you say cellarites? Shes got some good stories, eh?

Look-I love wolf and her attitude is REALLY helping me. YES! The Cellar is HELPING PEOPLE! Maybe you can apply for grant monies, I dunno-but really, being a burned-out psych RN I have found wolf's insights and attitude soothing to a soul broasted on the grill of manipulation and falsehood. And bureaucratic hijinks to curl one's hair. Brava, wolf, brava! And a sincere thank you, too. I may even buy a gun...

For or Against? :3eye:

I have to dash out to New Jersey (talk about damage to my own mental health) today, but will spend some time thinking over which tales of terror and psychosis I'll be offering for your education and enjoyment ...

But, a tidbit for you all:

We had a guy come in that was insisting he was Jesus Christ, had a problem with demons ... would be talking to you quite calmly then suddenly become angry and announce his divinity, "I am Jesus Christ. I don't have to take medication. Who are you?" "I'm not a demon, sir, that's for sure. Can I get you another cup of juice, and how about a cigarette?"

Now, that's not the story I'm really telling. That guy just got us reminiscing ... a few years ago we had at the same time one patient who said he was Jesus, and another who was certain he was God. Jesus was agitated, acting up, and threatening people. One of my coworkers addressed this with him by saying ... "You're dad is down in room 109. You don't want me to tell him what you're doing right now, do you?"

It worked.

Her choice of course. As long as I am not mentioned *by name* anyway. :biggrin:

It's pretty tough to volley with those of divine descent. They always have the upper hand AND the trump card. We once had a gentleman who pronounced he was Jesus Christ. Thing is, he smelled like smegma ALL THE TIME! I never asked him to explain.

I'm afraid I may be partly to blame on this one. Some people you can simply talk to and lift their spirits, give them hope in a time of desparation. Others think somehow if I talk to them they are the son of God , for Christ's sake!!

What can I say. Ya win some, ya lose some.

What many people fail to understand about my job is that I'm able to read that and my only reaction is ... "well, that's a lot better than hasn't seen soap and water in six months funk, or major damn foot funk."

For some patients we have this special little bottle of orange essential oil. Remember that scene in Silence of the Lambs where Jody Foster and Scott Glenn put the Vicks Vap-O-Rub under their noses? Same idea, only there's no silly looking white residue.

There are people who overwhelm the orange, even.

Yes, there is something about going crazy that renders a person completely unaware of the need to bathe. They just have too much going on inside to be concerned with the minutiae of day-to-day living. It's not too pleasant for the rest of us, though.

Mental Health and Me or Me?