Last night I worked on Crisis Triage. We had 8 intakes and 5 discharges (which is a lot) and the night was extremely busy.
So I started out the night doing a bit of homework and then a call comes in. I answered with my typical, "Crisis Triage, this is John." I then hear a heavy sigh, a bout of laughter, another sigh, a forced exhale and then a woman with a nasally voice starts off, "You know the problems with our politicians are . . ." She then continues on a 5 minute spiel of how politicians are corrupt, how they should be answering the crisis line to respond to client's calls, how inappropriate it is for them not to take feedback from the public, and then how wrong it is for somebody to state their name when answering the phone. She then hung up. I sat in silence, holding back a laugh. Now, I have nothing against this woman except for the fact she called A CRISIS LINE to complain about things which we have absolutely no control over.
But hey I guess everybody has to vent every now and again. After all, it did give me a good laugh and made the night just a tad more enjoyable.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
A Memorable Day
In thinking about this post I was reminded of another client I worked with previously. So in short, yesterday was an interesting day.
I woke up, played around for a few hours then went to work. At work we were warned that everybody was out of control. With this in mind I stepped out the doors ready for the worst. It really wasn't that bad. Sure there were some disorganized and sexually preoccupied people, but nothing too serious. Except for a 75 year old macking on a 38 year old. But that happens in everyday society so no shock, eh?
But the thing that irked me was a client that came back in for the fourth time in as many months. Without giving a history, let me say that he is completely frustrated with the system. So yesterday I did the intake for him at the psych unit. When working with him previously, I empathized with the fact he was in a place he didn't want to be. I felt his frustration when they were drugging him up so strongly that he couldn't stay awake for more than an hour. I tried to make things easier by helping him see what he could do to work with the system even though he didn't want to be there. This time, he stated that he is going to voice his frustrations. Unfortunately, other things are coming in to play that make it more difficult.
So after admitting him, there were other people that were out of control. Of course their mental illnesses have great control over them and we're trying to get them stabilized. While having a somewhat difficult night, I left on lunch to grab some food from Arby's. On my way there I saw a raccoon crossing the road. Fortunately I didn't hit it. While at Arby's I ordered my food and patiently waited for a minute or two. Then three, four, five, then six. I did my best to remain calm, but I realized my facial expression betrayed me. I am guessing the guy who took my order saw my face and realized I was annoyed. So to make me feel better he gave me twice as many curly fries. I did not object and made sure to vocalize my appreciation.
I drove back to work with less than five minutes to eat my lunch. So for once I decided to take a longer lunch (since I never take a break) and enjoy my meal. While hiding out in a separate room, I was invaded by another coworker or two. In a way I was glad because they finished the rest of the curly fries that I could not.
So I went back to the unit late which was noticed by the shift lead. Ah well. I returned, helped a few people out and the night was coming to an end. While some were watching a movie, the guy I admitted kept walking from the bathroom back to the recreation room, then back to the bathroom. I asked what he was looking for and he said, "I'm hoping for a miracle." After talking to him for a bit, he showed me that the toilet had been leaking for at least the past day. Maintenance came up, stopped the leak and I cleaned up the mess. Well, afterwards he was talking to another staff member and became extremely agitated. He began speaking very loudly at her (not shouting, but pretty close) and would not accept redirection.
So, being his contact person, I attempted to deescalate him. When seeing anyone else, he continued vocalizing his frustration. I attempted to lead him away from the other staff members, but they kept following.
In a sense that frustrates me. I state that I will take care of something and they continue to follow me. I understand they are concerned that the client will get more angry, but thus far a client has not harmed me. I had a good rapport with this client and I knew it was not an issue. But still, they followed. So finally the client stated that I was the only one he would talk to. Because the other staff members would not back down, the client went into an unlocked observation room for a while. Since the staff members still would not back down, I told the client I would come and talk with him in about 15 minutes.
The staff members left and I went and talked to him. The client was very vocal about his anger. He was swearing, shouting, and being very passionate about expressing his frustrations. Amidst this he then said, "You know I have nothing against you, right?"
I share this for several reasons. This guy most certainly has a mental illness that he is not aware of. I feel that we have a good enough relationship that I can now discuss it with him. However he is jaded and angry at the system. Because he isn't handling himself appropriately, he is reinforcing the negative behavior received by the staff. When talking with him, I warned him that if he continues this behavior he will end up in locked seclusion and possibly get long term treatment. I talked with him about alternative approaches he could take to make his time there better. I won't be back there until Saturday, so all I can do is hope that he took my advice.
After this occurred, the power went out at work. It flashed off for 10 seconds, and then the backup generator kicked in. Since the doors on the unit are attached to a system of magnets, when the power goes out there is nothing to keep them closed so they automatically unlock. In short, we sat there for another 30 minutes standing by the doors, hoping no clients would attempt to escape. Fortunately they did not, so we went home.
While driving home, I saw another raccoon crossing the road. I didn't hit it.
So yesterday was frustrating. As I have said before, I have frustrations with the mental health system. Also frustrations with the clients. There is a huge gap that is not being bridged. Although I doubt I can do it alone, it is certainly one thing that I can do while I am working in this field. I've decided that when I go into counseling, that is a group I would like to work with. Those that have been newly introduced into the mental health system. Those who may have been diagnosed with a mental illness and have not yet learned about the system or how they can survive in it.
With that said, I have learned that the gentleman that I referred to in the very beginning of this post is now fine. With the help from a good counselor, he survived and is much better off. I am still frustrated, but only time will tell how this will play out. I will simply do my best.
I woke up, played around for a few hours then went to work. At work we were warned that everybody was out of control. With this in mind I stepped out the doors ready for the worst. It really wasn't that bad. Sure there were some disorganized and sexually preoccupied people, but nothing too serious. Except for a 75 year old macking on a 38 year old. But that happens in everyday society so no shock, eh?
But the thing that irked me was a client that came back in for the fourth time in as many months. Without giving a history, let me say that he is completely frustrated with the system. So yesterday I did the intake for him at the psych unit. When working with him previously, I empathized with the fact he was in a place he didn't want to be. I felt his frustration when they were drugging him up so strongly that he couldn't stay awake for more than an hour. I tried to make things easier by helping him see what he could do to work with the system even though he didn't want to be there. This time, he stated that he is going to voice his frustrations. Unfortunately, other things are coming in to play that make it more difficult.
So after admitting him, there were other people that were out of control. Of course their mental illnesses have great control over them and we're trying to get them stabilized. While having a somewhat difficult night, I left on lunch to grab some food from Arby's. On my way there I saw a raccoon crossing the road. Fortunately I didn't hit it. While at Arby's I ordered my food and patiently waited for a minute or two. Then three, four, five, then six. I did my best to remain calm, but I realized my facial expression betrayed me. I am guessing the guy who took my order saw my face and realized I was annoyed. So to make me feel better he gave me twice as many curly fries. I did not object and made sure to vocalize my appreciation.
I drove back to work with less than five minutes to eat my lunch. So for once I decided to take a longer lunch (since I never take a break) and enjoy my meal. While hiding out in a separate room, I was invaded by another coworker or two. In a way I was glad because they finished the rest of the curly fries that I could not.
So I went back to the unit late which was noticed by the shift lead. Ah well. I returned, helped a few people out and the night was coming to an end. While some were watching a movie, the guy I admitted kept walking from the bathroom back to the recreation room, then back to the bathroom. I asked what he was looking for and he said, "I'm hoping for a miracle." After talking to him for a bit, he showed me that the toilet had been leaking for at least the past day. Maintenance came up, stopped the leak and I cleaned up the mess. Well, afterwards he was talking to another staff member and became extremely agitated. He began speaking very loudly at her (not shouting, but pretty close) and would not accept redirection.
So, being his contact person, I attempted to deescalate him. When seeing anyone else, he continued vocalizing his frustration. I attempted to lead him away from the other staff members, but they kept following.
In a sense that frustrates me. I state that I will take care of something and they continue to follow me. I understand they are concerned that the client will get more angry, but thus far a client has not harmed me. I had a good rapport with this client and I knew it was not an issue. But still, they followed. So finally the client stated that I was the only one he would talk to. Because the other staff members would not back down, the client went into an unlocked observation room for a while. Since the staff members still would not back down, I told the client I would come and talk with him in about 15 minutes.
The staff members left and I went and talked to him. The client was very vocal about his anger. He was swearing, shouting, and being very passionate about expressing his frustrations. Amidst this he then said, "You know I have nothing against you, right?"
I share this for several reasons. This guy most certainly has a mental illness that he is not aware of. I feel that we have a good enough relationship that I can now discuss it with him. However he is jaded and angry at the system. Because he isn't handling himself appropriately, he is reinforcing the negative behavior received by the staff. When talking with him, I warned him that if he continues this behavior he will end up in locked seclusion and possibly get long term treatment. I talked with him about alternative approaches he could take to make his time there better. I won't be back there until Saturday, so all I can do is hope that he took my advice.
After this occurred, the power went out at work. It flashed off for 10 seconds, and then the backup generator kicked in. Since the doors on the unit are attached to a system of magnets, when the power goes out there is nothing to keep them closed so they automatically unlock. In short, we sat there for another 30 minutes standing by the doors, hoping no clients would attempt to escape. Fortunately they did not, so we went home.
While driving home, I saw another raccoon crossing the road. I didn't hit it.
So yesterday was frustrating. As I have said before, I have frustrations with the mental health system. Also frustrations with the clients. There is a huge gap that is not being bridged. Although I doubt I can do it alone, it is certainly one thing that I can do while I am working in this field. I've decided that when I go into counseling, that is a group I would like to work with. Those that have been newly introduced into the mental health system. Those who may have been diagnosed with a mental illness and have not yet learned about the system or how they can survive in it.
With that said, I have learned that the gentleman that I referred to in the very beginning of this post is now fine. With the help from a good counselor, he survived and is much better off. I am still frustrated, but only time will tell how this will play out. I will simply do my best.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
the Sun Vomited
I'm just wondering, how would you like this staring you in the face every morning when you shower?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Psychoanalytic Perspective of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
I am writing a paper comparing and contrasting psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioral theories and during some of my research I found a picture of Freud's couch. Now . . . even if you were alive during his lifetime . . . would you really want to lie down on his couch?
So, tell me about your mother . . .
So, tell me about your mother . . .
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Moooving Along
Well, I am E-coli free. I'll admit, I wasn't really concerned about the E-coli scare because according to stats, only 1% of people who are exposed to it come down with symptoms. So, I'm great!
As for what I'm going through . . . I'm still counseling like crazy and taking advantage of my cotherapy partner (in a good way). Apparently we're supposed to start counseling solo pretty soon, so I'm using my cotherapy partner so we can split up some of our couples and talk to them at the same time in different rooms. Basically things I'll never be able to do again because I'll have only one head instead of two. Another thing that is happening is we're choosing where to go for our offsites. I want to go to Good Samaritan because of the different groups that they work with.
These include youth and adults, older adults (geriatric), some with long term mental illnesses, and some developmentally disabled clients as well. I hope I go there, but if not I'll make the best of it anyway.
Aside from that I have a 10 page paper due on Wednesday which I've been having a hard time focusing on due to therapy and class, but hopefully I'll get it done.
Enjoy your weekend!
As for what I'm going through . . . I'm still counseling like crazy and taking advantage of my cotherapy partner (in a good way). Apparently we're supposed to start counseling solo pretty soon, so I'm using my cotherapy partner so we can split up some of our couples and talk to them at the same time in different rooms. Basically things I'll never be able to do again because I'll have only one head instead of two. Another thing that is happening is we're choosing where to go for our offsites. I want to go to Good Samaritan because of the different groups that they work with.
These include youth and adults, older adults (geriatric), some with long term mental illnesses, and some developmentally disabled clients as well. I hope I go there, but if not I'll make the best of it anyway.
Aside from that I have a 10 page paper due on Wednesday which I've been having a hard time focusing on due to therapy and class, but hopefully I'll get it done.
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Chef Totino is Going Down
Well, I didn't think that my next post would be about an E-coli scare, but so it is. Today General Mills informed the public that they are recalling many of their pizzas because of possible contamination of the pepperoni toppings on some of their pizzas. Here is the entire story. So I'm sending in my UPC's for free coupons for more pizzas. However, I did eat one of their pizzas yesterday.
In short I may be expecting some . . . gastrointestinal issues with a possible fever. Or . . . everything may be perfectly fine (which I'm expecting). So . . . they state that if you're infected with it and if your kidneys don't shut down, everything will be out of your system in 5-10 days. Fun, eh? Aside from elaborating about my digestion system, I'll let you know.
Have a glorious new month.
In short I may be expecting some . . . gastrointestinal issues with a possible fever. Or . . . everything may be perfectly fine (which I'm expecting). So . . . they state that if you're infected with it and if your kidneys don't shut down, everything will be out of your system in 5-10 days. Fun, eh? Aside from elaborating about my digestion system, I'll let you know.
Have a glorious new month.
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