Friday, October 24, 2008

Last Day

Today is going to be crazy. Just like the last 70 days.

After ten consecutive weeks of psychiatry, I'm going to miss hour-long interviews, the wait and see approach to care, the challenge of nurturing behavior change and all of the talking. I'll also miss the daily case studies of brain pathology.
  • The amazingly disorganized schizoaffective homeless man who saluted me every time I asked him a question and could recount amazingly accurate historical accounts of the Pacific Theater in WWII.
  • Entering into the dark, empty, wide-open room at the edge of a cliff and offering one pinhole of light (i.e. Washington Sate Law) to move a suicidal patient to the next day.
  • Having to stand back when an extremely psychotic patient is immobilized for her own safety and then being there when she is able to speak in cogent sentences.
  • Seeing the effects of drugs and alcohol that all of the commercials warn about.
  • Learning that it's actually not uncommon for a manic person to be found naked, directing traffic. In fact, it's pathomneumonic for mania.
Psychiatry, you've been good to me. I'll see you again soon.

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