Live, laugh and lovely patients...

I mentioned in my first post that I intern once a week at a psychiatric hospital. As I have been doing so since the start of my post-grad. Now, you may think, 'Oh dear lord', but some people there are lovely. Some go out of depression, or stress. Some, however have more serious issues. I wouldn't have studied it if I didn't love the work.


I have studied in this subject for four years now. But, the people you come across never cease to baffle me! There is one man there that I see every week and he is the nicest man I have ever met in my life. He is so sweet and persists to ask me out every week... You really do meet fascinating people.


There is only once I've ever been scared. Due to the fact I was shadowing a senior psychiatrist, which is usually always ace, but this time, a suicidal man had been admitted by his family. 
He was so calm during his session with the doctor, I actually thought there didn't seem much need for the guard. Until he just suddenly lashed out at everyone! He was grabbing anything and throwing it at us, then hitting himself with random objects from around the room. It was terrifying. I got bruised  on my head, by the clip-board he'd grabbed off the psychiatrist. It had turned out he had a mild form of Dissociative identity disorder (Which you may know as multiple personality disorder) He was seemingly normal one moment then terrifying the next. He is the one and only person I've requested I NEVER see again.


But the oddest moment so far in this career was when I was on a night out one night with a few girly friends. We were out in a lovely sophisticated bar, you know one of those students can't really afford, but we went anyhow and we were dancing and drinking. Then, I went to get a drink. As I was standing by the bar when this random guy came up to me.
I didn't initially recognize him, but then it hit me. Only two weeks ago he was released from hospital care, and the psychiatrist I was shadowing was his psychiatrist, I knew him. I'd known everything about him, it was so odd. He was admitted six months ago due to stress/depression. But despite that, we chatted with, of course, and awkward tone coming from me.  
As, I thought, he was leaving, he came close to me, funnily enough, that didn't bother me, but him asking me out did. He said that apparently 'he'd fell for me in hospital!' Now despite his previous problems, which didn't bother me, it was the fact I have James. I told him so, as gently as I could (I I didn't want to make him go back into hospital)  But he surprisingly was completely fine with it. He said his goodbyes, but did insist on me having his number and vice-versa, and now we he's like a best friend!


So, some people you judge because they have had 'illnesses' and been in those kind of hospitals' (As I've heard them being called) actually can be just like you and me, except they've just managed to admit they need help and have got it!


They really have taught me to live, laugh and love!