Hi Annabelle,
What the character in this piece is referring to a patient/client came in
with a clear cut psychotic condition, not involving the use of drugs or
other contributory circumstances.
He is harking to a time when (according to him), it was more usual to have
uncomplicated illness - not suggesting the conditions were easy to treat, or
less problematic/traumatic etc, but when the illness could be recognised for
what it was and treated accordingly.
What he isn't taking into account is that in those 'old' days' the
treatments available weren't spectacularly good, caused awful side effects
and of course the poor client often ended up spending very long periods of
time in the institution.
Nothing is ever clear cut in psychiatry/mental health treatment and it's all
pure nostalgia, reflecting a sense of never really knowing (these days) what
the real problem is, or how best to tackle it. There can be a real sense of
helplessness among staff when the involvement of drugs (for example) takes
on a life/syndrome/spiral of it's own.
Something like that.
Cheers,
Frank
Frank,
I kinda would like to know what "just crazy" means. I think it would be
great if you unpacked it a little bit. -Annabelle
>
> not a lot, anymore
>
> we're standing in the staff courtyard
> it's break time
> and we're doing coffee and a cigarette
> when he says to me
>
> I've always worked in psych
> I love it
>
> I've never been tempted
> by anything else
>
> it's changed though
> from the old days
> oh
> a hell of a lot really
>
> a deep drag
> the blue smoke of a moment of reflection
> a sip out of the styofoam cup
> and he adds
>
> you know what
>
> about a year ago
> we had a real old fashioned case come in
> like we used to get
> in the old days
>
> no drugs
> no family history
> no obvious causes
> just crazy
>
> mad as a cut snake actually
>
> it was a first presentation
> and it took a while
> but we fixed him up
> he got better and we turned him loose
> he hasn't been back
>
> that's what I like best
> good straight-forward madness
> that you can do something with
>
> but you don't see much of that
> anymore
>
> time to get back to work
>
> ~
>
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