Saturday 6 August 2011

Mental Health - Care?

In what is basically an average day in the life of this dog-collar I found myself getting involved in the heady world of mental health care in a number of interesting ways which took me to a local hospital.

My first interesting incident resulted in the focus receiving some medical attention to remedy the (physical) results of their illness. Whilst we were doing that we were entertained by the patient in a number of ways, culminating in a wonderful shade of pink when the Sister (Nurse Practitioner) was complimented on her 'wonderful breasts'. A comment that brought a sharp intake of breath from everyone else!

The cabaret came in the form of a member of the local performing company (known as the MHU (Mental Health Unit) who had decided that they no longer wished to be part of the company. As they sat smoking a cigarette, one of the management came up and tried to persuade them to return. This invitation brought a torrent of expletive-ridden negatives, accusations and invitations to embark upon a journey of their own (in fine Anglo-Saxon). So effective was the torrent that the focus of it left and returned with the 'Unit Manager', a big guy. They started dragging the reluctant artiste and so I stepped in to try and stop my customer shouting at the assembled, struglling and expletive-ridden, gathering.

Around us people were coming and going and the, soon to be returned to the cast of madness, escapee sat themselves in the floor and cried out for someone to call the police as they were being kidnapped. Having sent my cast member back to the nearest bench, I stopped the circus performance and asked the, still crying out, person whether they would go back if I went with them. They agreed but the 'management' told me that they knew what they were doing and needed no help and proceeded to drag their reluctancy company member back to the unit.

Realising that I could do nothing to bring some sanity and stillness to the madness, and my person being called to see the doctor, I returned to the sanity of the hospital where we were treated to a few songs, poems and that wonderful assessment of the Sister's breasts (she was fantastic, for we both agreed that was a little inappropriate and yet she didn't flinch from discharging her duty with care, compassion and a great deal of tolerance).

Whoever said that being a dog-collar was a boring life?

Whoever said that care and health went together?

It did for part of my experience today, but sadly not all.

Pray for those who work within the circus that is mental health and for those whose lives are but one of many of the performances that make people members of such places.

Pax

3 comments:

David Keen said...

I worry that most of the portrayal of mental health is people on the edge of (or in full blown) lunacy. That leaves the 99% of people with non-sectionable mental health issues worried that they'll be labelled as mad if they start talking about their intrusive thoughts, black moods, anxiety attacks, etc. etc. It's good to support the mental health wards and hospitals, but there are lots of sufferers who long for a safe place/person to confide in and know they won't be rejected or stigmatised.

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

You highlight part of my distress well David!

Whilst my companion is I'll they would generally be assumed to be a little the worse for wear, alcohol wise. The other person was forced into a place where their illness was only obvious when the confrontation began and increased in line with the increased stimulus of being manhandled and dragged.

I work with a number of people with mental illness and they are indistinguishable from any one else most of the time and yet many tell stories if the same thing I witnessed.

Yesterday's events only added to the negative attitudes mental illness had (and I am disturbed by it)

Thanks for comments,

V.

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

Meant to add / hopefully that safe, free from
Stigma place, is church.

If it isn't, it should be,

V