Psychiatric Hospital

[OptoGypsy]

Hey does anyone on the forum work in a psychiatric hospital, is it anything like Silence of the Lambs?

 

[prplchknz]

why are you asking?

please tell me you're just trolling

 

[Cellmold]

Hey does anyone on the forum work in a psychiatric hospital, is it anything like Silence of the Lambs?

Obviously it is.

I miss my cage...the open world is so...different.

 

[OptoGypsy]

why are you asking?

please tell me you're just trolling

I'm thinking of working in one as a psychiatrist or occupational therapist

 

[prplchknz]

I'm thinking of working in one as a psychiatrist or occupational therapist

if you think it could be anything like that, go with occupational therapist.

 

[midnight rambler]

I am taking it you want to be Dr. Chilton, Am I right?

 

[cafe]

I've read some headlines recently saying we put more of our mentally ill in prisons than in mental hospitals. We also have a lot of mentally ill homeless. If you want to work with the mentally ill in the US, focusing on those groups would probably give you more bang for your buck.

 

[statuesquechica]

I have worked with individuals in state mental hospitals, psych wards and correctional facilities as a rights advocate. There are many incidences of abuse/neglect, over medicating, excessive seclusion/restraint practices. I think you would really have to look at your belief system when it comes to the treatment of individuals with a mental illness because working in a system of institutionalization can warp a person's mindset. I have seen staff do criminal things, and I have had staff come to me privately and say they don't want to do these things but the "system" demands it. I felt safer in a prison setting than the state hospital because services were so poor in the "hospital."

You have to be a strong person to do things in an ethical, professional manner...not to say you won't but just be aware of the pressure that may exist for you to conform to substandard practices.

OTOH, competent, compassionate professionals are sorely needed and your impact on a person's life could be significant.

 

[Typh0n]

Hey does anyone on the forum work in a psychiatric hospital, is it anything like Silence of the Lambs?

You mean One Flew over the Coocoos Nest?

Yes, I've heard from informed sources that its like that.

Sad, really.

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

You mean One Flew over the Coocoos Nest?

Yes, I've heard from informed sources that its like that.

Sad, really.

Yeah it's like the film, minus the shock therapy.

 

[Typh0n]

Yeah it's like the film, minus the shock therapy.

Oh, I've heard of folks whom thats happened to(shock therapy).

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

Oh, I've heard of folks whom thats happened to(shock therapy).

Are they older?

I don't think it happens much anymore these days.

My grandmother had it done in the 60s.

 

[Typh0n]

Are they older?

I don't think it happens much anymore these days.

My grandmother had it done in the 60s.

I know of someone who had it done a few years ago(or at least, thats what they claimed).

 

[ndovjtjcaqidthi]

I know of someone who had it done a few years ago(or at least, thats what they claimed).

It's possible.

 

[thistlechaser]

Its a shame it couldn't be more like I'm a Cyborg But That's Okay. they're mostly just boring. stupid rules are the rules, no matter how many doctors notes or excuses you give the staff to the contrary, there is no special treatment. If you want to work in one, id say try to maintain your patience and understanding through all of the attempts to manipulate or lie to you that you will experience. people generally conform to the role you put them in, and the greatest gift you can give a person is their dignity. you're gonna need tons of therapy and down - time, most likely

 

[kyuuei]

I'm going to be working at the biggest mental facility in Houston the next two months, so I'll report back and let you know how it was if you'd like.

 

[King sns]

No, I did clinical on a unit.. It wasn't a psych hospital but we saw all the stuff. Everyone was pretty stable though sometimes coming in it was like that... I got the impression there was some "Girl Interrupted" theme with the patients bonding away from the staff... Most of all there was just groups and scrabble and doodling and talking about goals for the day... I rather enjoyed hanging out with the patients there, not that I wouldn't enjoy hanging out with people on these movies but it was a lot less intense. There were a few "frequent flyers" and those are the people who really can't get better, I bet some of the hospitals in bigger cities see a lot of those, which means it could be a bit crazier. Some people were a bit drowsy from the meds. And, there is still electroconvulsive therapy but there's no shaking. It's just quiet twitches. It's much more controlled. People come out drowsy and it works well. No surprise lobotomies for normal people either. Very few incidents of restraints... This place was so comfortable and pleasant that many patients did not want to leave. I swear some people would have "incidents" just so they could come back.

 

[King sns]

I'm thinking of working in one as a psychiatrist or occupational therapist

OT if you want to directly see the day to day stuff of patients getting better. Psychiatry if you want to be more distant and prescribe meds and treatments/ make referrals

 

[statuesquechica]

ECT (shock therapy) is making a comeback for people with severe depression that doesn't respond to antidepressants...I have worked with younger patients that chose this treatment because they were desperate for any change in their mood. It can cause short term memory loss but it is a far cry from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It is comparable to rebooting the brain...it was interesting to see the before and after of patients.

OTOH there are still some Nurse Ratchets out there who are cruel and power-hungry and get really angry when patients ask questions. Not all staff are bad, but the ones who are can make life a living hell for the patients.

 

[JAVO]

I'm thinking of working in one as a psychiatrist or occupational therapist

I've worked in the past as an EEG tech with both psych and neuro patients.

Would you enjoy feeling like a institutionally-sanctioned drug dealer, or would you rather teach patients skills they can use to cope?

Unless you're an academic or in a top institution/clinic which is focused on the latest research and treatment, then you might want to wait 20-30 years. The brain's function and malfunctions still aren't very well understood, and now medicine "lobotomizes" entire neural pathways and biochemical mechanisms.