Revision [2513]
Last edited on 2012-04-30 12:16:37 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
4/25 – 4/27
At BPC, there is an in-patient/out-patient facility called New Beginnings. This program used to be held in the Butler Building on the grounds of BPC, but it has now moved into the Strozzi Building on the 8th floor. Some patients were upset by the move because going to New Beginnings meant that they had off-ground privileges and could walk over to Butler on their own without a staff member. However, now the program is in the same building and some feel like their progress and privileges means nothing now. This is unfortunate that they feel this way, but the move had to be done because of state funding. It also does not make much sense that out-patients have to come back into the hospital, and I’m assuming they are not too happy about the move either.
On another note about the Butler Building, it is still open to in and out patients for use of recreation. There is a pool, a full gym, a basketball court, and a bowling alley where patients can spend their time exercising and doing what they like. There is also Royal Threads, which is a clothing store where patients can buy new things with the money they get with their weekly allowance. This week, instead of staying on the treatment mall, I went to Butler and went bowling with some of the patients. The patients that are in this group also have certain privileges and are working on their discharge. One woman who was with us has improved so much since I first met her back in January. She is more sociable (she did not like students at first), she is more friendly and open, and she participates in groups (and is very good at bowling!). This was her last week with us; she will be discharged to an outpatient facility by the weekend.
5/1/2012
This is my last week at BPC. This journey has been so rewarding and very helpful to me as a student. I have learned more about mental illness, patient care facilities, and especially about symptoms at BPC than I did in some of my classes. I am not saying that I did not receive the proper education from Canisius, but working hands on is so much more informational than reading from a text book. You cannot fully understand symptoms or symptom management until you are working with it hands on. Even if the patients do not know it, they have been more helpful to me than any of the staff members. By reading their charts and observing them all throughout the weeks, their ups and downs, their good days and their bad days, the medications that they take (or don’t take), it has all helped me so much and gain a full understanding of certain mental illnesses.
I was recommended to do my internship at BPC, and I would recommend it to other people as well. I have gained so much from this experience. I cannot emphasize enough how important it was for me as a student to work with these patients hands on. Whether I was having an in-depth conversation with them, or avoiding them because they were being violent, I was learning. And I believe that you have to take in everything and observe every little detail of the patients, staff, and facility at BPC to gain the full experience. I hope to do more volunteer work at BPC this summer. And I also hope to do another internship with them for Grad School.
Total Hours Completed: 130
At BPC, there is an in-patient/out-patient facility called New Beginnings. This program used to be held in the Butler Building on the grounds of BPC, but it has now moved into the Strozzi Building on the 8th floor. Some patients were upset by the move because going to New Beginnings meant that they had off-ground privileges and could walk over to Butler on their own without a staff member. However, now the program is in the same building and some feel like their progress and privileges means nothing now. This is unfortunate that they feel this way, but the move had to be done because of state funding. It also does not make much sense that out-patients have to come back into the hospital, and I’m assuming they are not too happy about the move either.
On another note about the Butler Building, it is still open to in and out patients for use of recreation. There is a pool, a full gym, a basketball court, and a bowling alley where patients can spend their time exercising and doing what they like. There is also Royal Threads, which is a clothing store where patients can buy new things with the money they get with their weekly allowance. This week, instead of staying on the treatment mall, I went to Butler and went bowling with some of the patients. The patients that are in this group also have certain privileges and are working on their discharge. One woman who was with us has improved so much since I first met her back in January. She is more sociable (she did not like students at first), she is more friendly and open, and she participates in groups (and is very good at bowling!). This was her last week with us; she will be discharged to an outpatient facility by the weekend.
5/1/2012
This is my last week at BPC. This journey has been so rewarding and very helpful to me as a student. I have learned more about mental illness, patient care facilities, and especially about symptoms at BPC than I did in some of my classes. I am not saying that I did not receive the proper education from Canisius, but working hands on is so much more informational than reading from a text book. You cannot fully understand symptoms or symptom management until you are working with it hands on. Even if the patients do not know it, they have been more helpful to me than any of the staff members. By reading their charts and observing them all throughout the weeks, their ups and downs, their good days and their bad days, the medications that they take (or don’t take), it has all helped me so much and gain a full understanding of certain mental illnesses.
I was recommended to do my internship at BPC, and I would recommend it to other people as well. I have gained so much from this experience. I cannot emphasize enough how important it was for me as a student to work with these patients hands on. Whether I was having an in-depth conversation with them, or avoiding them because they were being violent, I was learning. And I believe that you have to take in everything and observe every little detail of the patients, staff, and facility at BPC to gain the full experience. I hope to do more volunteer work at BPC this summer. And I also hope to do another internship with them for Grad School.
Total Hours Completed: 130
Revision [2496]
Edited on 2012-04-16 11:02:19 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
4/1 - 4/6
EASTER BREAK.
4/11-4/13
4/16 - 4/18
EASTER BREAK.
4/11-4/13
4/16 - 4/18
Deletions:
4/4 – 4/6
EASTER BREAK.
4/11 – 4/13
Revision [2495]
Edited on 2012-04-16 11:00:16 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
3/28 – 3/30
At the end of the week, a patient approached me and handed me a sheet of paper. He told me that he wrote this note especially for me and he wanted me to keep it. To him it was very important. However, when I read it, it was meaningless to me because it was just scrambled words and nonsense phrases. In Abnormal Psych we learned that “word salad” is common for people with schizophrenia. They talk as if they are specialists on a topic, but they are the only ones who seem to understand what they are talking about because their speech and writing is so disorganized. The letter that the patient wrote to me started with Ziggy Stardust, who apparently was a famous singer back in the day. But then it went on to talk about carpentry, Jesus, and living in a cupboard. I kept the letter because I found it interesting even if it didn’t make sense because it allowed me to see the thought patterns that scattered around through this patient’s head. I have seen this “word salad” a few other times at BPC. Sometimes patients will write on the chalkboard or in the art therapy classes. When asked to explain what their notes mean, they try as best as they can, but more than often they are the only ones who understand it.
4/4 – 4/6
There was a small problem at BPC this week…a patient escaped. This does not happen often since the building is secure, however if a patient does somehow sneak past security and exit the building, then they can escape the grounds fairly easily. There is no locked gate or security at the entrance, so after he made it out the front door he was gone. This patient is not particularly dangerous, his bark is worse than his bite, but this is still a real safety issue to have a mentally unstable person out in the community. Even if he has no intentions of hurting anyone, the added stress and no found freedom might be overbearing and there is no way to say for certain that he would not harm others or himself. Another problem that came from this is that the Secret Service had to be called. This patient somehow managed to call the White House a couple years ago and threatened to bomb the House and kill the president. After that, the Secret Service was involved and they were to be notified any time he was leaving the building or would be off grounds, even if it was just for a doctor appointment. That threat needed to be taken seriously. Needless to say, there was a slight panic when he escaped. The patient ended up returning to BPC 24 hours later. He spent the night at the Police holding center because he pulled a fire alarm in a building downtown. The patient is back safely at BPC and no one was harmed. It was an eventful couple of days nonetheless!
EASTER BREAK.
4/11 – 4/13
As I was going through charts this week, I came across a patient who I have come to know fairly well, and I really enjoy her company. She is an elderly woman, but very nice and very sweet to everyone. When I talk to her I don’t see very many symptoms. I was unsure why she was at BPC, I thought maybe she had depression. However, I see this with a lot of elderly patients; they are much better at hiding/ignoring/coping with their psychotic symptoms (such as delusions or hallucinations) than the younger patients. Maybe it is because they have been dealing with them longer? I did not expect this when I came to BPC. It has never been mentioned in a class or in a book to my knowledge; however, elderly patients cope better.
After I went through her charts, I learned that she has schizophrenia. I never would have assumed that if I didn’t read it. I am still curious as to why elderly patients cope with their symptoms better. Maybe it is because they have had more time to understand their illness and figure out what is reality and what is in their minds. I hope to discover the reason before my time is up at BPC.
At the end of the week, a patient approached me and handed me a sheet of paper. He told me that he wrote this note especially for me and he wanted me to keep it. To him it was very important. However, when I read it, it was meaningless to me because it was just scrambled words and nonsense phrases. In Abnormal Psych we learned that “word salad” is common for people with schizophrenia. They talk as if they are specialists on a topic, but they are the only ones who seem to understand what they are talking about because their speech and writing is so disorganized. The letter that the patient wrote to me started with Ziggy Stardust, who apparently was a famous singer back in the day. But then it went on to talk about carpentry, Jesus, and living in a cupboard. I kept the letter because I found it interesting even if it didn’t make sense because it allowed me to see the thought patterns that scattered around through this patient’s head. I have seen this “word salad” a few other times at BPC. Sometimes patients will write on the chalkboard or in the art therapy classes. When asked to explain what their notes mean, they try as best as they can, but more than often they are the only ones who understand it.
4/4 – 4/6
There was a small problem at BPC this week…a patient escaped. This does not happen often since the building is secure, however if a patient does somehow sneak past security and exit the building, then they can escape the grounds fairly easily. There is no locked gate or security at the entrance, so after he made it out the front door he was gone. This patient is not particularly dangerous, his bark is worse than his bite, but this is still a real safety issue to have a mentally unstable person out in the community. Even if he has no intentions of hurting anyone, the added stress and no found freedom might be overbearing and there is no way to say for certain that he would not harm others or himself. Another problem that came from this is that the Secret Service had to be called. This patient somehow managed to call the White House a couple years ago and threatened to bomb the House and kill the president. After that, the Secret Service was involved and they were to be notified any time he was leaving the building or would be off grounds, even if it was just for a doctor appointment. That threat needed to be taken seriously. Needless to say, there was a slight panic when he escaped. The patient ended up returning to BPC 24 hours later. He spent the night at the Police holding center because he pulled a fire alarm in a building downtown. The patient is back safely at BPC and no one was harmed. It was an eventful couple of days nonetheless!
EASTER BREAK.
4/11 – 4/13
As I was going through charts this week, I came across a patient who I have come to know fairly well, and I really enjoy her company. She is an elderly woman, but very nice and very sweet to everyone. When I talk to her I don’t see very many symptoms. I was unsure why she was at BPC, I thought maybe she had depression. However, I see this with a lot of elderly patients; they are much better at hiding/ignoring/coping with their psychotic symptoms (such as delusions or hallucinations) than the younger patients. Maybe it is because they have been dealing with them longer? I did not expect this when I came to BPC. It has never been mentioned in a class or in a book to my knowledge; however, elderly patients cope better.
After I went through her charts, I learned that she has schizophrenia. I never would have assumed that if I didn’t read it. I am still curious as to why elderly patients cope with their symptoms better. Maybe it is because they have had more time to understand their illness and figure out what is reality and what is in their minds. I hope to discover the reason before my time is up at BPC.
Revision [2447]
Edited on 2012-03-26 10:47:15 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
2/29 - 3/7
This week has been a bit of a switch up in my normal routines at BPC. Instead of going to classes in the Treatment Mall with the patients, I have been going through patient’s charts instead. This is a nice break, and at the same time it is very useful and interesting for me. I know the patients as they are because I am with them every day, but I don’t know their history and I don’t know their reason for admission into BPC. By going through their charts I am able to learn a lot about them without having to bombard them with questions. To my surprise, some of the nicest patients have the ugliest histories (such as murder, violence, rapes) and it is shocking to see what a long way they have come from the people they are described as on paper. I cannot go into detail about the charts because of privacy laws, but overall this has been a very informative week for me.
3/9 – 3/19
(Spring Break, out of town)
3/21/2012
For a psychology class that I am currently in, I am writing a paper about the theory of Creative Genius and Schizophrenia, focusing on the Nobel Prize winner John Nash. Two patients that I have met at BPC follow these same criteria. Both patients are male, of older age, and have very high levels of intelligence. One was a Harvard professor, the other worked at NASA. Both struggled with a mental illness while they made these extraordinary achievements, but eventually both were overcome by their schizophrenia. It is very sad to see such talent lost, but it is extremely interesting to see that this theory and schizophrenia truly do play into one another. I have been going through both patients charts to learn as much about them as I could. Although I will not be able to actually use them in my paper, it is good outside information to have. Plus, it helps me see the connections between the two patients and John Nash. One odd fact is that they all earned degrees and focused their study on Economics. All of them had auditory hallucinations, and all of them were brilliant. Some may argue that the psychosis is what makes their thoughts extraordinary, but I will argue that they are creative geniuses who have been overcome by a mental illness.
3/23/2012
Today was a very eventful day. I found one more patient who matches my criteria for my creative genius/schizophrenia paper. This patient is also very bright, has a very high IQ, and is a chemist; but he also suffers from schizophrenia. It was nice outside today so we decided to take the group out into the yard. I attempted to talk to this patient, and he had a really great sense of humor, was easy to talk to, but then I lost him in his own thoughts. To make matters worse, he and another woman do not get along and they started to argue. Then it escalated and they both began hitting each other with their walkers. Both started screaming for “help” and a whole scene of chaos broke out. The other patients became upset and then there was a serious lack of control over everyone. From today, I learned that it is best to stay inside!! From the second we walked out the door everyone immediately started acting much different, crazy and chaotic. The area is fenced in so no one would be able to run away, but it is still too much commotion for a group of people that already has high levels of anxiety, paranoia, and stress. It was great experience for me because I was able to see a lot of different reactions and symptoms all come out at the same time, but it is not fair to them. I think it will be awhile before we venture outside again!
3/26/12
Today was less eventful than most days, but that is never a bad thing! In the morning class we discussed the effects of color on mood. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they decorate their bedroom, what clothes they wear, or what color they use the most in art class. Color is a form of expression and the patients really do pick up on this. One patient mentioned that she will wear the same heavy sweater whenever she feels vulnerable. She said that it is large and black and she feels hidden in it, and is a way to keep others from approaching her. Another woman said that she chose to wear a pink sweater today because pink reminds her of love and her family was coming to visit her today. The second class was art therapy, and this tied in nicely to the first class discussion. The art therapist, Sue, explained that she likes to do a warm up exercise by having the patients color a picture of their mood based on pictures of the weather. Some patients will paint a bright sunny yellow picture which means they are happy and having a good day. Others drew tornados and disastrous pictures; although they didn’t feel like talking about it, they said it was “just how I feel”. It was so interesting to see the variety in their work and how they express their feelings in meaningful ways, and sometimes in ways they don’t even understand themselves. Art therapy really allows them to open up without having to verbally express it.
This week has been a bit of a switch up in my normal routines at BPC. Instead of going to classes in the Treatment Mall with the patients, I have been going through patient’s charts instead. This is a nice break, and at the same time it is very useful and interesting for me. I know the patients as they are because I am with them every day, but I don’t know their history and I don’t know their reason for admission into BPC. By going through their charts I am able to learn a lot about them without having to bombard them with questions. To my surprise, some of the nicest patients have the ugliest histories (such as murder, violence, rapes) and it is shocking to see what a long way they have come from the people they are described as on paper. I cannot go into detail about the charts because of privacy laws, but overall this has been a very informative week for me.
3/9 – 3/19
(Spring Break, out of town)
3/21/2012
For a psychology class that I am currently in, I am writing a paper about the theory of Creative Genius and Schizophrenia, focusing on the Nobel Prize winner John Nash. Two patients that I have met at BPC follow these same criteria. Both patients are male, of older age, and have very high levels of intelligence. One was a Harvard professor, the other worked at NASA. Both struggled with a mental illness while they made these extraordinary achievements, but eventually both were overcome by their schizophrenia. It is very sad to see such talent lost, but it is extremely interesting to see that this theory and schizophrenia truly do play into one another. I have been going through both patients charts to learn as much about them as I could. Although I will not be able to actually use them in my paper, it is good outside information to have. Plus, it helps me see the connections between the two patients and John Nash. One odd fact is that they all earned degrees and focused their study on Economics. All of them had auditory hallucinations, and all of them were brilliant. Some may argue that the psychosis is what makes their thoughts extraordinary, but I will argue that they are creative geniuses who have been overcome by a mental illness.
3/23/2012
Today was a very eventful day. I found one more patient who matches my criteria for my creative genius/schizophrenia paper. This patient is also very bright, has a very high IQ, and is a chemist; but he also suffers from schizophrenia. It was nice outside today so we decided to take the group out into the yard. I attempted to talk to this patient, and he had a really great sense of humor, was easy to talk to, but then I lost him in his own thoughts. To make matters worse, he and another woman do not get along and they started to argue. Then it escalated and they both began hitting each other with their walkers. Both started screaming for “help” and a whole scene of chaos broke out. The other patients became upset and then there was a serious lack of control over everyone. From today, I learned that it is best to stay inside!! From the second we walked out the door everyone immediately started acting much different, crazy and chaotic. The area is fenced in so no one would be able to run away, but it is still too much commotion for a group of people that already has high levels of anxiety, paranoia, and stress. It was great experience for me because I was able to see a lot of different reactions and symptoms all come out at the same time, but it is not fair to them. I think it will be awhile before we venture outside again!
3/26/12
Today was less eventful than most days, but that is never a bad thing! In the morning class we discussed the effects of color on mood. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they decorate their bedroom, what clothes they wear, or what color they use the most in art class. Color is a form of expression and the patients really do pick up on this. One patient mentioned that she will wear the same heavy sweater whenever she feels vulnerable. She said that it is large and black and she feels hidden in it, and is a way to keep others from approaching her. Another woman said that she chose to wear a pink sweater today because pink reminds her of love and her family was coming to visit her today. The second class was art therapy, and this tied in nicely to the first class discussion. The art therapist, Sue, explained that she likes to do a warm up exercise by having the patients color a picture of their mood based on pictures of the weather. Some patients will paint a bright sunny yellow picture which means they are happy and having a good day. Others drew tornados and disastrous pictures; although they didn’t feel like talking about it, they said it was “just how I feel”. It was so interesting to see the variety in their work and how they express their feelings in meaningful ways, and sometimes in ways they don’t even understand themselves. Art therapy really allows them to open up without having to verbally express it.
Revision [2416]
Edited on 2012-02-27 11:30:57 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
Total hours: 44
Revision [2415]
Edited on 2012-02-27 11:29:34 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
2/15 – 2/17
I’ve been at BPC for a while now, and I have gotten to know the employees and patients fairly well. It is nice to know everyone by name and they know me. The patients are less tense and suspicious of me at this point because they have gotten use to the fact that I am with them every other day. At first many patients did not want me in the same room as them, they would stare at me for long periods of time, or they would act out for attention or because I upset them in some way. However, things have quieted down a bit, and there aren’t as many incidents as there were in the beginning. At first, I was worried that I was upsetting the patients too much just by being there; I didn’t know how to help the situation though when I didn’t really do anything to cause it. Since the majority of patients at BPC are schizophrenic, a good portion of them are paranoid. Many will sit and stare and watch my every move, some refuse to turn their backs to me when sitting down, and some walk backwards out of the room just to make sure no one is following them or after them. For me, it was hard to walk into this the first couple weeks because I didn’t know how to react or how to help them. However, things are better now because we are all getting used to each other and are more comfortable with the situation. The patients come up and talk to me more, they tell me about their day or about discharge. Many are more interested in me now and ask about school, or my life, where I have traveled, etc. And then I can ask them the same and if they want to talk then they tell me about themselves, and if they do not feel like sharing then we change the topic. I have come to realize that even though the employees, including myself, need to take charge of every situation at BPC, it is still important to respect the patient’s needs. As the days go on, I learn more and more not only from my supervisors but from the patients as well and I think that is sometimes ever more important.
2/22- 2/24
Monday was President’s Day, so the Treatment Mall was closed. However, when I returned to BPC on Wednesday I was so happy to hear that two patients had been discharged! The male patient that had left was now at one of the out-patient facilities. He had been telling me the week before that his Treatment Team (which is a group of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, the Physician, and the patient) had been discussing plans of discharge. The patient had come a long way. Before he left he was one of the friendliest patients at BPC, always very pleasant, kind, talkative, and comical. He spoke to me about how important it was for him to keep his medication in order and take it at the right times every day; he asked questions about this in a class the week earlier as well. He took advantage of the classes in the Treatment Mall and asked questions about life after discharge. He improved so much that it would be silly to keep him there any longer. I hope that he can stay at the out-patient facility without any relapses. The other female patient that had been discharged had improved mentally and physically. When she first came to BPC she had to use a walker to get anywhere; however, when she left she was able to walk around on her own without any assistance. Her mental functioning had improved, and she takes her medications regularly and she has been approved for discharge. She will be staying with family.
With all of this good news, I was sad to hear that a patient who had been recently discharged had come back to BPC. He had brought himself back to BPC after taking all the medications prescribed to him; an attempted suicide. Sadly, this is the reason he was at BPC the first time. Unlike the majority of patients at BPC, this particular patient suffers from severe depression with multiple attempts of suicide. However, because of recent incidents it is suspected that he may be Borderline, and seeking attention. His first stay was temporary, with hopes of a safe recovery and discharge; however, it was no more than a week after discharge that he was back at BPC. This stay will be much longer than the last one. It is hard to see patients doing so well and then come back to the hospital. However, we have learned that many people with severe depression attempt suicide when they are actually starting to do better. It sounds odd, but when the medication starts working, all the thoughts that they had about ending their lives, they now have the ambition and energy to go through with it. It is actually a more dangerous stage than the lowest point of depression. Hopefully, this patient can overcome this hard time and reach full recovery.
2/27/12
Monday mornings tend to be very slow at BPC; just coming off of the weekend, early in the morning, and a prime time for side effects of medication to kick in. At the beginning of the first class, everyone was scattered around the room, and out of 12 patients, only 3 were awake and active when the group started. It is very challenging to work with a group of patients that aren’t coherent, and a large problem is over medication. I believe that the combination of drug/therapy is the best option for most patients at BPC, but I also believe that some are over medicated. Not only are they sleeping and in a haze, but they are not getting the opportunity to participate in class or any interactions with people. It is understandable that some patients can be very violent and need heavy medication, or that some patients have extreme cases and need the medication to stop the voices and hallucinations, but sometimes it seems like a bit much.
Without the medications, the patients cannot get through their day because their symptoms are too severe (they would not be in BPC otherwise). The medication is necessary and truly helps. But therapy, interactions, classes, fresh air, discussions, and education are also important and need to be administered as best as possible. Perhaps the distribution of medication should be at different times so that the side effects are at a more convenient time, such as lunch break hours or night time hours. It seems like there could be an alternative to this problem.
I’ve been at BPC for a while now, and I have gotten to know the employees and patients fairly well. It is nice to know everyone by name and they know me. The patients are less tense and suspicious of me at this point because they have gotten use to the fact that I am with them every other day. At first many patients did not want me in the same room as them, they would stare at me for long periods of time, or they would act out for attention or because I upset them in some way. However, things have quieted down a bit, and there aren’t as many incidents as there were in the beginning. At first, I was worried that I was upsetting the patients too much just by being there; I didn’t know how to help the situation though when I didn’t really do anything to cause it. Since the majority of patients at BPC are schizophrenic, a good portion of them are paranoid. Many will sit and stare and watch my every move, some refuse to turn their backs to me when sitting down, and some walk backwards out of the room just to make sure no one is following them or after them. For me, it was hard to walk into this the first couple weeks because I didn’t know how to react or how to help them. However, things are better now because we are all getting used to each other and are more comfortable with the situation. The patients come up and talk to me more, they tell me about their day or about discharge. Many are more interested in me now and ask about school, or my life, where I have traveled, etc. And then I can ask them the same and if they want to talk then they tell me about themselves, and if they do not feel like sharing then we change the topic. I have come to realize that even though the employees, including myself, need to take charge of every situation at BPC, it is still important to respect the patient’s needs. As the days go on, I learn more and more not only from my supervisors but from the patients as well and I think that is sometimes ever more important.
2/22- 2/24
Monday was President’s Day, so the Treatment Mall was closed. However, when I returned to BPC on Wednesday I was so happy to hear that two patients had been discharged! The male patient that had left was now at one of the out-patient facilities. He had been telling me the week before that his Treatment Team (which is a group of Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Social Workers, the Physician, and the patient) had been discussing plans of discharge. The patient had come a long way. Before he left he was one of the friendliest patients at BPC, always very pleasant, kind, talkative, and comical. He spoke to me about how important it was for him to keep his medication in order and take it at the right times every day; he asked questions about this in a class the week earlier as well. He took advantage of the classes in the Treatment Mall and asked questions about life after discharge. He improved so much that it would be silly to keep him there any longer. I hope that he can stay at the out-patient facility without any relapses. The other female patient that had been discharged had improved mentally and physically. When she first came to BPC she had to use a walker to get anywhere; however, when she left she was able to walk around on her own without any assistance. Her mental functioning had improved, and she takes her medications regularly and she has been approved for discharge. She will be staying with family.
With all of this good news, I was sad to hear that a patient who had been recently discharged had come back to BPC. He had brought himself back to BPC after taking all the medications prescribed to him; an attempted suicide. Sadly, this is the reason he was at BPC the first time. Unlike the majority of patients at BPC, this particular patient suffers from severe depression with multiple attempts of suicide. However, because of recent incidents it is suspected that he may be Borderline, and seeking attention. His first stay was temporary, with hopes of a safe recovery and discharge; however, it was no more than a week after discharge that he was back at BPC. This stay will be much longer than the last one. It is hard to see patients doing so well and then come back to the hospital. However, we have learned that many people with severe depression attempt suicide when they are actually starting to do better. It sounds odd, but when the medication starts working, all the thoughts that they had about ending their lives, they now have the ambition and energy to go through with it. It is actually a more dangerous stage than the lowest point of depression. Hopefully, this patient can overcome this hard time and reach full recovery.
2/27/12
Monday mornings tend to be very slow at BPC; just coming off of the weekend, early in the morning, and a prime time for side effects of medication to kick in. At the beginning of the first class, everyone was scattered around the room, and out of 12 patients, only 3 were awake and active when the group started. It is very challenging to work with a group of patients that aren’t coherent, and a large problem is over medication. I believe that the combination of drug/therapy is the best option for most patients at BPC, but I also believe that some are over medicated. Not only are they sleeping and in a haze, but they are not getting the opportunity to participate in class or any interactions with people. It is understandable that some patients can be very violent and need heavy medication, or that some patients have extreme cases and need the medication to stop the voices and hallucinations, but sometimes it seems like a bit much.
Without the medications, the patients cannot get through their day because their symptoms are too severe (they would not be in BPC otherwise). The medication is necessary and truly helps. But therapy, interactions, classes, fresh air, discussions, and education are also important and need to be administered as best as possible. Perhaps the distribution of medication should be at different times so that the side effects are at a more convenient time, such as lunch break hours or night time hours. It seems like there could be an alternative to this problem.
Revision [2398]
Edited on 2012-02-13 14:08:47 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
2/8/2012
Wednesday morning I sat in a class with some of the elderly patients. Before class began, there was a discussion about smoking. Many of the patients have been at BPC a very long time, which means that any prior addictions were cut cold turkey when they arrived here. Whether it was cigarettes, drugs or alcohol, the patients had to give them up immediately. BPC is a smoke free campus; however, some contraband is still snuck into the building. This week, two roommates were caught with jars of fruit in their room, which they had been keeping in order to make alcohol. The same roommates were caught with marijuana and cigarettes which they obtained by leaving the grounds when they were supposed to be at New Beginnings. However, this problem will cease to exist soon enough because New Beginnings is being moved back into the Strozzi Center, which is where all the patients live.
Back to the class discussion, the patients spoke about how they crave cigarettes or alcohol sometimes. Tammy, the TA leading the class, brought this discussion into the class topic. Not only are these patients suffering from mental illness, they are also being forced to quit an addiction at the same time. Quitting smoking, drugs, or overcoming alcoholism is extremely difficult for any person, but on top of quitting, add the pressure of being an inpatient struggling with a mental illness and being loaded with medication and strict schedules. Saying that this is frustrating or challenging is an understatement. However, we continued the class by saying that this is an opportunity for the patients to clean up, sober up, and get well again. After spending a great deal of time in BPC and overcoming a mental illness and an addiction is such an achievement, and falling off the wagon after discharge would be a huge disappointment. We asked the patients to look at BPC as an opportunity to better their health and well-being, and to take advantage of the time being spent here.
2/10/2012
Friday went by quickly this week I spent my morning and afternoon with Elizabeth again. The morning was spent on the third floor with the elderly and male patients. The discussion was focused around being heart-healthy since February is Heart Health Awareness month. The discussion tied into hope, fate and wellness. An employee at BPC was in the newspaper because of a recent heart-attack. He had been in the airport when he suddenly fell to the floor; he was having a heart attack. Luckily, a doctor had been walking by and saved his life. Fate stepped in later on when the two realized that not only was it lucky that the doctor had been walking by, but their seats on the plane were right next to each other as well. They were meant to cross paths with each other the entire time.
The patients seemed to really enjoy this story, and they connected the idea that things happen for a reason. Later discussion turned to wellness, such as taking care of your heart and what to do if you experience heart attack symptoms. I think that it is important to have classes like these, not only to shine some light on their days, but also to discuss physical health and not just mental health.
Later on in the afternoon, we were back on the third floor with just the male patients. Elizabeth warns me often to just keep an eye on the whole room, never turn your back to the group, and try to have your back to the doors when in the elevator. These are just safety precautions because the male patients can be more forceful; not to say that the women patients wouldn’t try the same thing. This came in full sight for me when one of the male patients was having a more difficult day and started acting out in the hallway. The male staff told Elizabeth and me to walk quickly to the end of the hallway and lock the door quickly behind us, while the whole time he followed just to make sure no problems occurred. It is important to be aware of your surroundings at all times when working with the patients. Not only are there daily incidences of patients attacking staff, but also because the keys that we hold are a main key for all of the doors leading to the hallways or staircases. However, some days are less intense than others, and you just have to go with the flow in order to not upset the patients too much.
2/13/2012
This morning was a very enjoyable morning at BPC. In the first class many of the patients were sleeping, which is often understandable because it is a common side effect of the medication prescribed. However, the second class was very much awake and lively! Elizabeth’s “Get Up and Move!” class had all of the ladies out of their seats and on their feet. The patients that I hardly see moving or talking were up and dancing around the room with smiles on their faces. It was really great to see them having a good time. It is understandable that the patients are not going to enjoy all of their classes, so they may seem irritable or crabby at times, but to see them happy is really a great thing. Some of the women who never participate in anything were involved for at least a small bit of time, but any progress is still progress! Being in a hospital everyday with the same routines and in some cases for many years must get redundant and almost surreal, so I think that it is good for them to have as many enjoyable moments as they can. I really enjoyed being able to talk and laugh with some of the women because I think that it gives them a bit of reality, joy, and is a noraml part of their day!
Wednesday morning I sat in a class with some of the elderly patients. Before class began, there was a discussion about smoking. Many of the patients have been at BPC a very long time, which means that any prior addictions were cut cold turkey when they arrived here. Whether it was cigarettes, drugs or alcohol, the patients had to give them up immediately. BPC is a smoke free campus; however, some contraband is still snuck into the building. This week, two roommates were caught with jars of fruit in their room, which they had been keeping in order to make alcohol. The same roommates were caught with marijuana and cigarettes which they obtained by leaving the grounds when they were supposed to be at New Beginnings. However, this problem will cease to exist soon enough because New Beginnings is being moved back into the Strozzi Center, which is where all the patients live.
Back to the class discussion, the patients spoke about how they crave cigarettes or alcohol sometimes. Tammy, the TA leading the class, brought this discussion into the class topic. Not only are these patients suffering from mental illness, they are also being forced to quit an addiction at the same time. Quitting smoking, drugs, or overcoming alcoholism is extremely difficult for any person, but on top of quitting, add the pressure of being an inpatient struggling with a mental illness and being loaded with medication and strict schedules. Saying that this is frustrating or challenging is an understatement. However, we continued the class by saying that this is an opportunity for the patients to clean up, sober up, and get well again. After spending a great deal of time in BPC and overcoming a mental illness and an addiction is such an achievement, and falling off the wagon after discharge would be a huge disappointment. We asked the patients to look at BPC as an opportunity to better their health and well-being, and to take advantage of the time being spent here.
2/10/2012
Friday went by quickly this week I spent my morning and afternoon with Elizabeth again. The morning was spent on the third floor with the elderly and male patients. The discussion was focused around being heart-healthy since February is Heart Health Awareness month. The discussion tied into hope, fate and wellness. An employee at BPC was in the newspaper because of a recent heart-attack. He had been in the airport when he suddenly fell to the floor; he was having a heart attack. Luckily, a doctor had been walking by and saved his life. Fate stepped in later on when the two realized that not only was it lucky that the doctor had been walking by, but their seats on the plane were right next to each other as well. They were meant to cross paths with each other the entire time.
The patients seemed to really enjoy this story, and they connected the idea that things happen for a reason. Later discussion turned to wellness, such as taking care of your heart and what to do if you experience heart attack symptoms. I think that it is important to have classes like these, not only to shine some light on their days, but also to discuss physical health and not just mental health.
Later on in the afternoon, we were back on the third floor with just the male patients. Elizabeth warns me often to just keep an eye on the whole room, never turn your back to the group, and try to have your back to the doors when in the elevator. These are just safety precautions because the male patients can be more forceful; not to say that the women patients wouldn’t try the same thing. This came in full sight for me when one of the male patients was having a more difficult day and started acting out in the hallway. The male staff told Elizabeth and me to walk quickly to the end of the hallway and lock the door quickly behind us, while the whole time he followed just to make sure no problems occurred. It is important to be aware of your surroundings at all times when working with the patients. Not only are there daily incidences of patients attacking staff, but also because the keys that we hold are a main key for all of the doors leading to the hallways or staircases. However, some days are less intense than others, and you just have to go with the flow in order to not upset the patients too much.
2/13/2012
This morning was a very enjoyable morning at BPC. In the first class many of the patients were sleeping, which is often understandable because it is a common side effect of the medication prescribed. However, the second class was very much awake and lively! Elizabeth’s “Get Up and Move!” class had all of the ladies out of their seats and on their feet. The patients that I hardly see moving or talking were up and dancing around the room with smiles on their faces. It was really great to see them having a good time. It is understandable that the patients are not going to enjoy all of their classes, so they may seem irritable or crabby at times, but to see them happy is really a great thing. Some of the women who never participate in anything were involved for at least a small bit of time, but any progress is still progress! Being in a hospital everyday with the same routines and in some cases for many years must get redundant and almost surreal, so I think that it is good for them to have as many enjoyable moments as they can. I really enjoyed being able to talk and laugh with some of the women because I think that it gives them a bit of reality, joy, and is a noraml part of their day!
Revision [2388]
Edited on 2012-02-06 11:05:13 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
2/1 - 2/3
Between Wednesday and Friday I worked in a variety of classes. It is good for me as a student to sit in on different classes with different instructors, therapists, and aides because that way I get a feel for the vast opportunities at BPC. What I have noticed so far is that the patients respond so differently to different people. The way the instructor acts towards them is a mirror image of how they respond to the class and to the people in the class. For example, a MHTA who is not in the best of moods will rub off on the patients. Their responses in class are negative and they do not interact as much. On the other hand, when a MHTA is happy and excited to be leading the class and giving off a positive vibe, the patients are much livelier and have a positive attitude. When working with these patients, I believe that each worker should put aside their own personal problems and be thankful that they are helping people. It truly affects the patient’s outlook when the people who are supposed to be helping them are not positive themselves. At BPC, they strive for healthy relationships and a path to recovery. The only way to achieve this is by moving in a positive direction.
Friday morning I worked in the basement rec. room and sat with a few patients and played cards with them. Even though some of them don’t want to speak to me, they still enjoy interacting in other ways. Sometimes it is frustrating when they don’t respond to my questions or want to carry on a conversation…but when I ask them to play cards they are all for it! I really enjoy spending time with them outside of the basic classroom setting because you get a chance to see their real personalities. The only problem that we had in the rec. room today was an issue with personal space because one female patient’s likes to hug all of the males and it upsets some of them.
Later on in the afternoon I worked with Elizabeth on the third floor which is for the male patients. The class was directed at an education about depression and ways to overcome it. I thought that this class was informative and beneficial, especially to a few who suffer from depression along with other problems. However, there were 2 patients who were disruptive. Elizabeth tried to get them to focus more so on the class, but since I am new, they were fixated on me. One gentleman had to be excused from the class. When the class was almost over, a patient with schizophrenia got up from his chair and walked to the chalkboard and began writing. Elizabeth asked him repeatedly to sit down, but he did not listen. When he was done, the entire board was covered. I had read what he wrote, and it was so interesting to see how he thought it such scattered thoughts and speech. In class we have learned that it is a symptom of schizophrenia to think and talk in scattered speech but I have never witnessed it first hand until then. To him, his writing on the chalkboard made sense; to me it was just a mismatch of sentences and unfinished thoughts. Very interesting! However, after the chalkboard incident, the patient rushed to the sink and began guzzling water. Again, he would not listen to Elizabeth and she had to call the two male TA’s to come restrain him. I came to find out that not only does the patient like the attention, but he drinks obscene amounts of water when he can because it dilutes his medication, which can lead to a very dangerous situation.
2/6/12
Today I worked with Elizabeth again. The first class this morning was a mix of male, female and elderly patients and was about wellness. Before the class even began, one patient kept trying to use the phone in the room. He is not allowed to do so and would not listen, so a TA took the receiver from the room. This however is problematic because phones are necessary to have in case there is an emergency and we need assistance or back-up. Today especially we needed a phone because a new patient was in the room. This patient refuses to take medication and is very violent; therefore, the phone was necessary. Being in classrooms with the male patients can be slightly intimidating. There seems to be more trouble and many more instances where the male TA’s need to be called down to settle a situation.
The second class that Elizabeth teaches in the mornings is on the women’s floor and is a “Get Up and Move” class. Here, the patients exercise, dance, and stretch out to wake their bodies up. I think this class is very beneficial because for the most part of the day the patients are just sitting around. It is good to have them move about and get the blood flowing because there aren’t so many opportunities to do so. Elizabeth is an Occupational Therapist, so she knows what exercises are appropriate and helpful to the women in here class. This was a good way to start my week as well!
Revision [2358]
Edited on 2012-01-30 10:53:41 by AshleighMallaberAdditions:
1/25/2012
Wednesday: Today was less eventful than my first two days were. The patients were not as aroused today, no outbursts or problems. Although the staff tries to keep each patient engaged in the class and in discussion, many of them drift of in day dreaming or fall asleep. For the most part, it is not because they are being lazy, but because of their medications. The 9:45am morning class is the most sluggish of the day because the patients are just getting up and receiving their meds. The medication can have side effects; many different medications and many different effects (positive and negative). However, the main side effect I have noticed is drowsiness. Many of the patients fall asleep during classes because of their meds. Because the classes are less than an hour, we try to keep them awake and active. The positive effects that medications have on patients are tremendous. One patient that I have come to know over the last couple days is very friendly, likes to chat, and keeps to herself when she is supposed to but also socializes at the appropriate time. I thought she was a very nice woman. However, my advisor Linda informed me that this woman refused her meds when she first arrived to BPC and was very hostile and angry. She would ignore the staff and acted very inappropriate. About two weeks before I got to BPC, she began taking her medication and it worked wonders for her. With her medication she is friendly and easy to talk to. It amazed me that she was 100% a different person before she started taking her medication. It goes to show that even with the negative side effects; medication is for the most part a very good thing.
1/27/2012
Friday: I worked on the second floor in the Treatment Mall again with the women and elderly patients. Although my morning started off well, the afternoon was a different story. Last Friday, I had met a patient (for privacy purposes I will refer to her as Sarah), and she seemed friendly, but a little distant. From a psychology point of view I found her interesting because of the way she spoke and her physical actions. Sarah would sit and stare directly at me for an hour, not saying a word and not moving a muscle. It didn’t bother me much, but I did find it interesting. By the end of the class she drew me a picture with a few hearts and flowers on it and told me that I could keep it. However, this Friday, Sarah didn’t like me as much as she did the week before. I walked into the classroom and she offered me the seat next to her. As a sat there she stared at me again for quite some time; however, out of nowhere she got very angry at me. She began yelling at me, so I moved my seat next to the TA in charge because I didn’t want to upset Sarah. Sarah ended up walking out of the room and threw a marker at me. When she came back into the room she apologized and everything seemed okay, but then she got angry again. She began screaming at me and using very vulgar language. At that point I left the room myself because she was obviously very upset. Later I discussed what happened with my advisor, telling her that Sarah was referring to me as the attorney’s wife and a few other things that I didn’t understand where she had gotten them from. Linda explained that sometimes the patients get upset and confuse people with people from their past. Often they also become upset with female students because we remind them of a life they once had. Although Sarah is sick and because of her illness she creates false beliefs in her head and imagines things that aren’t real, I still felt bad that I had caused her to become that upset. Although I have not looked at Sarah’s charts yet, I would assume she has some form of schizophrenia; her catatonic postures, hallucinations, and delusions are a good sign of it.
1/30/2012
Monday: The first class that I sat in on today was on the third floor of the Treatment Mall. This first class is a mix of the male, female, and elderly patients. I was in Susan’s room, and she is an Art Therapist. I found this class interesting because the patients could create, draw, paint or color whatever they liked. It is interesting to see each patient’s artwork. In school I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they color. For example, if they stay inside of the lines, it could mean that they respect boundaries in real life. If a person purposefully colors outside of the lines then that person may be more rebellious. In the Treatment Mall you can really see someone’s mental health show through their work. Many patients are low functioning, so their work may look child-like, or elementary level. While others are much more detailed in their work and create pictures from life experiences, which I really enjoy seeing. In school I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person’s mental stability by the pictures that they draw; for example, drawing a face, a person, or a house. One particular patient drew a person, but the face was scrambled and the arms and legs were odd proportions. It was interesting to see how a simple picture can go so wrong and how the patient’s perception could be so off. Another patient is from Poland, and Polish is her first language. She often writes out sentences or stories in Polish and finds it funny when other people cannot understand it, (I find it somewhat comical too). Many patients get their feelings out in the creations, whether they’re angry and use dark colors and messy work, or if they’re in a good mood that day and draw flowers and hearts. I find it interesting to look at their artwork to see what they are thinking or feeling because it is an easy way to communicate with them.
Wednesday: Today was less eventful than my first two days were. The patients were not as aroused today, no outbursts or problems. Although the staff tries to keep each patient engaged in the class and in discussion, many of them drift of in day dreaming or fall asleep. For the most part, it is not because they are being lazy, but because of their medications. The 9:45am morning class is the most sluggish of the day because the patients are just getting up and receiving their meds. The medication can have side effects; many different medications and many different effects (positive and negative). However, the main side effect I have noticed is drowsiness. Many of the patients fall asleep during classes because of their meds. Because the classes are less than an hour, we try to keep them awake and active. The positive effects that medications have on patients are tremendous. One patient that I have come to know over the last couple days is very friendly, likes to chat, and keeps to herself when she is supposed to but also socializes at the appropriate time. I thought she was a very nice woman. However, my advisor Linda informed me that this woman refused her meds when she first arrived to BPC and was very hostile and angry. She would ignore the staff and acted very inappropriate. About two weeks before I got to BPC, she began taking her medication and it worked wonders for her. With her medication she is friendly and easy to talk to. It amazed me that she was 100% a different person before she started taking her medication. It goes to show that even with the negative side effects; medication is for the most part a very good thing.
1/27/2012
Friday: I worked on the second floor in the Treatment Mall again with the women and elderly patients. Although my morning started off well, the afternoon was a different story. Last Friday, I had met a patient (for privacy purposes I will refer to her as Sarah), and she seemed friendly, but a little distant. From a psychology point of view I found her interesting because of the way she spoke and her physical actions. Sarah would sit and stare directly at me for an hour, not saying a word and not moving a muscle. It didn’t bother me much, but I did find it interesting. By the end of the class she drew me a picture with a few hearts and flowers on it and told me that I could keep it. However, this Friday, Sarah didn’t like me as much as she did the week before. I walked into the classroom and she offered me the seat next to her. As a sat there she stared at me again for quite some time; however, out of nowhere she got very angry at me. She began yelling at me, so I moved my seat next to the TA in charge because I didn’t want to upset Sarah. Sarah ended up walking out of the room and threw a marker at me. When she came back into the room she apologized and everything seemed okay, but then she got angry again. She began screaming at me and using very vulgar language. At that point I left the room myself because she was obviously very upset. Later I discussed what happened with my advisor, telling her that Sarah was referring to me as the attorney’s wife and a few other things that I didn’t understand where she had gotten them from. Linda explained that sometimes the patients get upset and confuse people with people from their past. Often they also become upset with female students because we remind them of a life they once had. Although Sarah is sick and because of her illness she creates false beliefs in her head and imagines things that aren’t real, I still felt bad that I had caused her to become that upset. Although I have not looked at Sarah’s charts yet, I would assume she has some form of schizophrenia; her catatonic postures, hallucinations, and delusions are a good sign of it.
1/30/2012
Monday: The first class that I sat in on today was on the third floor of the Treatment Mall. This first class is a mix of the male, female, and elderly patients. I was in Susan’s room, and she is an Art Therapist. I found this class interesting because the patients could create, draw, paint or color whatever they liked. It is interesting to see each patient’s artwork. In school I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they color. For example, if they stay inside of the lines, it could mean that they respect boundaries in real life. If a person purposefully colors outside of the lines then that person may be more rebellious. In the Treatment Mall you can really see someone’s mental health show through their work. Many patients are low functioning, so their work may look child-like, or elementary level. While others are much more detailed in their work and create pictures from life experiences, which I really enjoy seeing. In school I have learned that you can tell a lot about a person’s mental stability by the pictures that they draw; for example, drawing a face, a person, or a house. One particular patient drew a person, but the face was scrambled and the arms and legs were odd proportions. It was interesting to see how a simple picture can go so wrong and how the patient’s perception could be so off. Another patient is from Poland, and Polish is her first language. She often writes out sentences or stories in Polish and finds it funny when other people cannot understand it, (I find it somewhat comical too). Many patients get their feelings out in the creations, whether they’re angry and use dark colors and messy work, or if they’re in a good mood that day and draw flowers and hearts. I find it interesting to look at their artwork to see what they are thinking or feeling because it is an easy way to communicate with them.
