Missionary Orthopod in the Making

So I have been on my psych rotation for about 3 weeks now and I must say that it is quite a different experience. The first two weeks I was on the general psych ward at the VA hospital and I overall hated it. The majority of the patients there knew the system and basically came in for their monthly psychiatric tune-up whether that be for depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicidiality, or a combination of all of those. I mean I did see some patients improve but not many. Also I realized that I really do like talking to patients but not as much as you have to on psych.

On my 3rd week of psych I switched from general psych to addictions and I must admit that I really admire their programs. These are guys whose lives have been destroyed by drugs, alcohol, gambling and have decided that they didn’t want to sink any lower than where they were. I really liked how they were completely accountable to each other even for little things like going to the social security office to sign some papers. As I was sitting in their meetings listening to them describe the intense struggle they have resisting the temptation to drink or use I couldn’t help but feel like I experienced similar problems with gadgets, particularly cell phones. When a new iphone, blackberry, or windows mobile phone comes out I have an almost insatiable desire to purchase it. This has resulted in me owning 8 different phones in the last 3 years. Now luckily I can sell stuff very well on ebay so I have rarely lost money but none the less its an addiction. I consider myself a high functioning addict though :-).

Right now I am on child psych and it is frustrating primarily because their parents are often the source of the problem and we can’t really treat the parents. But overall interacting with the kids has been great. We have kids with depression, with bipolar mood disorder, with psychosis, etc. Its definitely gratifying to see them go home “normal” again. I have been trying my best to look excited while on psych and I am not sure of the job I am doing.