More psych

I’m still at the VA—I’m enjoying it more now that I’ve gotten used to the swing of things. The 63 yo man who lives w/his mother was discharged after being instructed (as he has been for a long time by several therapists/psychiatrists) that he needs to move away from his mother—he planned on doing this eventually, and in the mean time planned to go to a movie/get out of the house when he got too frustrated. He was discharged in a good and optimistic mood a week and a half ago. Yesterday he came back. As soon as he got home, he apparently went back into his depressed/enraged state and spent a straight week in bed without eating or drinking. He pushed his 86 yo mother to the ground. Two days later he tried to slit his wrist and failed, then tried to overdose—though these actions were really more of attention seeking gestures than actual attempts—he barely scratched his wrist and he only took four of his regular pills. He decided he needed to be admitted again, so his mother drove him to the hospital. We are going to have a family meeting w/his mother next week which I am kind of looking forward to—I’m very curious to see what his mother is like. When we discharge him this time it will be after he has found housing that he can go to straight from the hospital.

The 69 yo schizophrenic is still here, entertaining as ever. He’s a very nice man, and particularly happy now that he has off ward privileges. You can actually hold a fairly reasonable conversation w/him now that he is back on his meds, though he still has his delusions and hallucinations. He talks a lot about ancient Egypt, and when we asked if he reads a lot he said that he doesn’t need to because he was born there. Centuries ago he worked there as a builder. He also exhibits “clanging” at times, in which his train of thought follows similarly sounding words. Eg: “I accidentally killed King Tut on purpose, because he took me for granted, granite, what the pyramids were made from”.

One morning a week I go to outpatient at a program for boys who are drug abusers, sex offenders, or have ADHD so bad that their local schools can’t handle them. A lot of very sad cases.

A couple nights ago my Bible study group spent 4 hours blowing up 1000 balloons as a welcome home gift to one of our friends. Above are a couple pictures. Quite impressive I think.