I have just finished next story on Jack. It’s just a day off and what he gets up too. Nothing exciting but I think it’s on. Anybody wants to read it. I’ll email it and let me know what you think. Please
Month: June 2016
I have managed to start writing my next instalment on Jack who is working on a different ward.
At this moment I am writing up my next instalment about Jack. My character in my book I am trying to write.
Paranoid schizophrenia
If people do know about schizophrenia then this is the subtype they are most likely to be most familiar with. This involves systematized delusions or auditory hallucinations. They suffer from delusions of persecution, grandeur, control or jealousy which are often complex and which are often completely comprehensible.
They seldom display severely disorganized behavior, incoherence or loose association, they don’t e experience flat or inappropriate emotion – their demeanor is more formal and intense.
Disorganized schizophrenia
This can be characterized by silliness and incoherence, giggling or grimacing without any apparent reason. Extreme sensitivity to internal cues and extreme insensitivity to external cues means their behaviour is often seen as bizarre.
Like paranoid schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia involves delusions or hallucinations, though this time they tend to be focused on the individual sufferer and their bodies. For examples they might believe that their intestines are dissolving. Within this type, patients may also ignore personal grooming such as forgetting to shower or brush their hair.
Catatonic schizophrenia
Here, the defining features relate to motor behaviour. Patients frequently have frozen body postures, staying even in the most uncomfortable looking postures for a long time. They may also exhibit very excited movement, look agitated, resist control and look to be dangerous to themselves. Once again they might suffer hallucinations or delusions, often during these frozen episodes. These tend to focus on death and destruction.
Residual Schizophrenia
This is defined by the absence of such as delusions, hallucinations and incoherence exhibited by the previous three subtypes. Ins there place there are normally 2 or more symptoms such as marked social isolation, very peculiar behaviour, serious impairment of personal hygiene, flat or inappropriate emotional expression, bizarre thinking or unusual perceptual experiences
Undifferentiated schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is so difficult to pin down even into these subtypes, so professionals are left with a final category used to group those who don’t easily fall into any of the above.
WHAT IS IT?
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disease. Approximately 1 percent of the population develops schizophrenia during their lifetime – more than 2 million Americans suffer from the illness in a given year. Although schizophrenia affects men and women with equal frequency, the disorder often appears earlier in men, usually in the late teens or early twenties, than in women, who are generally affected in the twenties to early thirties. People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices not heard by others, or believing that other people are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts, or plotting to harm them. These symptoms may leave them fearful and withdrawn. Their speech and behaviour can be so disorganized that they may be incomprehensible or frightening to others. Available treatments can relieve many symptoms, but most people with schizophrenia continue to suffer some symptoms throughout their lives; it has been estimated that no more than one in five individuals recovers completely.
This is a time of hope for people with schizophrenia and their families. Research is gradually leading to new and safer medications and unraveling the complex causes of the disease. Scientists are using many approaches from the study of molecular genetics to the study of populations to learn about schizophrenia. Methods of imaging the brain’s structure and function hold the promise of new insights into the disorder.
In this article, I am going to try and bring some awareness on Epilepsy. I know a little about this as when I was in my early twenties I suddenly started having seizures after a night out with friends. It all started when I was in a night club one weekend, I was having a drink and went to the toilets and when I came back I finished my drink. After about ten minutes I started feeling dizzy and started to stagger around the place and this was only after two or three pints. My friends told me that the door supervisor took me out on the balcony and then he sat me down. The next thing I know I’m waking up in the hospital. I was informed that I had a seizure on the balcony of the night club and the door supervisor had called an ambulance as my friends had said that I had never had a seizure before.
I soon learned how to deal with the onset of seizures and how to reduce them. Before I would have a seizure, I would start to feel angry over the slightest little thing and argue of silly things. Soon after this I would start to appear drunk and stagger everywhere. As I use to work in a hospital the nurses and some of the doctor would recognise what was happening to me and get me to a safe place and help me relax and if it was too far gone they would treat me with medication such as Diazepam. I learnt that getting into a quiet, darkened room and spray lavender where I was laying.
As it has been a while since I have had a seizure and it must have been over 14 years since I have had a seizure and been medication free for 13.5 years. I started to read about Epilepsy since then. I will put up some facts and figures on here but they may be a little dated so please don’t take what I write as fact, things change in time.
There is about 1,000,000- 2,500,000 people may develop epilepsy in their lifetime.
There is roughly about 250,000 – 500,000 with active epilepsy.
Each year there will be about 10,000 – 35,000 will develop epilepsy every year.
Epilepsy could occur due to an injury to the brain, whether it is due to a brain injury, Infection to the brain, Stress related incidents, Drugs and alcohol just to name a few reasons.
The brain works on electrical impulses that fire from nerve cell to nerve cell and at times due to whatever reason, they miss fire and don’t connect to the right cell. This courses a miss fire and this will make the body have an epileptic seizure.
There are roughly 40 different types of seizure with not one being the same, there is something different in each one no matter how small the difference is. It could range from one limb jerking differently of random involuntary movements. Every one’s seizures will be different to another’s even though two people may be diagnosed with the same Seizure type their seizures will be individual.
Partial Seizures
– Simple partial seizures.
– Complex partial seizures
– Secondary generalised seizures.
Generalised Seizures
– Absence seizures (petit mal)
– Myoclonic seizures
– Clonic Seizures
– Tonic Seizures
– Tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal)
– Atonic seizures
Just because a person may have a seizure in their lifetime it does not mean that they have epilepsy. If someone has concerns about this they should go to their GP and talk to them about them. The person should keep a diary of when these events happen. It should contain when they started and finished, what happened during the seizures and how long it took to recover and hand this to the GP. You can request to be passed over to a specialist in Epilepsy as well.
If you do have seizures, don’t let it run your life. You can take full control or partial control of the seizures. If you do end up going to see the doctors he may send you for one of three scans, not to worry about this as they don’t hurt, they could be an MRI scan magnetic resonance imaging, A CT scan computed tomography or an EEG electroencephalograph.
For more information on Epilepsy, you could contact National Society for Epilepsy, British Epilepsy Association. You can also contact your local hospital for local groups and information on epilepsy.
While working in a mental health hospital I have come across a vast amount of different diagnosis with patients. I have worked with patients with Learning Disabilities from the age of 5-16 and adults and patients from the age of 13- 70 years of age with mental health problems. It has mostly been in a hospital setting but also in community rest bite. I have gained a vast amount of experience and knowledge while working. Don’t get me wrong I am not claiming to be an expert or a professional but I may know a thing or two to get me by within my job role as a health care assistant.
I have worked in acute admissions on a locked unit and this is really when I started working as a health care assistant. The ward was admitting patients male and females with an age range from 16-65 years of age. Some patients were held under the mental health act on section 2 or 3 and now and again some patients were informal, there for treatment in agreement. We had some patients with drug-induced psychosis, manic depression, alcoholics (rare), self-harmers (mainly female) and schizophrenia just to name a few things. There was a man who allegedly suffered schizophrenia due to drug trials within the military, this is was what he claimed. With my experience in working with him this mad him a dangerous man as he claimed, he was in the military and we had evidence of this. Plus with his schizophrenia and his paranoia he was a jittery man. We had as I said a mixed ward and sometimes some patients formed relations ships with other patients. There was no seclusion room/s in this ward every aggressive situation was handled there and then and if an intravenous medication was needed it was given in the patient’s room and they had to remain in their room.
This next section I worked in a rest bite for children with mild to severe Learning disabilities. This, to be honest, was a lot of fun but it was only for about four months I worked there on a no contract hours. I met kids with Autism, Asperger’s and kids with Epilepsy and physical disabilities. It was an eye opener and a learning curve but I did enjoy my time there. There was a lot of personal care and always with one female and one male staff. Sometimes it was male and male or female and female as well depending on their condition and their parent’s requirements. During the day between 08:30 and 15:30 they attended school and after this they came to us for care just to give the parents a break or rest and have alone time. I got to play on play stations, football and many other games until it was time for them to go to bed. Some of the patients needed help with eating and washing.
Another place I worked was within the community with adult males with learning disabilities that had a purpose built a house for the patients. This was a great job as every day we went out on trips, college, and holidays now and again. College was fun as the patients attended the local college for drama which the patients appear to enjoy. In this job role we ordered medication and dispensed medication but not PRN unless the qualified gave permission. We helped with filling out paperwork for benefits and attending centres. One of the best things was we got to cook proper food every day for the staff and clients on a daily basis. There was a great time when it was one of the patient’s birthday, as family members came round and often we took everyone out for a meal and the local places got to know the patients and we got priority treatment, bonus. The only reason I left this job was because I moved out of the area.
At the minute, I work in a hospital that treats every sort of mental health problems and learning disabilities no matter what age they are or their condition. This job role has taught me the most. I have learnt to deal with every imaginable situation possible. It ranges from self-harm to serious assault on people and murderers and sex offenders. You name it we have it there in the hospital. I have dealt with weapon situations, self- harm, confrontation, aggression just to name a few. I love the job I am in and would recommend working there if you want to learn quickly and broaden your experience within mental health or learning disabilities.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this what I have written. If you want to know anything about conditions with mental health please get back to me. I will get the information you require or tell you as it is.
I have about 19 or so years experience in mental health and I have decided that I want to give advice to anyone that needs help. I’m no expert but I know what I know.
If you require advice please get in touch and I’ll see what I can advise for you. I have worked with clients from 6 years of age to 65 years in mental health and learning disabilities. Whether it be in the community or hospital setting. I will try to advise or find the advice. Please message me.
My journey into mental health started many years ago, it must have been when I was about 22 years of age. I knew nothing of mental health and what it was all about. The one thing I wanted to do was to find out and from that day I have never looked back until now. Don’t get me wrong I love my job and have never wanted to be a qualified nurse. I quickly worked out it is the health care assistants that are the eyes and ears of the ward.
I had previously worked in a general hospital and had not had much interaction with people that had mental health issues either in the community or in hospital. All I grew up with from friends is people with mental health issues are to be given a wide birth. At this point I didn’t know why. But on one particular day it was about to change my whole outlook on mental health and give me an understanding and insight on the vast subject.
At this point in my life I worked in a general hospital in the midlands area as an A&E porter alongside security work. This was an exciting job and did open your eyes to many sights and situations within the hospital. All porters/ security workers carried bleeps and radios for emergencies within the hospital. The radios were for general jobs and the bleeps were for emergencies around the hospital; when the bleep went off, if you weren’t with a patient you ran and ran fast. It could have been medical emergency and we had to run with a defibrillator, alarms in maturity went off or people need security for other problems.
As I was saying, this one particular day I was asked to go to A&E and babysit a patient that had become verbally threatening to the nursing staff. When I got there the Charge nurse had told me that the ambulance had brought this man in for assessment and possible admission to the psychiatric ward. All I was to do was keeping an eye on him and persuade him to wait for the doctor to speak to him. I thought to myself that this is going to bed boring plus all I grew up with was give people a wide birth who are ‘mental’. While I was in the side room the man looked in his early twenties, dirty face but clean tidy hands, a yellow plain t-shirt with stains down it. To me it looked like he had just had something to eat and spilt it down himself. His hair looked messy but had clumps missing so he had a number of bold patches all over his head. He wore black jeans that were also a little stained around the knees and lower legs. He did wear any shoes or trainers just a pair of socks that looked like they hadn’t been changed in a long time. So if you were to go off looks you maybe would think he was homeless.
As I entered I did smiled at him and introduced myself and reached out my hand to greet him in a friendly handshake keeping my smile. The man looked at my stretched out hand then as I watched his eyes they followed my arm up my shoulder to my smiley face. As our eyes met I said to him it’s ok and all I want to do is shake your hand, nothing else. So the man’s uneasily reached out his hand and shook mine in return. To be fair he shook my hand with a very tight grip and I could see his facial expression change a little; like a naughty little boy being naughty. Then he looked back at me and as he saw me looking he changed his expression back to someone who looked frightened and worried. Unusual I thought to myself but thought nothing else of it. I sat on the hospital trolley in the room and put my feet up on a chair that was placed in front of him. It must have been used by the nurse that was in here before. While doing this it kind of blocked his exit to leave the room but he didn’t seem to care much. I introduced myself and asked him his name. He told me his name was Darren and then clammed up again. I told him
‘Nice to meet you Darren’.
But Darren just looked up and nodded in acknowledgment. I had a suspicion that he didn’t want to be there. I mention to Darren that I was only here to keep an eye on him, nothing else; we just had to wait for Dr Jay who was going to talk to Darren. He looked up at me looking a little worried and asked
‘why is he coming to talk to me’.
‘I don’t know, sorry’ I replied to him.
I explained that Dr Jay was a great doctor and he was the sort of doctor that everyone liked. Dr Jay always made time for people and patients no matter what the issue was. He also didn’t dress like a consultant; he dressed mostly in jeans and t-shirts but rarely wore a suit. His excuse was it made him more approachable to people. Which it did to be fair!
As I sat there I occasionally looked over at Darren and I could just barely see his lips moving, just like he was talking to someone; just like he was talking but didn’t want anyone to notice. Every now and again he would make a little grunt noise like he was being pushed or knocked by someone. At this point I didn’t know what to think or say as I have never had much interaction with people with mental health problems. I did eventually open my mouth and asked Darren if he was ok. He turned and looked at me with a scornful look of disgust as if I had just disturbed an important meeting. When Darren had looked at me he turned his head back facing away from me and continued talking to whoever was there with him.
It had been at least 30 minutes and the door opened and a middle aged face appears and smiles while saying to me
‘Can I talk to you please’?
‘Of cores’ I replied.
‘Darren I’m just going to speak to this gentleman, I’ll just be outside the door’
Darren continued to talk to his imaginary friend and I stepped out the room. Outside the room was Dr Jay, who was the one who popped his head round the door and a nurse who was a female about in her mid-thirties. She was about 5ft 6, short brown hair a little bit spikes. She was dressed in black trousers, blue shirt with a t-shirt underneath the shit with black flat shoes. Looks smart, more like an office worker. She introduced herself as clinical nurse lead Ford. Dr Jay asked me what he has been like while I had been sitting with him. I told him about his appearance as in how he was dressed and unwashed. I told Dr Jay that Darren appeared frightened and worried when he was spoken too. Dr Jay said that could of been paranoia but he couldn’t be sure until he spoke to him. I also mentioned that he was sitting in a chair facing the wall slightly and I could see him talking but trying to be discreet about it. Also that his facial expressions were always changing, like he was responding to something with the odd verbal noise now and again.
Dr Jay says ok let’s go and see him. But he asked if I minded coming in as I was the first person Darren had met and spoken too. I walked in and said to Darren
‘Darren, Dr Jay is here to talk to you’
Darren looked round at me and looked frightened, then Dr Jay walked in and suddenly Darren jumped up like a frightened animal caught in a corner. Staring at Dr Jay Darren in a frightened little boys voice said
‘keep him away from me,
I reply ‘ Darren it’s ok he’s a friend, he just wants to talk to you that’s all’.
I do this with my hands out in front of me and my palms facing Darren waving them side to side. While doing this I slowly walk towards Darren letting him know that no one is going to hurt him. I tell Darren to keep his eyes on my still walking slowly towards him reassuring him that he was safe. Darren looks at me and as I reach him he slowly sits back in the chair muttering to his self. Couldn’t make out what he was saying as he was speaking very quietly. Now Darren is seated I let him know that everything is going to be ok and Dr Jay is a good man and he is here to help him, that’s all, make him feel better. Dr Jay thanks me and asks if I could wait outside the room but not to go anywhere just in case.
After about one hour of me standing outside the side room like a palace guard; Dr Jay pops out and says to me that I did great work earlier keeping Darren here and calming him down. I thought to myself that I don’t know how to take that. Don’t hear many compliments. Dr Jay says to me that Darren is a troubled man and he has agreed to come to the ward so we can assess him more. But there is one condition; I have to walk Darren there as he feels safe with me.
‘Ok not a problem’ I tell Dr Jay.
The Doctor goes back into the room and brings Darren out with the nurse. As I look at Darren he looks at me with a smile of embarrassment, tilting his head to the side. To be fair it looks like he had been crying in that room. Maybe reality had hit him after speaking to the doctor or he was upset he was being admitted to the ward. Myself and Darren start to walk off to the ward with the other two walking closely behind with Darren looking back occasionally at them. Was this because he felt safer knowing that they were there or was it because he was feeling paranoid with them behind him?. I ask him if he is ok as he keeps looking back and Darren just bites his bottom lip and nods while looking at the floor. As we get to the ward Darren stops and hesitates and hearing his breathing getting rapid I reassure Darren that everything from here on will only get better. Turning and facing me he asked me if I would come and see him later as I was the only person he knew. I let him know that if he went in with the nurse and Dr Jay I’d try and pop back to see how he was doing. But I couldn’t promise anything. I step back and let the other two walk onto the ward with Darren and watch as the doors close behind them. I notice Darren look back and smile as I start to walk off back to work.
This was the first dealing with a person that had mental health problems and I had never known how interesting it would be. Darren was the first person that would start my journey off in working as a health care assistant. About a week later I asked for a transfer from porter/ security to working in a psychiatric ward. Best job I have ever had.
A link from Instagram on eating disorder by Lilly Collins
If there was something you wanted to know about mental illness what would it be? Remember I’m not a professional I am a health care work with over 18 years of experience. If there is something you want to know I will write about it and put it on here, Blogit and Tumblr. Under the same name writer1710. Message me back on anything.
Many thanks
Motivational things 
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