I spent two years in a psych ward - and not as an inpatient. Due to the ward being in small city in New Zealand, we had it all - mildly unwell, dangerously unwell, old, young, and even some children, although the oldest I ever looked after was 14yrs. We also didn't have very many men working there, and I was one of 3 guys working there. It was because of this reason, they often gave me the teenage males to look after.
Johnno (not his real name) wouldn't speak to me for my first month, because he didn't trust me. He didn't trust anyone, but how can you trust anything when you hear hairy legs patter across the hardwood floor, and see thousands of spiders crawling towards your bed, and then feel them biting you. He was only 16yrs old, and this was his life.
After a year working with Johnno, he trusted me, and talked to me, although 'talking' doesn't really explain it. His bursts of laughter would often be interrupted by bouts of laughter. I used to ask him what he was laughing at, but I was told not to do this, as asking about his hallucinations apparently reinforced his belief in them. Which makes it kinda tricky, because sometimes having a little glimpse of what's going on in his head does give you some idea of how bizarre his world is.
'There's a black demon with red eyes and he says you're a C...' The first time he told me this, I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder, but I couldn't stop the goosebumps or chill down my spine.
Poor Johnno started smoking Pot at the age of 14, and was first admitted to the unit at the age of 15. In 3yrs time, he'd never been free of his hallucinations, and probably never will be. All we'll do is give him more drugs to relax him, so the demons don't bother him so much, and then given more drugs to counter the extra-pyramidal side effects of such strong anti-psychotics.
I looked after a worrying number of teenagers there because of Pot. They say growing minds are vulnerable, and it makes sense. What worries me now is that scientist now say the brain doesn't finish developing until people are 25yrs old.
Yet it's legal for teenagers to smoke pot in some places.
They believe it's harmless.
I regularly talk to the students at my schools, and many do believe it's harmless as well.
What scary is the growing number of adults who believe it's harmless.
Another patient I looked after turned out to be my friend, Pete. I'd known Pete through high school, and he was always the calm guy who didn't drink, so we often used him as our sober driver. It's only now, as an inpatient, I realize we had a stoned driver instead. I realize now why he drove so carefully, so slowly.
I'd lost contact with Pete in the last couple of years, but he'd gotten a job killing chickens, so I'm not surprised he fired up a spliff several times a day with a job like that. He had started to believe the TV and Radio were beaming instructions into his head, and eventually convinced himself he was the Messiah. Fortunately he came right, but he can never smoke again, and will not risk drinking.
It might have helped that he stopped killing chickens for a living.
Anyway, not sure what my point is, just thought I'd share some experiences from the psych ward, but before I go, I can't help leave with one last, controversial statement:
Pot is an insidious, creeping poison that destroys youth, but society chooses to be blind to it, because 'what I do in my own house, doesn't hurt anybody else, so don't tell me what to do.'
rnmaybe
40 Posts
where are they being put in jail for years simply for smoking pot?