The Legendary Life

Part 2

Sometimes I talk to people who have mental illness and they tell me that they don't take medication because they don't want to have to deal with the side effects of the medicine. I always tell these people that the side effects of taking their medicine is far less then the side effect of winding up stuck in a Mental Health Unit for several days.

It's true that their are side effects of any medicine not matter what it is being taken for. It has been my experience that the side effects go away after a month. I have had some people tell me that it takes longer for them but so what? Isn't it better to be stable and healthy then unstable? What's better? Living comfortably at home or staying at a Mental Health Unit, eating lame food, going to bed and waking up when they tell you to, going to endless meetings throughout the day when you would rather be doing something else?

Don't get me wrong. There are times when it's necessary to go to a Mental Health Unit to get help that one cannot get on the outside. They have trained personnel, skilled nurses and psychiatrists, they monitor your medications, and in most cases treat you with dignity and respect as you go through the healing process. I have experienced this six times during the course of my life and I am appreciative for the experience.

Back to taking medications. I might be preaching to the choir here but I think we need to remind ourselves why we need to take our medications if not for ourselves, to have a good reason ready for people you might meet who have mental illness but who don't want to take their medications. You need to rehearse this conversation before it happens so that you are ready to do it correctly and right the first time. You might not get a chance to talk to that person again.

Like me, you should know and memorize the name of the medications you take, the dosages, and when you take them (how often and such). This information is important if you wind up in the hospital. The nurses and doctors you talk to there need this information and cannot help you if you say either, "I don't know, I can't remember, or it's called this and I take it once a day but I don't know the dosage." Do yourself a favor and memorize the names of your medications, the dosages, and the times you take them. This will save a lot of guess work on the part of the doctors that see you if you ever have to go to the hospital.

Speaking of hospitals, if you have never been to a Mental Health Unit I would like to share my experiences of my time in one so that you will know what to expect. First off, you will most likely wind up in a Emergency Room and have to wait until a psychiatrist to evaluate you and your condition. Then you may have to wait several hours until they find a bed for you at a Mental Health Unit. You may try to request a place to go but they will select a place where you can be placed. They will take your preferences in mind but you won't always get your exact wants but you will nearly always go to a place where you will be taken care of.

Once you get to the Mental Health Unit, a nurse will interview to ask you about the medicines you take and about your medical history. They will assign you a room. Sometimes you will have a room to yourself and sometimes there will be another patient in the room with you.

Every day they wake you up early and instruct all the patients to take a shower and put clean clothes on. After that, patients are giving their medictions then given breakfast. Then, there will be various meetings from different therapists: regular talking therapists, music therapists, and art therapists. Sometimes a psychitrist may visit a group. Usually you meet with your psychiatrist every couple of days. Also, blood work is taken every cuople of days to monitor the amount of medication in your blood.

Typically, there is either a recreation break or smoke break every hour or so. Not every Mental Health unit allows smoking so if you smoke, request that you be sent to a facility that allows smoking. Usually, the facility that allows smoking will provide free cigarettes to the patients who smoke or you may bring your own. Most facilities that I have spent time in have had pretty good food. If you want, you can request your psychiatrist to allow you to have double meats. This is good if you have a good appetitite.

That's pretty much my experience of spending time in a Mental Health unit. If you ever go to one you now know what to expect.

That's it my friends. I hope you enjoy a great day and stay healthy!

Legend