Interview with a Patient

Meet substance abuse, depression and schizophrenia.

Yes, goodbye ‘naughty bits’ (i.e. human reproductive block) and a big hello to psychiatry. I was never the greatest at dealing with the human mind even when I did psychology and am still grappling, with great difficulty, with concepts of it, though I graduated with a degree in it. So definitely psychiatry just isn’t my thing.

For each week, we will have to interview a patient whose range of signs and symptoms parallel as closely to the case problem that we had for the week.

This week is schizophrenia.

Nothing could have ever prepared me for the 30mins that could have dragged on forever if not for the firm “Thank you very much Mr. X” from the doctor who was taking us.

A little bit about schizophrenia.

People with this psychiatric disorder often suffer from hallucinations, more auditory then visual. Some of become paranoid of, thinking that aliens, or the government agencies are after them, that they are being followed and such. Some may even think that they are Jesus Christ himself. Think ‘A beautiful Mind’ the movie. He had schizophrenia.

I can read as many books, but to actually experience what has always been in words to me all this time, in reality is just something that cannot really be described.

It took quite a bit of effort to keep a straight face at first. The topics…well, if you know me well enough, you will know that it doesn’t take much to send me off my rocker.

I felt bad.

Here is a man, who is suffering from a mental illness but there I am, listening to the interview unfold with a fair amount of amusement.

However, as the interview proceeded, my amusement died. This man has a medical problem, and clearly needs help.

I find that sometimes, in medicine, we allow the disease to take over the human side of things. Like, Mr. X is a schizophrenic, who is a brother, son and a friend. When it should be, Mr. X is a brother, a son and a friend that has schizophrenia.

I made this mistake of seeing the disease and not the person today. And I hope that today will be the last time that I make this mistake.

7:22 AM ·