I came across an attempt at a joke on the internet "Don't walk a mile in my shoes, that would be boring. Spend 30 in my head that will freak you right out!"
Interesting thought isn't it. 30 seconds would not be long enough but have someone experience what it would be like to do something they take for granted (e.g. shopping) for an hour would be so enlightening for them.
However, spending a few days inside a "normal" head would be a like holiday !!
You are SO right! 🙂🌸
I was a RN (MH) for a long time, before my brain hiccup. The meds rounds, and depot injections. I knew the theory of what I was doing, and know that from assessment to cure or reform, I knew I was having an impact.
But I used to always wonder how the medication felt. I knew what it was for, the side effects etc. How it changed people could sometimes be difficult to assess, other times it was miraculous.
I now take half the medication that I used to dispense. Again I know the theory, and how they work. The last crisis I had was while being assessed by a neuro team. I had completed the 'games' I could to the best I could. I knew it wasn't as good as pre hiccup. But as the psychologist was talking me through the results, I just crashed, I don't know why it effected me so powerfully, although I recognised the stressors I was experiencing.
The psychologist call the registrar, he looked through the meds I was taking, and discussed the options with the current medications, but favoured an additional medication. I just said yes to anything that might change my distress. So instead of a reduction, I ended up on more medication.
They started on a low dose, with a veiw of titrating to a therapeutic dose. Over the next month or so, six years of torture, and confusion cleared. To use the 'term wake up and smell the roses' comes to mind, but that is what effectively happened, my thoughts became more ordered, the mist of confusion lifted.
I wouldn't wish anyone to have experienced those first six years, they were terrifying now I look back, the amount of psychological and financial abuse that I experienced, from those who supposedly cared. I regained part of me, not the same me, a different me, a stronger me.
My head was a very scary place to be. I know that my tormentors would never be able to understand the damage they did, how low they made me feel.
Perhaps karma will give them some insight, but I doubt it. They are no longer part of my life, I pity them. They will never experience the peace I have, they will never be able to have peace, they have to have someone to blame for their troubles, without that, they will revert to infighting, and sadly that will be perpetuated down the generations.
Yes I would love a "normal" day, but I'll take what I have.
That's one heck of a story, a living nightmare for a long time until you came out the other end.
Something of a lesser degree with my wife. She was a nurse and had been together for over 30 years when I had my head injury. She had always seen me bounce back from other concussions and injury but couldn't understand why I hadn't this time. It got at one point where she felt I was malingering or as she said in one temper "faking it". Then she sadly got a severe concussion and after 2 months confessed that now she knows how I feel.
Nothing on her nurse training related anything to the actual symptoms people experience. Although interestingly on her nurse and mental health care training they made the nurses experience what had happened on some of the abuse cases - from drinking a mixture of tea which had been topped up with coffee, cold and hot baths, been shouted at, force fed and dragged around a room. Not that you would be allowed to do training like that now.
As you say, It is shame that the prescribers don't have to experience the effects of the medication they are prescribing. As they would think seriously about the consequences
I don't think that giving any of my meds to a healthy person would give them any insight because they work to correct what isn't working.
I know the level of medication I am on will eventually need to be reduced as I get older, if I reach that point.
I was the Trust violence reduction specialist, so I got to be horrible with every member of staff, no political correctness, see what buttons you can push to see if they can handle abuse.
I taught for five years, when green recruit's entered my domain, they learnt real life on the wards.
I had quite a broad experience, but mainly forensic, so you did no favours if you were to sterilise what they were expected to manage.
Under my leadership, we taught an induction, but updates were more targeted to the client groups.
Obviously pre empting situation was the gold standard, but in the real world, cockups happen, and I'd sooner people were honest.
What I went through after my brain hiccup I wouldn't wish on anyone, but that is done, in the past, I survived, and am now in a better place mentally. Hopefully when this pandemic is over, I'll move so I'm in a better place physically.
Pardon me for asking, and tell my to shut up, are you and your wife still together?
Yep, 37 years married met when we were teenagers.
Over the years she has accidentally, burnt me, poisoned me, electrocuted me and knocked me over with a car when I was on a motorbike. So a few harsh words in frustration do not go too deep.
Interestingly when she had her first concussion she doing a degree as a mature student. When she returned to University she was struggling with the course work so the student services went through some tests and they worked out that she had been dyslexic and dyspraxic since birth.
I had always assumed she was a bit dippy or quirky hence all the incidents over the years. Quite surprising that in the 20 years she was involved in care both in nursing and residential care units, it was never picked up.
I salute you sir! Now that is a back story. It must be love.
Dyslexia was only just beginning to be picked up when I was at school. Great they identified who had it, but didn't have a clue what to do about it. I know when I attended uni the student union were brilliant at helping people.
Your wife sounds like a friend of mine who did her training a couple of years after me. I nick named her Barbara (after Windsor), if she could have a spectacular miscuffle she would, she was like a real life Carry on. She was dyslexic, perhaps she also had dyspraxia? Must ask her next time we chat.
I know my primary school thought I was dyslexic, but they never tested for it. I was rubbish all the way through school, just didn't get the idea of what the heck it was all about.
But strangely I sat an IQ test towards the end of primary school, I can remember my mum, who rarely got upset, giving me her penny's worth for not giving her a letter until the end of summer break when we changed schools.
Apparently although I didn't realise the importance, but I had aced the test, god knows how? But that would have given me a scholarship to the posh grammar school. Don't think I would have lasted, and I didn't like the idea of a 6 day week. I'd have been blooming fit, hiking up the hill to where the grammar was.
Well I'll congratulate you at surviving 37 years of marriage, and wish you a safe ever after.
Thanks,
The resemblance to the late Barbara Windsor is so close at 4ft 11 made for her lack of height in presence. - pre dyslexia/dyslexia diagnosis I used to call her a "dark haired blonde" because of all the mishaps.
One time I got a call from the ward sister to collect my wife from A&E, After the usual concerned questions, I was told that she had skidded on a lump of hospital porridge and landed on her backside on the floor, There is never a dull moment ....
Found something that helps a little with fatigue 
Sleeping so so much zzzzzzz
Turn your radio on!
