Trench Warfare

Traditional Entry

2009-11-19T12:00:00Z

Lots of interesting articles and short stories I've run across in the past few days, so I thought I would combine them all in an entry instead of plaguing you with FB status updates. Hunger's on the rise according the USDA . Imagine that. (audio Read More......(read more)

How the Little Guy Gets Screwed, Episode VIII (or Two, As It's More On the Same Theme)

2009-11-18T20:26:00Z

I couldn't decide if I should go the Facebook-status-update route with this one, or blog-entry route with this one. Obviously, you can see my choice. I try to keep my FB status updates to once every 24 hours, because I don't want to appear too Read More......(read more)

Sticking to the Man Via Subterfuge

2009-11-17T23:03:00Z

Let me demonstrate for you a short conversation that, on the face of it, seems completely innocuous: Me: I need a transport please, 35 year old female, suicidal, going from Ourtown Memorial to St. Elsewhere. She's in the ER, room 12. Her: Is your Read More......(read more)

I TOLD You...Stay Away From Social Work.

2009-11-16T16:24:00Z

But you just don't listen. CNN has their NEW! listing for the most stressful and underpaid professions in America. Topping the list is.... Can you guess? I'm not going to even type this, the answer is so obvious. And we're not even in the Read More......(read more)

Can't Think of a Title for This One. Sorry.

2009-11-13T15:36:00Z

I understand that not everyone is a mental health worker. And because of that, the whole cutting-because-one's-angry-thing doesn't make much sense. In fact, I'm sure it's fair to say that for most people it makes NO sense. At all. And Read More......(read more)

On The Shooting Last Week....

2009-11-12T12:00:00Z

I'm going to go there. And if you've been reading for a while, you know where that is. I'm not going to dog the man because he was in the Army * And I'm not going to dog all the Army bullies who called him a " camel jockey " Read More......(read more)

When You Assume

2009-11-10T22:18:00Z

So, I walked into a hospital room not long ago and approached the patient first, as I always do. She had someone with her--people often do. I began my schtick and.... Well, maybe it's better if I just give you a play by play: Me: Hi, My name's Read More......(read more)

Does This Shirt Make Me Look Incencitve?

2009-11-09T22:39:00Z

So.... Over the weekend I got a really cool t-shirt. I asked The Geek if it would be inappropriate for me to where to work. I thought the cupcake on it would offset the general subject matter. He said since it was covered with skulls, it might not be Read More......(read more)

An End

2009-11-05T22:48:00Z

I saw a dead body last night. Heart attack. He came in surrounded by emergency medical technicians and firemen. One woman was giving him air, another doing chest compressions. The doctor went in the room and calmly put on his latex gloves, but he emerged Read More......(read more)

News Flash

2009-11-04T15:55:00Z

In case you didn't know, In case you haven't heard, Our lives are inner-connected. You, just by virtue of being here and living your life day in and day out, touch other people. Whether you like it or not. And when you decide to off yourself at Read More......(read more)

Some People are so Selfish

2009-11-03T18:08:00Z

She comes to the ER, all crying and stuff. She pours her heart out to me. She's NEVER, in all her seven decades on this earth, been to the point that she wants to end it all. Ever. She took the pills compulsively. She talked about how stupid it was Read More......(read more)

What Do You Think?

2009-11-02T22:48:00Z

Case Study (admittedly a switch for me): Seventeen-year-old girl comes into the ER after a suicide attempt. I interviewed her and decided that she needed to be hospitalized. Here's the deal: She wasn't a legal citizen, something I suspected when Read More......(read more)

Remember This Yokel?

2009-10-29T10:00:00Z

Oh, yeah. He did it again. Twice. He called trying to find a bed, we chit-chatted and I told him I would give him a call back as there were some things I had to clarify. His response? "Ok, baby". That's when I knew I was talking to Romeo Read More......(read more)

Little Hint: My Wand Never Worked

2009-10-27T00:21:00Z

OK, here we go. Again. Docs, listen up, and I'm going to yell it this time cuz you can't seem to get the message on this one: IF A PERSON IS TALKING CRAZY, NOT MAKING SUICIDAL THREATS AND TOOK A LOT OF DRUGS A FEW HOURS AGO, HE'S NOT PSYCHOTIC Read More......(read more)

Never Underestimate a Social Worker Scorned

2009-10-23T18:49:00Z

It's happened before . I'm sure it will happen again. You call me out and then decide your patient isn't ready to go. People take a turn for the worse. You miss something on the labs. New labs indicate something else has gone horribly wrong Read More......(read more)

Magic Bullet

2009-10-21T14:22:00Z

So I recently interviewed a lovely young lady, age twenty. One of the reasons she was so depressed was that she had managed to hold on to her virginity for a lot longer than most of her friends. Her mother had become pregnant at 16, you see, and put the Read More......(read more)

Oh, The Wonderful Human Capacity for Fickleness

2009-10-20T19:48:00Z

You can't have it both ways. You can't lovingly, respectfully kick your child out of your home when he turned 18, the legal adult age, because he didn't practice your religion. And yet.... When he tries to commit suicide and I involuntarily Read More......(read more)

Can't Turn it Off

2009-10-19T14:12:00Z

Neon sign. On my head. Blinking at all times: I AM A SOCIAL WORKER. ALL NEEDY PLEASE INQUIRE. (Being a geek would come in mighty handy at this point. Then I could tweek the html and actually make that statement blink. As it is, the actual geek is unavailable Read More......(read more)

Blog Action Day--Guest Entry

2009-10-15T05:00:00Z

In honor of Blog Action Day, 2009, I've recruited a guest blogger. The Boy. At age 15, this subject has been near and dear to him for a few years now. I found it fitting that you experience his voice on the subject instead of my own. Especially since Read More......(read more)

Shameless Self Promotion

2009-10-14T22:08:00Z

So, I got quoted in an article about social work bloggers, and I just had to share. I'm a STAR! Minor quibble, though. I'm more than the editor of this rubbish; I'm also the sole provider of content (with an exception or two*). Maybe she was Read More......(read more)

Greener Grass

2009-10-13T23:42:00Z

Ever had anxiety? And no, I'm not talking about test anxiety. Or first date anxiety. Or job interview anxiety. I'm talking anxiety . Can't drive a car anxiety, because you're terrified that out there, on the roads, it's literally kill Read More......(read more)

Don't Judge a Book...

2009-10-12T14:56:00Z

OK, Ms. Alpha Woman. I spoke with you the other day at the hospital. You know who you are. You are, to enlighten the masses here, modern-day-perfect personified. Perfect height. Perfect weight. Perfect shirt. Perfect jeans. Perfect legs in perfect jeans Read More......(read more)

Mean, Vile, Churlish, Evil...

2009-10-08T22:52:00Z

. ...rotten, vicious, ugly, horrible, snide, awful.... The words go on and on and on when describing a group of alpha girls intent on bullying. Because I swear, pre-teen and teen girls are downright perfidious (I love that one! Challenge: use that word Read More......(read more)

You Know How You Get That Feeling....

2009-10-07T02:01:00Z

....that something is going to boomerang? Yeah. I work for a free standing psychiatric hospital, as you may or may not realize, and part of my job is doing admissions for them after midnight. "After" being the operative word here. BEFORE 12 Read More......(read more)

How the Little Guy Gets Screwed, Episode VII

2009-10-05T15:38:00Z

I was in training all day on Friday (like I don't get enough exposure to suicide as it is), and a couple of incidents got me thinking about the way companies do business these days--steps they take to save money, that really kind of screw over the Read More......(read more)

I NEED Something Light Hearted Today

2009-10-01T18:16:00Z

Something fun. Something peppy. Bubblegum. Lollipops. I need emotional sugar to wipe out the utter bitterness I heard from not one, but two teenagers last night--neither of them as yet able to drive. The murder/suicide that killed one set of parents is Read More......(read more)

Forms

2009-09-29T22:41:00Z

Questionnaires. Surveys. Feedback. Call them what you want, but we've all had to complete these stupid things for work at some point, right? The Man wants to know how we feel and what we think and to let us know he values our opinions ( Until they Read More......(read more)

A Double Hitter: Post Secret Yesterday

2009-09-28T10:00:00Z

And...... Frank, God love him, NEVER removes those white postal strips, which is a total annoyance, especially since they just come right off. One is generally left to translate the rest of the secret if words are present, which maybe is the point. I Read More......(read more)

Did I Tell You About Getting Yelled At?

2009-09-25T19:07:00Z

Not that is much of an opener, seeing as I get yelled at all the time. Comes with the territory, you know. Social worker = pissing people off = getting yelled at. And cursed at. And flipped off. To date I've not suffered bodily harm because of my Read More......(read more)

"Organized Plan", A Case Study

2009-09-24T21:23:00Z

When you go to visit someone in the hospital because she overdosed on a bunch of pills, acetaminophen to be exact, you are going to have some initial concern. During the assessment, otherwise known as the "Nosy Social Worker Peppers You With Really Read More......(read more)

This Has Happened Enough...

2009-09-23T19:29:00Z

...times that I now feel compelled to publicly whine on the matter. And you all ought to know by now that I do that quite well. I work overnights. No, I'm not full time but I'm on enough for the whole "overnight gig" to seriously jack Read More......(read more)

The Weird, Off Logic That Occurs In One Schizophrenic Mind

2009-09-22T01:10:00Z

I saw a man recently who was actively hallucinating and had been for weeks. Voices in his head. Constantly. Telling him what to do. (In mental health parlance, these are called "command hallucinations". There! Don't you feel smarter now Read More......(read more)

Friday Fluff

2009-09-18T14:31:00Z

I totally ripped this from a FB friend. Thanks. You know who you are. Have a good weekend everyone. -> Read More......(read more)

I'm Fairly Certain Pigs Are Now Flying

2009-09-18T03:07:00Z

Because apparently, and I don't know this for certain--my boss could be totally jacking with me--but apparently a mother I met with earlier this week called my boss... Say you: Uh oh... Say me: I know! But it's not what you think. ...and complimented Read More......(read more)

Look, Dude...

2009-09-16T01:57:00Z

Here's the deal: You can scream all you want. You can cry. You can argue, cajole, bargain, threaten and promise "never again". I'm not changing my mind. When you go postal on yourself and rip your arm up to the point that you require Read More......(read more)

Stupid Social Worker Tricks, Episode 18

2009-09-14T16:39:00Z

You know that one of the buildings where I work is a fortress , right? The way I get into the actual building is through some electronic keypad system. Not a number pad, mind, which is what comes to mind, I'm sure. It's something else: I have Read More......(read more)

An Ode to the Secretary

2009-09-12T03:46:00Z

Or, in hospital parlance, The Unit Clerk. Look, I'm the first person to admit the secretary unit clerk is the one that keeps the ER (or ICU or med-surg floor) running like a well oiled machine. It's just that I go actual proof in black on white Read More......(read more)

The Hits Keep Coming

2009-09-10T19:48:00Z

I 'm just plum strung out. It's not easy, I've discovered, to go into an ER and talk to people who are thinking about offing themselves. Say you: Um, haven't you been doing this now for a few years? Say me: I'm slow on the uptake. Read More......(read more)

Obama's Plan: The Speech

2009-09-10T02:18:00Z

I need a bit of time to chew on it. Although I have to say, I love it when he essentially calls SOME members of Congress liars (26:00) and he gets a standing ovation. From a little over half the members present. Here's a written summar y of the plan Read More......(read more)

Sigh

2009-09-08T19:03:00Z

Battles fought from the trenches last night, my friends, and I'm still reeling. In the light of day, after all the dust has settled, I'm seriously wondering whether I did the right thing for either of the people I saw last night. Not really a Read More......(read more)