One thing is certain though: I never ever take it for granted that a patient likes me. More than once I've found that the patient that was all hearts and flowers and cooperative with me yesterday is defiant and lobbing chairs at me today. So I approach each day--and often, each and every interaction with the patient period--as though I don't know where I stand. And I also stand a little further back than I can think they could throw that chair. It is much safer that way.
October 14, 2016
Something in psych that I always find amusing: a patient will dislike, even hate me, with a complete and utter passion...and 30 minutes later, I'm their BFF...and another 30 minutes later, I'm back to being their mortal enemy. Lather, rinse, repeat. Sometimes these shifts are due to medications given, sometimes they are due to memory issues, sometimes they are due to the psychiatric disorder itself. Or all of the above.
