today i travelled to the land of private health care, in the form of melbourne clinic and glencairn cousulting suites. things were very different there - patients had more choices (probably because they're voluntary), their fellow patients were generally less ill (scary), and perhaps the food was better. then again, the food probably was just as awful. the doctors also had more choices: who to see, but more importantly who not to see. i was a bit indignant at this, at first, but then i realised it has a lot to do with the nature of psychiatry and the critical nature of the therapeutic relationship in providing care. because if the doctor feels ill-at-ease, what chance does he/she have in helping the patient to the best of his/her ability? and this would certainly cause more problems in the long run, then being referred to another psychiatrist.
decided to revive my log of patients i've seen - faces in the rain, after a break of a few months. there are just so many people i meet, whose stories i want to remember for ever. i guess words can never do justice to meeting them in person, but they are the best i can do at this point. i also asked gal to contribute. if any of you kids out there want to chip in as well, just gimme a buzz =)
15.6.05
13.6.05
carn the lions!
have had an unreal long weekend and feeling very positive. i think the key was spending time with people i really care about - you guys rock my world! friday night was spent at the bar under the new downunder hotel at queensbury and lygon, watching the rain bucketing down outside, drinking $4 crownies (what an absolute bargain!) with mike and gal, having protracted arguments about nothing =) saturday was taken up with laundry, dishes, cooking, studying with xiang, my self-adopted sister (the bestest in the world), and watching the boys maul the blues at telstra dome. that put me in a really good mood! yesterday i went cd-hunting and coffee-drinking with the lovely minnie and eric, then trained out to ivanhoe to watch "meet the fockers" with jim's birthday entourage (the usual suspects plus a number of random people) - it wasn't nearly as painful as i thought it would be. scored a ride home with aaron too, in his new old car. he was on the way to ararat (aaa-aa-aat says baz), where he's working as a dentist.
haven't felt anxious or sad the whole weekend so far! the distractions may have helped, but perhaps it was mood gym (at dr horgan's suggestion). not quite convinced about the principles of cbt yet, but it's worth a look as some of the examples they come up with are absolutely hilarious. also check out this star wars spoof below - especially if you're a fan of the saga like me!
haven't felt anxious or sad the whole weekend so far! the distractions may have helped, but perhaps it was mood gym (at dr horgan's suggestion). not quite convinced about the principles of cbt yet, but it's worth a look as some of the examples they come up with are absolutely hilarious. also check out this star wars spoof below - especially if you're a fan of the saga like me!
11.6.05
may the force be with us all
dunno got a new job yesterday. his new job offers a more up-to-date way of working, a hefty raise in his salary, and a chance to start afresh. the downside is he will be stuck doing residential properties out in weribee for at least six months. his dad was keen on the new salary; his twin was not so keen on his compromising (valuing residential properties when all he really wants to do is commercial). this is one of the differences between the old and the young, i suppose.
the most surprising response was from thommo though. he seemed a bit upset that dunno will be earning almost twice as much as him. upset at himself, i think. he'd recently bought his tickets for his trip to brazil at the end of the year and is having to budget quite severely. i told him to look at things from another perspective - to measure happiness from what you're doing with your money, not how much money you're earning. if he did this he'd see that a) he's going to brazil, b) he's not short of anything he really needs, c) he's got a girlfriend and things are going well, d) he's working in a job that he likes, e) he's working reasonable hours unlike dunno, who has to put in 12-hour days all the time.
i don't think he was entirely convinced. i talked to mum about it, and she said it's hard not to feel that you've made a wrong choice and to judge your happiness by your earnings. i was adament that money would never be the yardstick for my happiness. in her infinite wisdom, mum laughed and said i was a silly boy. *sigh*
just remembered something funny. katherine buzzard said to me on thursday: "chi, you look like yoda". err, right then. may the force be with you too.
the most surprising response was from thommo though. he seemed a bit upset that dunno will be earning almost twice as much as him. upset at himself, i think. he'd recently bought his tickets for his trip to brazil at the end of the year and is having to budget quite severely. i told him to look at things from another perspective - to measure happiness from what you're doing with your money, not how much money you're earning. if he did this he'd see that a) he's going to brazil, b) he's not short of anything he really needs, c) he's got a girlfriend and things are going well, d) he's working in a job that he likes, e) he's working reasonable hours unlike dunno, who has to put in 12-hour days all the time.
i don't think he was entirely convinced. i talked to mum about it, and she said it's hard not to feel that you've made a wrong choice and to judge your happiness by your earnings. i was adament that money would never be the yardstick for my happiness. in her infinite wisdom, mum laughed and said i was a silly boy. *sigh*
just remembered something funny. katherine buzzard said to me on thursday: "chi, you look like yoda". err, right then. may the force be with you too.
9.6.05
no er for me
our dodgy tv aerial is dying. there is no point watching channel seven at all, with the thunderstorm noise in the background; channel nine is moody, sometimes watchable, tonight not at all - which means i can't watch er (!!!); sbs is barely visible and abc has always been dead. the only watchable channel is ten. seriously. i guess at least i can watch bb. now i don't watch much tv at all - but er is essential viewing for a medical student! how can i expect to know anything if i can't learn? does this mean if a patient dies on me when i'm in emerg, i'm allowed to blame channel nine for their terrible broadcasting signals? and i've been to brumbles' house that many times on a thursday, that she must be getting suspicious by now. besides, steph is studying for exams. *sigh* that's it, i'm moving away from this stupid house.
hijacked poor pete for an hour last night, forcing him to be my psychotherapist, making him listen to my personal problems (thanks to the not quite buried issue from april 30 rearing its head, or "MG" as lou dubbed it). unloading my insecurities on a responsive mate did make me feel better though. but then again that could've been the kahlua. *smirk* thanks for listening pete you're a lifesaver - even if you didn't have much choice haha =)
hijacked poor pete for an hour last night, forcing him to be my psychotherapist, making him listen to my personal problems (thanks to the not quite buried issue from april 30 rearing its head, or "MG" as lou dubbed it). unloading my insecurities on a responsive mate did make me feel better though. but then again that could've been the kahlua. *smirk* thanks for listening pete you're a lifesaver - even if you didn't have much choice haha =)
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