Saturday, January 26, 2008

The House of Will!


Hello folks ..


It's been a while ,not a very long one ,but ,well,i certainly hope that some body missed me out there:)


3 weeks ago ,I started a 2 months training course in psychiatry. I have to get a paper declares that Had at least 2 months of trainig in psychiatry..

Let's face ,I HATE PSYCHIATRY..

It is painful to see human beings lost and weak..Sanity is what holds us in one piece..With out it ,we are no thing more than a vulenerable ,broken souls..

But yet ,it is one of the most important branches in medicine ,I know that..And i do my best to interactand understand since you do have to use some of what you know in psychiatry with virtually every patient..

Benghazi Psychiatric Hospital is a sad place.I believe all psychiatric hospital all over the world are sad places..But you have to respect the people working there .Their patience and dedicaton ,their endless effort to provide a decent service with limited resources they have..

But here I'm not talking about this ,I'm talking about a new department in the hospital ,that is : The Will Addicts Rehabilitation Institute مصحة الإرادة لمعالجة الإدمان ,which was officially opened only two days before i start my course there..

It is an interesting place ,I think it is the first of its kind in Libya..

Before that ,those who wanted to treat themselves from drug abuse had to admit them selves to the psychiatric hospital to get treated..But that caused many problems as mainly the patients there are mentally compromized and not the same as drug abusers.

First of all ,i noticed how interesting the people inside..

Most of them admit them selves ,others were brought by their families after being persuaded that they do have a problem ..

Some are alcoholics ,Heroin abusers ,Cocaine abusers and cannabis (hashish). It depends on their financial and social status..

Some (very few) abuses some over the counter drugs like those used in treating flu or some neurological problems or even sleeping pills.

What intrests me the most is what is the motivation of those people to admit themselves? Admission is totally optional ,that means they must WANT to be admitted ,not FORCED by family or law..So i started to categorize them:

Some Simply checked themselves in because family asked them to ,out of respect to their parents or brothers or sisters.

Some had serious problems with law enforcement authorities ,and PRETENDING the intent to be clear was his only way out ,usually those got caught with some nasty staff and kicked out ,and some times they even have to deal again with the long arm of the law if they broke some of the institute strict regulations.

Unfortunately ,some thought of the place as a new market for their suspicious products.. Those got caught and law enforcement personnel took good care of them..

Even though we are more than 1000 km from Tripoli ,the libyan capital, most of the admissions are from there ,a little more than half of them. Most of those are Heroin abusers ,sadly a few are either HIV or HCV positive because of sharing needles with others..

The institute ,properly ,is named The Will Addicts Rehabilitation Institute, because it's all about the will of these people to get better..

It is an interesting place ,especially for those who likes to watch and understand some aspects of human nature..

Till next time

Best Regards

Benghazi Citizen

13 comments:

ibeebarbie said...

Salam Bengahzi Citizen,
Welcome back----certainly you were missed---at leat by me. :-) As always I look forward to your post and this one was no exception. What an great training experience. I, too, find the nature of humans most fascinating; however, I'm not sure I could be fascinated enough to work in such a facility and applaud those that can do such. I'm curious to know how they handle not taking on the negativity of all the issues going on in such a facility. What keeps the trained professionals from going insane?

So, now are you back to your normal routine of life?

Unknown said...

missed?
do u need to ask?
one word ... definitely ...

excellent post as usual, I actually used to like psychiatry, as u said it is painful to see human beings lost and weak, but it is great if u r able to help them bring thier sanity back, if not to normal then just to near normal, when I attend the course there in 5th year, I discovered the truth behind the walls of Alrrazi hospitals, which wrecked my soul into pieces, and I conclude if I am going to work there, then I have to have a back up sessions for myself after each working day, which is impossible, so I gave up that idea of being a psychiatrist...

great that we have this new clinic , but as far as I remember there was a similar clinic here in Alrazi hospital, but don't know if it's still working hope so ...

"I have to get a paper declares that Had at least 2 months of trainig in psychiatry.."
sounds u r heading northwest of the globe, wish u the best of luck ...

Anonymous said...

Hey doc, good reading! You are only at the tip of the iceburg you know! Of your "new" patients.....how many are women? or have children? I come from a place that these issues are so common place that no one gives a second thought to it. As a physician your job is to "FIX" them, when in reality it takes a community to "fix" the problem! Doc you have my respect for what you do!

........when you see your new patients....I mean look into their eyes.......Do you see a blackness or do you see a glint of light???

K.H

Benghazi Citizen said...

ibeebarbie: thank you for the nice words..Actually ,i consider pdychiatry one of the most difficult fields in the practice of medicine..It deals with some thing that labaratories and x-rays can tell you no thing about ,the human mind is a miracle and when it becomes unfunctioning ,well..You think of that:).I belive that every doctor ,what ever branch he's prcticing,has developed some treks to cope with the pressure of their jobs ,i believe psyciatrist must have the most interesting ways to do that...:)
-----------------------------------
enlightened spirit:we share the same point of view about this field ,when i say i hate this branch ,i think what i really hate is the things you see ,how human can change..I feel sorry for them..
About the clinic ,well,i don't know about the clinic in tripoli ,but the institute here is not meant only to treat drug abusers as patient .Previously they were admitted to medical or psychiatric wards to be treated for their addiction..The Will Institute is trying to establish an approach that wasnt familiar before in here.Drug abusers are admitted to be treated on many levels ,psychological ,group therapy,relegious ,recreation ,hobbies,,,etc..It is very much like a spa...But with tougher rules..
About your conclusion,well ,I ONLY HOPE TO,but still long way ahead:)
Thank you.
-----------------------------------
K.H:Thank you very much. The impact of the problem here is much less than in the states ,but it is increasing..I haven't seen cases of women or children with drug problems ,but that doesn't mean there isn't any ,it just means that it hasn't become obvious yet ,and it is still a small problem .
You asked me what i see in their eyes? If you ask me if they are still THERE ,the answer is ,yes ,very much..But some times ,in some ,i don't like what i see..Some has got the darkness of their souls ,the depair reflected in their eyes..That i hate..
Thank you again:)
Best Regards

dusk till dawn said...

salam Doc
surely u have been missed .it goes wt out saying ....
what a great post to write abt , u got respect,
well i did read abt this new department , and i was pleased to see one, it should have been opened along time ago,
the problems is we never tried hard enough to high lighted the dengar of dtugs.we left it to late,
the name of the place say it all . if there is a will there is away to be cured
i do admire the peoples who works there ,
addiction now days very easy to get hook it on,
iam sure u been working there has opened ur eyes more, and made ur heart bleed,
ur doing a gr8 job bro, wish u luck,hope u will see smile faces in the end, then sad broken hearts and hope,

Benghazi Citizen said...

D.T.D:Thank you dear friend for stopping by..I add my voice to yours about the issue of high lighting our problems..Addiction is a fast growing social disease that need a serious study and effective way to limit the spread..I believe our community can handle this problem very well if the resources and the good well are available..After all,we are only a society of 6 millions ,we can identify and face problems easier than others..right?
Regards

Anonymous said...

salam
I enjoyed with your post as usual you got an amazing way,mashaAllah
Its nice to hear all of that but you left the Hwari hospital or what ?
friend of mine was telling me yesterday about this hospital which its interest place & I'm waiting for the 5th year to be there enshaAllah
sorry im not using my Google Account for some reasons so forgive me Dr

Benghazi Citizen said...

Hello anonymous,how are u??well ,i can only assume who you are ,and i hope that not using your account is temporary!!!
And about your enquiry,my answer is :NO,i didn't leave Hawari hospital,,i still work there..On my off-duty days i attend the rounds in psychiatry hospital for training..
I hope things are fine with you..
Best regards

Khalid said...

What is your problem?, are you accusing Tripoli of exporting junkies??
.
.
.
Loool, just kidding
This is so sad but true, there are famous drug dealers everywhere in Tripoli, they even have their prominent spots where they sit and inject each other in public, no one complains, no one reports, people kinda got used to them being part of the society..
No wonder the greater part of AIDS cases are reported in Tripoli,
You know what?, if you fail to cure them, just tell them not to share the same needle with each other..

it is a great job that you are doing, wish you all the best.. :)

Anglo-Libyan said...

good to have you back, good subject, again.

all I can say is wish them luck with this new clinic and inshaAllah all goes well, this is Libya where anything and everything can be so unpredictable.

people like you are needed in Libya, Allah with you.

Anonymous said...

well Dr if you really knew me you're smart mashaAllah,not a surprise Drs always smart right? just don't leave your hospital you know that medicine is the best thing specially when its about how to use your mind,to think,to get the diagnosis its really nice thing
keep going Dr as anglo said people like you needed in Libya
yalla now salamt.

Benghazi Citizen said...

cnn libya:Hello there ,well,,for a moment you scared me there:My God ,i made a mistake...lol
More drug addicts from Tripoli is quite understandable..We are talking about an open major city ,the libyan capital..This social disease always strikes the bigger ,more complex cities..Usually the drugs used are reflecting the financial status of the abuser..Richer people can afford Heroin ,while people with lower income prefers sleeping pills .alcohol(home made usually ) and Hashish...In general ,according to my observation,the availability of drugs of abuse are more noticeable in Tripoli...I hope i made my point:)..Thank you my friend..
-----------------------------------
Anglo-libyan:Thank you my friend...I hope that the clinic will cause a change ,,,I hope that managing and running this clinic will be as smooth and will get all support from all society sectors...
It is a step in fighting thise disease that was needed ages ago,..
Anonymous:Well,,,it is not I KNEW you as a person:) ,only as a blogger..I assumed who you are ,,,I just wander why you don't sign in with your name:?I hope things are well with you...
My best regards...
Good luck
Thank you all my friends
Best regards

Unknown said...

mashallah = ???? ,it isn't too hard to guess, it become ur trade mark Anonymous :)