"I took a psychiatry class years ago, and during lectures my professor used to say, " We all have a diagnosis." We used to laugh at that. It sounded provocative. But what if he wasn't joking? What if diagnosis is not something "they" have, but something that exists on a spectrum we all live on? When we started our practice at a psychiatric facility, I saw an unsettling scene in the hallway."
"Before entering the patients' rooms, we were told to remove earrings, rings, and to tie our hair back. The rooms had no doors, just curtains, beds, tables, and windows. There were no mirrors or sharp objects because some patients were suicidal. I learned that psychiatric patients can be physically strong; their grip is powerful. I was standing in the phone room, where patients could call relatives by request. One woman had already made a call but wanted another."
A psychiatry trainee encountered experiences that challenged binary views of mental illness and wellness. Routine clinical precautions—removing jewelry, eliminating mirrors and sharp objects, and restricting personal items—underscored safety concerns and patient strength. A confrontation in a hallway and a patient resisting phone access illustrated blurred boundaries between staff and patients and showed how long-term exposure can alter emotional limits. Observed behaviors ranged from violent resistance requiring restraint and injection to unsettling cheerfulness, suggesting that diagnostic labels may not capture the full complexity of human behavior and vulnerability.
Read at Psychology Today
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