Another cool Saturday evening...

[N_Molson]

4:15 am, just back from a party where I had to drop someone at the emergencies... The guy was schizophrenic, but didn't say anything to us. I was knowing him from a theater course, I was seeing him once a week. I never had a good feeling with him, but nothing too serious.

So he drank a lot, got completely out of control (alcohol is disastrous on schizophrenics), then me and another guy decided to bring him back home. He went so insane in the car, yelling and punching all around that I took the decision to change the course for the local emergencies. In my opinion he was just too dangerous for himself or other people to be dropped anywhere else. We later learned he was known for fighting and once tried to rape a girl.

There they had to strap in on a bed (he was insulting the nurses in a very very crude way and was very aggressive, so the security had to catch him), and said I took the right and only decision. They said that he was dangerous and needed to be interned. Other friends congratuled me for being cold-blooded in such a situation, but I don't know, I feel weird.

Just had to share this. :shrug:

 

[Codz]

Given the situation, it seems you did the right thing. Tough decision.

 

[Capt_hensley]

Agreed, better safe than sorry. Hope I never have to make the same decision.

 

[Ripley]

I agree, both a tough and a right decision. You did not waste time. Cool.

 

[Keatah]

I did the same thing a few short months ago. Very similar. Just as frenzied, if not more.

 

[FADEC]

Calling the police or the ambulance (or taking someone to the hospital) is the only right decision in such cases.

Alcohol is one of the worst drugs actually. It has a relatively high toxicity. Unstable characters really should stay away from it.

I never liked people which become strange or out of control after drinking. If it happens once it'll never happen a second time since I won't drink with him/her again. Two weeks ago I was at a stag night, which ended in a table dance bar early in the morning. We started drinking already in the afternoon. So I can't remember about 75% of that evening once we arrived at the city which we picked for the stag night. From what I remember it was really nice. But people never believe me that I had film tears since I always seem to behave relatively normal. If this wouldn't be the case, I wouldn't drink! But you also have to be with people which you know.

 

[RisingFury]

Other friends congratuled me for being cold-blooded in such a situation

Seems to me you'd make a wonderful snake :lol:

Well done. Losing your cool in the heat of the moment is easy...

 

[Kendo]

I knew a guy like that. Unfortunately, he eventually became a family friend.
I gave him a couple of pints of homebrew, I daren,t say no. He staggered home, and I heard later, he beat his wife up again. From that day, I haven,t had a drink myself. That was 14 years ago.

 

[Athena]

Does he even know hes a "schizophrenic"? If he knew, he should have not drunk in the first place...

 

[N_Molson]

Does he even know hes a "schizophrenic"

That's a severe trouble of personnality, so the question is very complex. Such people can be very nice, then get completely insane in a moment (alcohol and other drugs are like multipliers). These people are constantly fighting in their heads I think, "good side vs. dark side". When alcohol or drugs come in, the fight is always lost. And he stopped taking his medicine two months ago, so he had little to care. In other words, everything was set up for the detonation... :shrug:

Also, when everybody around you is drinking, even though it was a very "nice and proper" party, it's hard to restrain.

Got news from the hospital, they are transferring him to psychiatry for assessement, for now they keep him safe.

---------- Post added 05-06-13 at 10:07 AM ---------- Previous post was 05-05-13 at 02:20 PM ----------

... and now I wonder if Paramedic or ambulance driver is not what I should try to become, it really fills something in me to help people that way. I'm not afraid by working at night, and I know I don't panic easily. But it is very expensive (2000€ or so) to take lessons to learn to drive a truck, which is necessary because ambulances are considered as such (more than 3500 kgs). :hmm:

 

[Urwumpe]

I can only say: Well done.

Shizophrenia is just like any other psychosis, a pretty complex illness. You must not notice it, and while you have it untreated, even the most surreal thoughts make sense to you. When treated, you will eventually know what in your head was not real, but part of the insane logic that a psychosis develops.

I had a girlfriend who was treated for a light shizophrenic psychosis, but to be honest, it so much didn't matter in everyday life, that I have even forgotten what happened before we met. I remember that her first time in hospital sounded very much like your description there. She was already on minimal medication when we met and eventually had been permitted to stop taking the medication completely. I have the suspicion, that some kinds of character are more likely to hide a psychosis in their teen years, being constantly a bit more crazy and extreme than others, until it really gets out of control.


And BTW... I could drive an ambulance truck with my regular drivers license. I made mine at a time, when the limit was 7.5 tons.

 

[IronRain]

If it really satisfies you, I would say go for it! Of course it's expensive to get your trtuck driver license but you will do a great and honorable job.

 

[Codz]

and now I wonder if Paramedic or ambulance driver is not what I should try to become, it really fills something in me to help people that way. I'm not afraid by working at night, and I know I don't panic easily. But it is very expensive (2000€ or so) to take lessons to learn to drive a truck, which is necessary because ambulances are considered as such (more than 3500 kgs). :hmm:

That's rather interesting. It's actually the field I'm trying to get into!