Mental Health Monday Meets Laughter Is the Best Medicine

Lydia Kang and Leigh Moore are co-hosting the Laughter is the Best Medicine Blogfest today. The rules are simple: Post a joke that pokes fun at yourself, writing, or work.

When I was a resident, I rotated in the state facility where patients with severe and chronic mental illness stayed for months or years. We’d have case conferences with the patients, namely to discuss their treatment and progress, as well as discharge planning of how to transition them back into the community.

One patient came in for his treatment plan review. It was snack time so he had juice and cookie bits stuck in his beard. His clothes were rumpled and stained. His eyes had that wild look that comes only with psychosis. Despite months of medication adjustment and therapy, he continued to hear voices and struggled with impulse control.

We reviewed what he needed to do and our recommendations. Even though we sat in a conference room, we could still hear another patient pitching a fit about not getting enough cookies. Needless to say, it was quite distracting, though, like troopers, we carried on. At the end, we asked the patient if he had any questions.

His response:

“Yeah, could you shut that woman up? Her screaming all the time will make ya crazy!”

*cue laughter*

Yes, the irony of a psychotic patient commenting on his mental health certainly brought some humor to the day.

Is that wrong? 😉