One of the things that I kind of miss about doing my part time work is
that time when I didn’t really have to ‘lie’ when people (strangers, especially
–in public transportation, in places where I eat or buy groceries, etc.) ask
me, “What do you do?” I could simply say, “I teach English in a language course”
and that’s it, they have no further question.
Lately, however, as what happened long ago before I started working, it’s kind of hard to get many people to understand
the sentence, “I’m doing my residency in Psychiatry.” That particular short
sentence might take ‘years’ to explain, and still misunderstood despite
whatever effort that I’ve tried to do; so I’ve kind of trained myself to answer
as brief as possible, hopefully to stop eliciting further questions. One
example of the (translated-to-English-version of the) dialog would be like
this:
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| This is how pretty much how I look during the dialog --minus the well-toned eye make-up, of course. Taken from http://images.wisegeek.com/blonde-woman-giving-flat-smile.jpg |
Random people (RP): So are you working or studying?
Me(M): Mmm.. studying.
RP: In Unud?
M: Yes
RP: What major?
RP: Medicine? Why are you taking public transportation/walking?
M: Well… I’m used to it
RP: Shouldn’t you be driving a car or at least a motorcycle?
M: It’s okay, I do it every day
RP: Didn’t you pay a lot to get into the university? Why can’t you
afford a car or a motorcycle?
M: Well... I can’t drive anyway
RP: (staring a bit suspiciously) Do you know [insert name here]? She/He
also studies in Unud, in Faculty of Medicine
M: (shake head) Maybe we’re in different major (P.S: Faculty of
Medicine in Udayana University has 5 majors for undergraduate degree, and I’m
not even in one of it because I'm not doing undergraduate education)
RP: You don’t know? He/She’s from [insert area name here], his/her
father is working in [insert office name here]
M: No
RP: Hmm.. You’re studying in the Unud campus in Denpasar, aren’t you?
M: Well.. not really. I mostly study in the Sanglah hospital.
RP: (frown) Are you working or are you studying?
M: (deep breath) It’s a bit of both. It’s like practical work.
RP: Aaaaahh so like the students from the nursing academy?
M: Yeah something like that
RP: Do you know [insert name here]? He/She’s a student from [insert a
name of an academy here]. He/She’s doing his/her practical work in Sanglah hospital
right now.
M: (shake head) There are many students there, I can’t remember all of
them (P.S: Lie. Not that I can’t remember all of them. I don’t remember any of
them. They’re in the wards, I’m in the out-patient department, and Sanglah
Hospital is a big hospital with hundreds of staffs and students coming there
everyday; if you expected me to know each and every one.. that’d be like..
really?)
RP: Mmm… He/She’s from [insert area name here], his/her father is
working in [insert office name here]
M: (deep breath) No
RP: Hmm.. what semester are you?
M: (deep breath. This is a sensitive question) Six, almost seven.
RP: Oh. Maybe you’re in the different semester with her/him
M: Yeah, maybe.
RP: When are you graduating?
M: (deep breath, another sensitive question) Within two years,
hopefully.
RP: Why does it take so long?
M: Well.. it’s a specialist education. It is long, indeed (P.S. Lie. It is not
that long, I should’ve been able to finish one or two semester earlier than
that, but no less)
RP: Specialist? Like you’re going to become neurologist or internist?
Are you taking specialist education or are you studying to be a nurse?
M: (trying to remember when on earth I said I was studying to be a nurse)
Specialist.
RP: What specialist are you?
M: Psychiatry. It’s dealing with people with mental problems
RP: Oh. So you’re dealing with crazy people?
M: Yeah.. kind of
RP: Isn’t that supposed to be dealt with in the mental hospital?
M: Well there is (out-patient and in-patient department) service in
Sanglah
RP: So there is a Psychology service in Sanglah Hospital?
M: (deep breath, trying hard to refrain myself from correcting it, to
avoid longer questioning) Yeah.. something like that
RP: Do you read mind? So you’re like psychic, yeah?
M: No, not psychic.
RP: I had a neighbor who’s stressed out after being fired from his/her
work. What do you think happened to him/her?
M: Well.. we should see him/her so we know what really happens..
RP: I think someone on his/her office put a spell on him/her so he/she went
crazy and stressed out. We took him/her to the shaman and now he/she’s fine.
M: Ah. Okay
Usually a long pause after that, then I get off and be thankful for the
end of the excruciating dialog. Moral of the story? You decide, I’m just gonna
pray for the Lord to have mercy on me on this.
Since last year, I have problem with my health. but this one, is quite weird. I was immense with difficulty with sleep. (until 4.am I still wake up... )
ReplyDeleteI came back to indo for long vacation, and one day wonderful things happen, I took my father & mother to meet up with psychiatry. The doctor age might be around 55~60 years old. Amazingly he holds professor degree. He also served as lecture in university.
First, I told to doctor, that I only have problem sleeping. So he gave me around 70 weird symptoms, and told me to read it, and everytime I have one of the sign, just say "YES". Unwilderedly I said YES, more than 10 times :D. hahah.... The doctor patiently explains that I have the anxiety illness. This illness is quite normal, and as many people have it. But if this not being cured, then it could get worse.
The doctor explain in the way that my parents (they're age above 50 years, from village) could understood from their perceived, person-by-person, patiently explain by Java language why I had this illness. (Even me, speak in java using honorific is pretty hard :D). I was amazed saw how this doctor. He influences soooo much to my parents. He educate them, linked to how’s the mistake of parents, mostly they did when they teach their kids. For almost 2 hours, the doctor had affected much to my parents, as well to me in positive way. I understand the parents didn't read psychology book, like we did. Their perspective perceived and sees the things are different with us.
The doctor gave me prescription and some kind medicine, like Frisium Clobazam. Now, my health is getting better & better. I don't take the pills for sleeping now. Thank you soooo much doctor.
This is my first time face up to psychiatry, for only 20 minutes the doctor spoken, He is the most doctor I like it. He humbled down to earth. He recommends me to read 2 psychology books. One of them is "How to win friends and influence people", authored by Dale Carnegia. I had finished this book, and this book is the best book I have ever ever read. I realized and draw some point from books I had read it. I practically do the things from the psychology book.
One day I travel with my friend and have one of the conversation is like this:
Y : I heard the daughter of one of our lecture, Mr. AAA took graduate school in Harvard.
Me : Oh... cooll. Wow, amazing. (I know that my friend plan to become lecture, and interest to take PhD).
How about Stanford..?? (I give him little bit challenge, and trying to encourage him).
Y : MIT...MIT.. hahaha. (We know that, even we don't dare have dream into those school).
As often I read and attached to books, one of things that occur to me is regret. Regret, that If I understand kind of psychology, if could go with time machine 7 years ago back. I wonder what happens now??
Some time life hooked us, and I remember again your story from blog. You are smarter girl, but apparently sometime you also swallowed little bitterness in there. When I disoriented about value of life, (in korea how people see money/position/competition is quite mess), then I remembering again your story, when you were in hospital, practically you don't have much financial in your account right?? then you still dedicate your-best-effort to offer served/help to cure the patient.
if I wanna say what the most thing that affect, influence, and impacting towards me, the most? Psychology. Like you said dr. Inke, “I fell in love with Psychiatry because I realize it has the potential to change generations of people” –Daniel Amen. Indeed, it is true. It has great potential to awaken people.
I hope, my looong story is not bored, and hopefully you success in your psychology field. I think I am stranger, but talk a lot. Sorry... I hope, there is not any words subdued you, conversely it boost your energy to become psychiatry.
Thank you for the story, especially for making the profession (and the field) seem quite nice and heroic :) well in my case it's actually not that heroic. It's indeed inevitable to become a bit philosophical, but I think I'm doing psychiatry mostly because I like and it happens to suit me pretty well too.
DeleteI think what happened to you is quite human. Despite the currently promoted view that people should work their best to be constantly awesome, inspiring, and all those blah blah blah, sometimes being those things is tiring and boring.. and it's just not human. We're just human with our own pluses and minuses, so if we're a bit too much out of track of being human, the body sends signals, hopefully to make us work on getting back to being human again; in your case, the signal was the sleeping problem.
I'm not sure if I even makes sense, but if somehow you'd like to read further, try reading "CBT for dummies"; the (bajakan) version of the book is download-able at gen.lib.rus.ec ... and so are many other e-books (bajakan) :D
Thank you for your recommendation book and site as well. I had downloaded and take peek for moment. (not spoiler :D). Well, honestly the book is quite well comprehended and helpful, whenever we deal with something with feeling inconsiderate. The fact that we're all human, have feeling inconsiderate always prompt especially in occasion of matter and its just hard to get away that feeling.
DeleteAnd I thought the book like novel, which like novel where influctuate conflict appeared, or story-telling, or, but apparently it's like academic text book :D. haha..But, I appointed myself that I would read the book.
I feel same way, despite we're supposed to being viewed as awesome, inspiring person, but the other hand it feels tiring and boring. I believe, we're still young, and we have so many things to do in this life. I don't pursue to become awesome or inspiring person or whatever.... But if we wanna do something more than just me.. (feels like Panda in movie :D), and moreover there is particularly something I desire. I realized it required something more than what we're capable. We need to stretch our strengthened little bit over to go through something over our comprehend.
I think what I am saying sound, like little bit philosophical..haha :D