VIRAL VIDEOS CAPTURE PATIENTS AT THE MOST VULNERABLE MOMENTS
We need to recognize that for many patients with psychiatric illness, who snapshot or video clip captures them at their most vulnerable moments.
Do you see a lady in a street vendor center talking to herself, not gesturing to anyone in particular? This person could be experiencing auditory hallucinations or hearing “voices” as they are more commonly known. Do you see a disheveled man demanding that you turn off your phone’s camera? This person may have paranoid delusions and strongly believe that you are trying to harm them. Do you see a person standing on the side of a busy road? In reality, he may be having suicidal thoughts.
Instead of pulling out your camera phone, or redoubling your efforts and making more recordings, show empathy and offer a reassuring word. Ask how you can help or call the police for help. Above all, do your best not to further irritate the person; not everything is an argument that must be won.
A person’s mental health does not exist in a binary state. There is no internal mechanism that switches between “good” and “bad”. It can be frightening when a patient develops symptoms of psychiatric illness, either from a “first flare” or a relapse.
Imagine hearing voices or seeing images that no one else experiences. Imagine feeling like bugs are crawling under your skin. Imagine thinking that there are no more reasons to live.
Worse yet, these patients may not have a clue about their conditions, believing that what they are experiencing is real.
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