Psych sucks donkey balls

So I'm three weeks into my psych rotation. I'm at an awesome site and I work with some of the coolest residents and attendings that I have ever worked with. Even with the awesome people, free food and great hours, I can't stand psych. I seriously count the hours every day as the hours go by. I've been trying to learn and all that good stuff, but seriously. Psych is just draining. Your patients have weird personality problems so they piss you off or drain you cuz they're so depressed. One of the things that I have really learned to appreciate is counter-transferrence. Hmm...actually, I only recognize it when I get mad or annoyed. See, one of the most important things in psychiatry is being able to recognize the emotions that different patients stir up in you and being able to avoid letting those feelings, whether they be positive or negative, affect the way that you treat your patients. So for me, when I have patients who are child molesters or liars, I get really irritated and tend to provide less face time. If were up to me, child molesters would be shot on the spot. It's a good things that things aren't up to me. Anyhow, the days are dragging by and I'm more and more confronted with the things that aren't so hot about me. See, I think that's one of the greatest things about psych. The psych residents all get treated by psychiatrists so that they learn 1) what the experience is like and more importantly 2) to deal with the weakness they have in their lives. In one sense, my specialty choice represents a huge copout for me. It represents my childish fascination with crude jokes and my complete inability to be at ease with women who I haven't known for a significant amount of time.

On a happier note, I had an awesome weekend camping out and kayaking with hibiscusfire & co. The only thing that soured the weekend was my own insecurity. I ended up moping for a few hours after accepting that I was going bald once I took a good look at my sunburnt scalp. I knew it was coming. I just didn't expect it quite this soon. I know it's a very superficial thing. I was still in the denial/bargaining stage of loss. Ags made everything better. Except for the bald part.

-bender