What Matters in Time Essay Example for Free

What Matters in Time Essay Im never gonna do that again . . . . During my work as a staff nurse, any time I heard one of the patients going through detox make this vow, I would cringe and think: Sure, you will. You all do. Its just a matter of time. I dont know why you even bother going through detox. Its a waste of time and money. You just need to stop doing whatever youve been doing and just stop drinking. Its plain and simple. Just quit drinking. Those thoughts, however, occured prior to my attending the Therapeutic Interventions (Alcohol) Course. While attending this seminar, the more I learned about detox from alcohol, the more I began to assess my faulty thinking regarding individuals who, for whatever reasons, seemed incapable or unwilling to change their destructive drinking patterns. Most of the people I worked with, I felt, were not at the ideal point I heard about during this training, where they wanted to change and/or stop drinking. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 41) Those I encountered in my work at an acute medical ward had usually been admitted wiith high alcohol intake. Most of the time, my feelings toward them were ambivalent. During the time they were in my care, withdrawing from alcohol on Benzodiazepins-Chordiazepoxide, I treated them without empathy. I felt I knew each of these patients, even before I heard their story or studied their chart. Even though I didnt consider myself to be at the point I was void of any feelings toward these individuals, nevertheless, I made a point to keep a safe emotional distance from them. In a sense, my feelings were numbed as I repeatedly watched what I perceived to be a merry-go-round of their self-inflicted madness. In my mind, these individuals needed something more than what they were receiving from the detox program. More often than not, I found myself thinking disparaging thoughts, as I watched those struggling through planned detoxifications, alongside others unwillingly commited to the detox program. In planned detoxifications, I learned during training, individuals are more likely to succeed with maintinaing sobriety, if they want to discontinue drinking. During an immenent need to detox, however, when someone is hospitalized or has been arrested and/or locked up to begin serving a prison sentence, when alcohol detoxification may or may not be pre-planned, if the person does not want to change, success is less likely. A second detox scenario occurs when individuals enter a residential treatment program. At this time, alcohol detoxification is considered routine. A third type detoxification tranpires at times, following a period of sobriety, in order for a person to restablaize. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 41) Toms detox, I felt, represented the third kind. Prior to detox training, my feelings of frustration intensifired whenever I would work with some of the repeat detoxers like Tom*, an old man in his early forties. I had watched Tom go through the same detox scenario four times during the past two years. Tom sometimes became so confused he would forget where he was and try to leave the unit. I have to go home now. My wife wants me to cook lunch for her today. Its her birthday. Tom told me one day right before his evening meal. I knew Toms wife had left him several years ago. Later, I had to stop him when he tried to walk out the door behind one of the orderlies. No, Tom, you cant leave here yet. Youve only been in detos two days, I said. You have to remain here at least another 5 days. Attending this course helped me understand that like Toms, a patients confusion during detox is normal. Individuals detoxing, one speaker stressed, may display symptoms from anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, and with increasing severity, hallucinations . . . to the terrors of delirium tremens in which orientation in time, place and person is lost, and vivid hallucinations are experienced along with clouding of consciousness (akin to dreaming whilst awake). (Petersen Mcbride, 2002, p. 167) Prior to attending the Therapeutic Interventions (Alcohol) Course, I did not seriously note that one of the vital reasons detox needs to take place within care of medical personnel as â€Å"detoxing from alcohol can be fatal. Alcohol, para. 2) When alcohol is suddenly taken away from a person who has been abusing it for a long period of time, that persons body experiences reactions which could prove to be deadly. Matrisha*, another patient I became frustrated with during her detox, on the other hand, knew exactly where she was, along with the date and time. She also made a point to repeatedly upset the others in the ward. Recently, when another nurses caught Matrisha riffling through another patients night stand and helping herself to candy, she confronted her. Matrisha, like other detoxing patients at times, became aggressive and violent. Although I tried to understand patients like Tom and Matrisha, however, the merry-go-round these patients seemed to choose to ride didnt make sense. Knowledge I gained while attending the Therapeutic Interventions( Alcohol) Course helped me begin understand concepts contributing to the mirage of difficulties those detoxing regularly experience. The time invested in this learning also helped me begin to see these people as individuals just like me. Even though we may struggle with different scenarios in life, and even though at times, I may not fully understand what those in detox were going through, this training helped me realize I could try to empahatize with them. Instead of building a fence between myself and patients in detox, I could remember a point promoted by one prominent speaker. The success of these centres (sic) depends upon training staff to feel confident about monitoring withdrawal in order to identify those clients who are in need of medical help, and training that enablesstaff quickly to form a helping alliance with clients. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 41- 42) I could also make a point to be one of the staff to take training seriouusly and whenever possible help without cringing. I could also, as AD counselor encourage those going through alcohol detox and treatment, look within myself to see how I could change for the better. Attending the Therapeutic Interventions (Alcohol) Course proved to be more helpful than I anticipated and allowed me to see how I could improve within my self and strengthen my professional and personal skills. As I reflect on things I learned, I understand that I could have listened more to what patents were telling me with their words and actions. I remind myself often that my job as as a staff nurse in detox is to help bring those going through the painful difficult medical, physical, and emotional aspects is vital. Alcohol detox is the first step in the treatment of alcoholism. The recovery of the alcoholic cannot begin until they have undergone alcohol detox. And since alcoholism is a disease that kills, alcohol detox is the first line of defense in saving the patients life. ALCOHOl† para. 1-5; 7) As I work with others to try to help problems drinkers come to a point they are ready to change and realize their life would be better without alcohol, I no longer focus on their past failures. I stive, instead, to be supportive and encourage them to do their best today. (Raistrick, 2004, p. 40) Toady, I no longer cringe when someone tells me, Im never gonna do that again . . .. Nor does something in detox that does not make sense upset me. Some things, I realize, dont have to be completely understood. When I try to understand what it feels like to walk in another persons shoes and look at the world through their eyes, however, that matters. Today, I have more respect for the patients entrusted to my care. I have gained a sense of empathy for their plight. What does matter, I now understand, is that time invested in helping another person, in or out of detox, does matter. *Names of indviduals portrayed in paper have been changed. References ALCOHOL DETOX. retrieved May 5, 2006 from http://www. spencerrecovery. com/alcohol- detox. html. Champney-Smith, J. (2002). Chapter 22 Dual Diagnosis. In Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice, Petersen, T. Mcbride, A. (Eds. ) (pp. 267-273). New York: Routledge. Lewis, J. , Williams, S. (2002). Chapter 15 Home Detoxification. In Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice, Petersen, T. Mcbride, A. (Eds. ) (pp. 197-204). New York: Routledge. Petersen, T. Mcbride, A. (Eds. ). (2002). Working with Substance Misusers: A Guide to Theory and Practice. New York: Routledge. Raistrick, D. (2004). Chapter 3 Alcohol Withdrawal and Detoxification. In The Essential Handbook of Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol Problems, Heather, N. Stockwell, T. (Eds. ) (pp. 35-48). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.