Sagitta™

A short post today, I've been busy recently so I'll have two posts go up at once to account for my daily posts beings interfered with.

It's so strange to think that we've lived in community for such an obscene amount of years. Even centuries before, there was a person who saw someone injured and cared them back to health. Perhaps they were related, but otherwise; they cared for a stranger.

Truthfully, the idea that someone chooses to help another is overlooked. There's much to say from someone's personality when they choose to help. We never see the backstory of them like our media we consume, and yet, somehow, this person chose to be a healer to someone.

Many people see medicine as something that fixes the person physically and that alone. While correct in one aspect, it disregards the humanity behind the doctors, nurses, and patients. Romanticizing working in medicine is wrong to do, and yet we will do it anyways, because even though sometimes that ideal wont be met... Someone found it. Things like this come from experience, yes? This all applies to relationships too, unsurprisingly. In hopes for something amazing, we keep thinking, and thinking for more. It's innocent, it's selfish- but what are we if never striving for better?

Better is the ideal, not the obsession. It's achievable.

I wonder if selflessness can be better too. Maybe we need to redefine our definitions across the world, so everyone has the same understanding of others instead of glancing upon assumptions.

We don't know much about medicine in the middle ages, but we are aware of the usage of herbs. Henceforth, we coined the term 'herbalist'. Now, medicine at this point would've certainly been an act of a heretic, and if you were a woman... Well, then you'd be the town witch. Unfortunately, history isn't kind to those who are poor or not of high status.

In 1322, we know of the case of Jacqueline Felice de Almania. She was physician held to high esteem among her patients and an exemplar of female potential. Fortunately, she was of high noble status, with a reputation of successful outcomes for her patients.

She was "one of many healers charged with illegally practicing medicine, [and she] raise[d] serious questions about the motives of male physicians in discrediting these women as incompetent and dangerous. The second development was the campaign--promoted by the church and supported by both clerical and civil authorities--to brand women healers as witches. Perhaps the church perceived these women, with their special, often esoteric, healing skills, as a threat to its supremacy in the lives of its parishioners. The result was the brutal persecution of unknown numbers of mostly peasant women." [5]

This woman was banned from practicing medicine and was found guilty, although 8 patients advocated for her medical skill, with the court not even noting on such competence.

"Despite the testimonies that she was able to cure people the male physicians had given up on, the court reasoned that it was obvious that a man could understand the subject of medicine better than a woman because of his gender. This decision is considered to have banned women from academic study in medicine in France and obtaining licenses until the 19th-century."

What's truly sad is that "Jacobina Félicie's story is the fullest account that is documented to have actual hands-on practices of a historical female medical practitioner."

I'm glad history has progressed from then.

Did you know that many of us experience burn out? Not in the typical way where we are fatigued, but also in terms of empathy. In fact, it's more common for there to be an emotional burnout before a physical one! Now, losing compassion is heavily interlinked to empathy and this phenomenon is often perceived by the younger generation: why cant my mother understand? Why does my teacher treat us so strictly? Am I doing something wrong?

Empathy Fatigue.

CBT is well renowned for its talking, and easily accessible techniques. However, it is also unfortunately known as being ineffective for treating more complex psychiatric disorders. Henceforth, Somatic Therapy became another form of care for those afflicted with their series of unfortunate events. Somatic therapy includes talk therapy, but also concentrates on other methods of working through emotions and events (so is effective for PTSD), for example via the movement of your eyes you can limit flashbacks that could potentially cause a relapse and otherwise considerable emotional distress. It "incorporates body-oriented modalities such as dance, breathwork, and meditation to support mental healing". 

Unlike standard mental health therapy, such as CBT which focuses predominantly on the mind," somatic therapy incorporates body-oriented modalities such as dance, breathwork, and meditation to support mental healing. In addition, somatic experiencing therapy sessions include talk therapy and mind-body exercises.

Beyond the standard somatic therapy, numerous subgroups use its framework in specific ways. These include:

Sensorimotor psychotherapy 1: 

A comprehensive therapy that uses the body as both a source of information and intervention targets.

The Hakomi Method 2:

Psychotherapy that integrates scientific, psychological, and spiritual sources, focusing on four core concepts: gentleness, nonviolence, compassion, and mindfulness.

Bioenergetic analysis 3:

Body-psychotherapy that combines bodily, analytic, and relational work based on understanding energy.

Biodynamic psychotherapy 4:

A combination of allopathic (medical) and holistic therapy modalities that include physical massage by the practitioner

Brainspotting:

In addition to mind and bodywork, this therapy incorporates eye positioning to retrain emotional reactions.

A meme for today

So, we can take this in a multitude of ways. A strange question, yes, but perhaps one that you might enjoy thinking about.

Running physically? You get your basic list: "I want to lose weight, I want to try something new, I want to be healthier, my doctor told me to, I want to be more attractive". However, I want to briefly touch (this post wont be quite as long as my other ones) on the fight or flight instinct - what happens when you run away from things mentally.

Ah yes, the NHS strikes

The four pillars of medicine! AKA, the medical ethics.

We have..

Beneficence (doing good)

Non-maleficence (to do no harm)

Autonomy (giving the patient the freedom to choose freely, where they are able)

Justice (ensuring fairness)

I believe that all of those who enter the medical field hold a deep compassion for people, or at least start off with one. The motivation it takes to study and continue in the medical field is a complex one; some might say it's the altruism that motivates them, but such a phrase is often said without heart (but only for those without true experience). Personally, I want people to feel less lonely. I want people to understand things about themselves, not to be scared of their body but to admire how ruthlessly it works to keep you alive - even if it accidentally kills something else of you in the process. I say this because I think that everyone goes through a phase (ever-lasting or short-lived) where your body confuses you, and then even your brain gets caught up in all that mess. I want to give someone a chance to be listened to regarding their problems, allow them the respect they deserve. Hopefully, one day, I'll be working in the medical field and I'll be able to contribute to that system of people, alongside those who need my care. Then, I want to "fix" the brain for what is wrong.

Hospital kitty!

12:00, 11 JAN 2022

Just found out this little guy was "nominated for the PDSA Order of Merit Award" during our huge pandemic.

"Yang has been the official mascot at Hexham General Hospital for four years, with his presence soothing everyone from sick children to nervous parents to overworked staff."