When I started writing my first posts for this blog I realized I use quite a few terms not everyone will immediately get. Here’s a few:
The System: This refers to the Mental Healthcare System. Psych units, nursing homes, rehabs, halfway houses, boarding homes, and day programs all fit into this larger structure. It is the beast that our most vulnerable are fed to, and from which many never escape.
Clients: I use clients instead of patients for a variety of reasons, but I’ll probably make a whole post about that. These are the people who live in The System for any period because of their mental illness.
Affect (emphasis on the first syllable): This is used to describe a client’s emotional expression but it more deeply refers to the direct feeling generated by an emotion or other stimulus. Those with schizophrenia are often described as having a flat affect, even when laughing or engaging in conversation.
Staff: These are the people who work within The System. Some staff members revert to tribalism, creating a tone of Staff vs Clients.
Staff-Splitting: A behavior where clients attempt to get one staff member to contradict another, usually for personal gain. This happens a lot, but sometimes clients are justified in doing so if they think one staff member is being dishonest.
Power-Struggle: A situation in which a staff member and client become entrenched in a conflict, usually an unnecessary one. Staff sometimes feel they must exert authority over clients, while clients feel the natural urge to resist authority.
Code: Some kind of emergency situation broadcast over a PA system like any other hospital. Code Red for fire, Code Blue for medical emergencies, and usually a more discreet code for violent situations or escape attempts.
