what is the most bizzare case you've ever evaluated as a crisis clinician? and what was their diagnosis?
i don't think of cases as bizarre. there are odd ones and cases that made me laugh afterwards
the one that still makes me laugh was the woman i saw in the ER who was standing against a wall. she had a hospital gown (called a johnnie) on and nothing else. she was apprehended walking down the center of the road completely naked. i asked her why she was walking down the road naked and she said, "because i have to preach the word." i said that doesn't explain why you had no clothes on. she said, "because i'm a tree." i said, that still doesn't explain why you were naked. why did you take your clothing off? she put her arms out to the side and said in a loud voice, "because i need to spread my branches and grow!"
cocaine induced psychosis
another man came in complaining of a stone in his throat. he was very distressed. the doctors found nothing. he was a very clean cut, well dressed young man. he was not at risk for harm, so we had to let him go. i could not help him. he left convinced he was going to die because eventually the stone would cut off his air supply.
schizophrenia
i remember the funny and the sad stories, and some of the real clinical mysteries. i really dont think of any as bizzare because as they say, there, but for the grace of god, go i.
