I took my proposal to help Jennifer (see previous posts) to my Board meeting last week. What I was looking for was a commitment from the members present that the Club would support her by making sure that she has what she needs to concentrate on her Focused Listening. I’ll be moving to Florida this summer and regret that I won’t be around to keep an eye on the situation.
I told the Board that I don’t know at this point whether Jennifer will want to devote two hours a day to the listening. To find that out I’ll make a couple of more visits to the hospital to see how it’s going.
Interestingly, three people on the Board have professional experience dealing with psychiatric patients: A social worker, a psychologist, and a pharmacist. The social worker was entirely in agreement with taking on the “Jennifer project” and wants to be part of the long run plan. The pharmacist had just written her boards the day before on psychiatric drugs and raised lots of ethical and liability concerns about the dispensing of care. The psychologist raised a further concern that the Focused Listening music therapy was not peer reviewed science.
What I take away from this is that professionals will always tell you why something can’t be done. Deviations from the norm can be construed as dangerous and untested.This seems especially true in psychiatric situations. The psychologist and the pharmacist no doubt felt duty bound to raise the issues, and the Board was probably prudent in wanting to limit its liability, but the reaction is an example of why I think it’s a good idea to limit one’s exposure to the medical model. Progress will be slow or non-existant if health care is left to the professionals. If there Board might have been inclined beforehand to make it official, they weren’t about to after hearing from the professionals.
The President proposed that the Club informally help Jennifer, and she encouraged any member to informally contribute keeping Jennifer supplied with visitors and focused Listening equipment. Afterwards, two Board member approached me and offered money to keep the project afloat.
All in all, a wonderful outcome to the meeting.
Great job Rossa. Keep it up.
As far as my son is concerned, he has come back from USA n has divorced. He was doing very well for himself, working hard, saving, even his voices have stopped , that’s what he says. He loves to listen to English music, that’s what he does most of the time, but I don’t think he is perfectly alright as he gets annoyed v easily, still does some weird things with his hands, moves forward n backward while walking, likes to record his thoughts. Am really worried, I have read your book n want to read it again as am confused, as to what treatment should he go for. He has gone through a lot of trauma, I suppose, as his wife made his life miserable, always nagging. Let’s see what best we can do, I want him to complete his MBA or do any other course so that he can stand on his own feet. He doesn’t like being in India n wants to settle down abroad. Anyways, all the best n thanx.
Regards,
Sheela.