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The Locked Ward: Memoirs of a Psychiatric Orderly
The Locked Ward Memoirs of a Psychiatric Orderly Author:Dennis O'Donnell Shocking, moving, and controversial, this is an extraordinary account, by an orderly, of life behind the locked doors of a secure psychiatric wardDennis O'Donnell started work as an orderly in the Intensive Psychiatric Care Unit of a large hospital in Scotland in 2000. For seven years, he cared for patients with serious mental disorders. In his ... more »daily life he encountered fear, violence, and despair, but also a considerable amount of care and compassion. Recounting the stories of the patients he worked with, and those of his colleagues on the ward, he examines: the different major mental disorders and their symptoms and manifestations; various methods of treatment including medication, therapy, and conversation; how religion, sex, wealth, health, and drugs can bear influence on mental health; and the prevailing attitudes to psychiatric illness?the authorities, the professionals, and society. What emerges is a document of humanity and humor, a remarkable memoir that sheds light on a world that still remains largely unknown and hugely feared.« less