The Spiritualist: Wellness Story #8

Trenton Psychiatric:

I have been providing wellness services to various facilities for the last four years or so (2015), and I am always reminded of one of my experiences at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, in New Jersey. For confidentiality reasons, I can’t share names or any patient details that could reveal their identity, but I can share some experiential stories.

The Spiritualist

While working at Trenton psychiatric, I have met all manner of interesting people. Many of the people that reside at the facility, be it long term or short term, often have some incredible skills, expansive minds, and innate creativity, and it’s rather inspiring to spend time with them.

Ne such fella I met there I will dub, The Spiritualist. This man was SO deeply aware of spiritual practices, pagan theologies, and really, considerably high level spiritual practice understandings. He and I would talk at length about astrology, lunar cycles, the pros and cons of organized religion, and a lot about how Paganism fits into the modern world. He was always someone that I was excited to see at the Self Help Center.

He was also a fairly promising writer and artist, and I often enjoyed seeing his latest creations. It’s a wonderful testament to someone being able to make beautiful things in an otherwise difficult environment.

I’m happy to say that after some time in the hospital, this man was able to leave and continue on with his life. He was able to secure work, housing, and a fresh start to his life path. We kept in touch for a little while after his release from the hospital, and I was pleased to hear that he was doing well readjusting to the outside world. Troubles come and go, as with all people, but he seemed to be moving ahead with his ambitions and goals.

It’s been a while since I’ve heard from him, but I hope he’s doing well, and as I like to joke, I hope that I don’t encounter him again while working at the hospital, and that’s because I want him to be out in the world living.

Reflections

The take away from this story for me was that a brilliant mind becomes no less brilliant just because of the need to have mental and emotional support. If I hadn’t met him in a hospital environment, I would have never suspected that he was troubled. It’s not that he hid it SO well that it was a non-issue, but his coherence and ability to think so deeply about not only concrete but also abstract concepts, was impressive. I guess sometimes people just need the healing and societal separation to get themselves together. And there's nothing wrong with that. With some work, the proper care, and a concentrated support program, healing is totally possible.

Thanks for reading!

Till next time,

Be well