By: David Deschesne

Fort Fairfield Journal, February 28, 2007  Page 5

A woman checks in to a hospital for a routine surgery which will require at least five days of recovery.

The surgery goes fine, but after a few days of being confined to a bed and on mind-numbing painkillers, she misses being home and begins to cry. There is no real problem, just a time to cry.

The next day, without her request, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker on the hospital staff pays her a visit because a nurse spied her tears the night before.

He introduces himself and politely asks her if there’s a problem. She has since regained her composure, or at least as much as could be with the pain killers, and informs him no, there is none. He persists and asks her again, “Are you sure there isn’t anything I can help you with.” Becoming slighting agitated at this unsolicited guest she again explains there is no problem. Not willing to take no for an answer, the social worker then becomes belligerent, “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong, I’m here to help.” The stranger is not going away and continues to stare at her relentlessly. Who should she call? All of the nurses work for the same hospital he does and at least one of them informed him of her crying. She begins to feel extremely alone in this uninvited confrontation with a person who has the power to declare her “mentally ill,” extend her stay in the hospital indefinitely and quite likely force her onto mind altering drugs.

She begins to cry.

“Now, look,” the social worker demands, “What is really the problem!?”

She finally cracks in the haze of pain killers and solitude in this confrontation with the stranger and tells him what he wants to hear; anything to get this person out of her room and leave her alone. He then promptly files a report that she is mentally ill, prescribes inappropriate psychotropic drugs and has her moved to the psychiatric unit as soon as her scars have healed enough to permit it.

This may sound horrible, but it happens in one form or another at hospitals across Maine at least once a week all year long. Patients are preyed upon by staff social workers who badger and harass with persistent questioning in order to bulk up case files and justify their jobs.

This writer has confirmed this story occurring recently in a Maine hospital, only with a slightly better outcome - the entire story above happened exactly as written (without the ultimate diagnosis taking place), only the woman’s spouse showed up at the time the social worker was plying his trade and was able to witness the entire event. He ultimately convinced the social worker his services weren’t needed and the social worker reluctantly went away without diagnosing “mental illness” or prescribing any drugs. But, not all patients are as fortunate.

“Sometimes people cry. Sadness is a legitimate human emotion. Crying is nature’s way of cleansing the system both with tears and endorphins and shouldn’t always be looked upon with suspicion,” said one RN, speaking on conditions of anonymity. “The problem with institutions today, such as schools and hospitals, is they have built up an industry that views crying as indicative of “mental illness” which needs to be treated with lengthy, expensive counseling and mind-altering drugs. My experience and understanding of the system is to stay away from Licensed Clinical Social Workers - the vast majority of them only want to put you on drugs and destroy your family. Be polite - they’re looking for any excuse to open a case file - and tell them their services aren’t needed. Then if you must, talk to a pastor you can trust instead.”