Documenting my journey through the mental health system

I am compelled to take on a sort of leadership role within my class groups. Last week fumbled out as a mess and we were late turning in our assignments. The first parts to a grander design.

I also have a head start. I go to work at 6pm every Sunday night at the VA. After a few hours, I’ve got everything done on the floor and I can sit and do schoolwork between patient rounds. The rounds don’t take that long. Then I work on papers, do research, make notes, compile information, generate imagery, make bullshit on Canva.

And after that I save it all to a saved folder in google docs with the class name and send the link to the group. I tell them what I have done so far and tell them what is left to be done. Then I wait and hope they do their part and add it to the folder. I will even do the submitting.

I did it to the other class as well. This is all visible to the teachers via our discussion board, in which we prepare our assignments together. Group work is all due by Thursday. Today is already Tuesday.

I have long night hours. I can get a lot done between those patient rounds. The patients sleep (mostly) because they are old and take as much meds for sleep as I do. Sometimes there is a call light here and there but most nights have a dark, quiet period where nothing happens and I can read, study, plan…

Mostly.

The downside is I am rarely if ever able to meet with the groups online. They often do but I must be absent as I have to try and get some sleep or I am awake at a time no one else would be. But the work is coming along. I have a decently strong background in research and I have, as a government employee, access to the world’s journals and research. That stuff is normally behind paywalls or hidden within institutions’ walls. Of course it comes with my tuition at the university but it’s so much easier while I’m at work. I’m quite adept at being able to find what I need quickly. And if I can’t, I’m able to figure out why quickly as well.