Benji Waterhouse

Our judo instructor was this, like, martial arts guy. And he told us, before he taught us the throws and the slams and stuff, he said, the biggest bit of advice he would tell us if we wanted to last long on the medical register was that we avoid any of our patients committing homicide. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Like, this was nothing like Frasier. Yeah.

or how psychiatry was depicted in Woody Allen movies. But he said, don't worry, he reassured us, the chances of a psychiatric patient killing a random member of the public are very low. Thank God for that. Far more likely, he said, they'd kill someone they knew, like their family member or a mental health worker.

or how psychiatry was depicted in Woody Allen movies. But he said, don't worry, he reassured us, the chances of a psychiatric patient killing a random member of the public are very low. Thank God for that. Far more likely, he said, they'd kill someone they knew, like their family member or a mental health worker.

or how psychiatry was depicted in Woody Allen movies. But he said, don't worry, he reassured us, the chances of a psychiatric patient killing a random member of the public are very low. Thank God for that. Far more likely, he said, they'd kill someone they knew, like their family member or a mental health worker.

And so he said, I said, he said though, but don't worry, like the most important thing he said was if going to see a patient in their home, the most important thing was that if you're going, it was that you have to go for safety, always go in pairs if staffing levels allow. So it was my first week and I was working in this

And so he said, I said, he said though, but don't worry, like the most important thing he said was if going to see a patient in their home, the most important thing was that if you're going, it was that you have to go for safety, always go in pairs if staffing levels allow. So it was my first week and I was working in this

And so he said, I said, he said though, but don't worry, like the most important thing he said was if going to see a patient in their home, the most important thing was that if you're going, it was that you have to go for safety, always go in pairs if staffing levels allow. So it was my first week and I was working in this

like inpatient ward, which also we also, under a consultant, we also had a clinic. And a patient one day didn't come to his clinic appointment, which my boss told me could be a red flag that people are deteriorating. So he wanted me to go and check he was all right. So I was going on this home visit in this first week. I was alone, obviously.

like inpatient ward, which also we also, under a consultant, we also had a clinic. And a patient one day didn't come to his clinic appointment, which my boss told me could be a red flag that people are deteriorating. So he wanted me to go and check he was all right. So I was going on this home visit in this first week. I was alone, obviously.

like inpatient ward, which also we also, under a consultant, we also had a clinic. And a patient one day didn't come to his clinic appointment, which my boss told me could be a red flag that people are deteriorating. So he wanted me to go and check he was all right. So I was going on this home visit in this first week. I was alone, obviously.

And I knocked on the front door, like trying to not look like I was absolutely shitting myself. And the person I was going to see was called Billy, and he was a young man with something called paranoid schizophrenia, which, contrary to what Hollywood depicts, isn't actually about split minds and multiple personalities, but more usually delusional ideas and hearing voices.

And I knocked on the front door, like trying to not look like I was absolutely shitting myself. And the person I was going to see was called Billy, and he was a young man with something called paranoid schizophrenia, which, contrary to what Hollywood depicts, isn't actually about split minds and multiple personalities, but more usually delusional ideas and hearing voices.

And I knocked on the front door, like trying to not look like I was absolutely shitting myself. And the person I was going to see was called Billy, and he was a young man with something called paranoid schizophrenia, which, contrary to what Hollywood depicts, isn't actually about split minds and multiple personalities, but more usually delusional ideas and hearing voices.

And after knocking on the door, I was pleasantly surprised when Billy opened it, and he gave me a warm smile, and I told him why I was there, and he said, oh, sorry, I completely forgot. He said, do you want to come in? Fancy a cup of tea, slice of cake? These were early signs that Billy was doing okay. So yeah, I got grateful, accepted that.

And after knocking on the door, I was pleasantly surprised when Billy opened it, and he gave me a warm smile, and I told him why I was there, and he said, oh, sorry, I completely forgot. He said, do you want to come in? Fancy a cup of tea, slice of cake? These were early signs that Billy was doing okay. So yeah, I got grateful, accepted that.

And after knocking on the door, I was pleasantly surprised when Billy opened it, and he gave me a warm smile, and I told him why I was there, and he said, oh, sorry, I completely forgot. He said, do you want to come in? Fancy a cup of tea, slice of cake? These were early signs that Billy was doing okay. So yeah, I got grateful, accepted that.

I went in and the daytime TV was burbling away in the living room and we went through to the kitchen. And as he was fixing the teas, Billy told me a bit about himself. He said he lived there with his mum and he said they supported each other and they watched TV together. And he said, although they weren't churchgoers, apparently they watched Countdown religiously. But she was just out, he said.

I went in and the daytime TV was burbling away in the living room and we went through to the kitchen. And as he was fixing the teas, Billy told me a bit about himself. He said he lived there with his mum and he said they supported each other and they watched TV together. And he said, although they weren't churchgoers, apparently they watched Countdown religiously. But she was just out, he said.

I went in and the daytime TV was burbling away in the living room and we went through to the kitchen. And as he was fixing the teas, Billy told me a bit about himself. He said he lived there with his mum and he said they supported each other and they watched TV together. And he said, although they weren't churchgoers, apparently they watched Countdown religiously. But she was just out, he said.

I took the opportunity to ask my generic psychiatric questions that my boss had taught me to ask, like, was Billy sleeping okay? Was his mood all right? Was he thinking of killing himself? No, no, no, everything was fine, he said, except for the voices. My ears pricked up. And that probably, I thought, explained the unopened packets of medication that I'd noticed on the side table.