Jessa Maureen M.

Carolino 2012-59026

UP-PGH Ward 7 The UP-PGH Ward 7 is the ward restricted to mentally-challenged patients. People who suffer from different mental disorders can be found in there, majority of them suffering from different kinds of Schizophrenia. I have always been afraid to approach people who are mentally-challenged as I have seen movies and heard stories about them suddenly attacking other people. And since it is hard to decipher what goes through the minds of these kinds of people, I always try to stay away. But after this activity, Im able to conquer this fear and learn a lot from it. Since I heard about Ward 7, Ive always thought of it as a scary place, similar to those we see in the movies. But when I visited the ward, its lightly painted walls proved me wrong. It wasnt as unwelcoming as I thought it would be when I entered. There werent much patients, staffs or visitors roaming around the ward when I went last Tuesday. Before I ended my visit, a lady who looked like she was in her late 20s approached me and asked what my name is. She didnt look like a patient or someone who is suffering from a mental disorder so I answered her. After, she kept mumbling to herself how pretty my name was and she immediately walked away. I felt a thrill run down my spine as the unwelcoming thought of me having a conversation with a possible patient in Ward 7 entered my mind. I quickly left afterwards. The trip to Ward 7 wasnt much of a stress as I thought it would be when I went there. Now, Im beginning to view it differently after the experience. I have started to take interest in the field of Psychiatry and have been researching news and subjects concerning it. The activity made a change in me that I never thought I would happen.