So the whole Charlie Sheen debacle marks the only time I’ve ever become concerned about somebody after hearing their drug test was negative.
I guess his recent “I am on a drug – it’s called Charlie Sheen” statement is uncomfortably correct. (I wonder if our psych professor will be borrowing quotes from his interview to explain mania next year? I can see the slides now: “I’ve got magic. I’ve got poetry at my fingertips. Most of the time – and this includes naps – I’m an F-18, bro, and I will destroy you in the air and deploy my ordnance to the ground” = slightly more energetic than one might deem normal.)
In other news, since I’m terrible at keeping in touch with people and school starts again tomorrow, I figured tonight would be a good night to catch up with the family.
Mom: So, you’re done with spring break! What do you do next?
Me: Now we get to learn all of cardiology in 3 weeks.
Mom: …oh my lord. But you’ll all do more with it before you graduate, right? How long is your cardiology rotation next year?
Me: We don’t have a cardiology rotation.
Mom: Oh good lord, that’s terrifyi-.. I mean, that’s fine. I’m not worried. Are you done with micro yet?
Me: Yep. Oh, and hey – I’ve been meaning to ask you – when I was growing up, why didn’t you ever bring me into the doctor for my strep throat?
Mom: I don’t believe in doctors.
Me: …. What. But.. listen, I don’t know if you remember this, but you’re an RN.
Mom: Bingo.
I guess that explains why she was actually supportive of my teenage self’s plan to become a herbologist. (I still get e-mails from the through-the-mail diploma mill I wanted to enroll in. Good times.)*
Luckily, I did not become a herbologist. I didn’t become an actor, a writer, or a farmer either – so I’m really not that great with the career predictions, which makes it a little more understandable that my mother still seems to be a shade unclear on the fact that I’m planning on becoming a doctor now.
* I wish someone had made me take a real science class in high school. I think I got by with building a rock collection and writing a dramatic story about a rainforest.
Action Potential 
I vaguely remember reading paper on a horribly unethical test for bipolar that involved administering cocaine and seeing if changes in mood persisted beyond the drug’s presence in the system. Mania is a hell of a better drug than cocaine…
Wow… I wonder what country that study was done in?
Drugs are so bad.
Now, that’s just disturbing what your mom thinks about Drs.
Agreed. It’d be easier to understand if she wasn’t so adamantly scientific about so many other things (yes to vaccines, evolution, living wills, etc).
I lived with her for 18 years and still haven’t figured her out.
You should tell her that you’re doing 3 months of cards next year — it’s called INTERNAL MEDICINE.
Spot on. I was thinking the same thing about Sheen. He’s got more going on than addiction. Big time.
I also have always been interested in herbs. Too bad I keep killing the cilantro.
M
Charlie Sheen clearly is off his rocker. Just watch his interviews; the man isn’t all there.
The sad thing is that if he wasn’t able to afford his wardrobe/a team of handlers to keep track of him, he would probably just look like any other guy who we ignore on the street with these kinds of issues.