WHAT CAN MENTAL HEALTH NURSES LEARN FROM THE

AMAZING STORY OF A CATHOLIC PATRON SAINT?

NB: THIS STORY DOES NOT RELY ON YOU BEING CATHOLIC.

ATHEISM 2.0 IS ABOUT RESPECTFULLY

STEALING FROM RELIGIONS.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TAKING

OUT THE GOOD BITS AND USING THEM IN THE

SECULAR WORLD.*

*SO SAYETH ALAIN DE BOTTON.

DYMPHNA WAS A TEENAGER LIVING IN 7TH CENTURY IRELAND WHEN HER MOTHER DIED.

DYMPHNA’S FATHER - DAMON - WAS SHATTERED WITH GRIEF. DAMON SENT HIS SERVANTS TO SCOUR ALL OF IRELAND TO

FIND HIM A NEW WIFE. HE WANTED A WOMAN AS BEAUTIFUL AND AS KIND AS HIS

DEAR DEPARTED WIFE!

DAMON’S MEN RETURNED FROM THEIR

SEARCH, AND TOLD DAMON THAT THE ONLY WOMAN IN

IRELAND AS BEAUTIFUL AND AS KIND AS HIS

LATE WIFE IS HIS DAUGHTER DYMPHNA.

OVERWHELMED BY GRIEF, DAMON THOUGHT THE UNTHINKABLE!

UNDERSTANDABLY, DYMPHNA WAS

CONFUSED & AFRAID.

GEREBERNUS, THE LOCAL PARISH PRIEST, HELPED DYMPHNA

GRIEF AFFECTS PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT

WAYS DYMPHNA. AT THE MOMENT YOUR FATHER IS A

RISK TO HIMSELF AND OTHERS*.

WE MUST FLEE TO SAFETY. RIGHT NOW!

GEREBERNUS & DYMPHNA FLED TO GEEL IN BELGIUM. DYMPHNA WAS BEHEADED! (GEREBERNUS TOO)

HOWEVER, DAMON TRACKED THEM DOWN, AND…

MARRY ME OR I WILL KILL YOU!

IT’S NOT ALL BAD NEWS

THOUGH: I LIVE ON AS A CATHOLIC

PATRON SAINT!

I HAVE A BROAD AND

INTERESTING PORTFOLIO OF PATRONAGES*.

AGAINST EPILEPSY AGAINST INSANITY

AGAINST MENTAL DISORDERS AGAINST SLEEPWALKING

AGAINST MENTAL ILLNESS FAMILY HAPPINESS

INCEST VICTIMS LOSS OF PARENTS

EPILEPTICS MARTYRS

PRINCESSES RAPE VICTIMS

RUNAWAYS SLEEPWALKERS

NERVOUS DISORDERS NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

POSSESSED PEOPLE MENTAL ASYLUMS

MENTAL HOSPITALS MENTAL HEALTH CAREGIVERS

MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS & PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH

DIFFICULTIES

PROFESSIONALS, CARERS AND CONSUMERS SHARE THE SAME CATHOLIC PATRON SAINT!

HOW COOL IS THAT?

*JUST TO NAME A FEW: THIS IS ALSO REALLY COOL..

IN GEEL (THE TOWN WHERE DYMPHNA DIED),

NOT ONLY DID THE LOCALS DEDICATE A CHURCH TO HER, BUT FOR CENTURIES THEY HAVE TAKEN PEOPLE

EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES

INTO THEIR HOMES.

GEEL HAS PIONEERED A MODEL OF MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERY

CALLED “FAMILY FOSTER CARE”.

COOL, RIGHT?

FAMILY FOSTER CARE EVOLVED IN

GEEL ABOUT 400 YEARS BEFORE

“MODERN” PSYCHIATRY. IT’S NO BIG DEAL TO US.

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE IS

CELEBRATED ON MAY 5TH EACH YEAR.

GENERAL NURSES HAVE ALIGNED THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THEIR PROFESSION WITH

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE’S BIRTHDAY: MAY 12TH.

MENTAL HEALTH/PSYCHIATRIC NURSES ARE ALL BUT INVISIBLE IN THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION COMPARED

TO OUR MORE GLAMOURISED COLLEAGUES.

WHY DON’T WE USE DYMPHNA’S FEAST DAY - MAY 15TH - AS A DAY TO CELEBRATE

OUR PROFESSION? OR YOU COULD USE MY BIRTHDAY, I GUESS.*

*THERE IS ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE OF HILDEGARD PEPLAU SAYING THIS. MAYBE SHE THOUGHT IT (OR MAYBE NOT).

POSTER ABSTRACT, FULL LIST OF REFERENCES

AND A 6-MINUTE-VIDEO-VERSION

OF THIS PRESENTATION IS ONLINE:

META4RN.COM/AMAZING

PAUL MCNAMARA RGN (RAH), RPN (SAMHS), BN (FLIN.), MMHN (USQ), CERT IMH (WCHN), CMHN, FACMHN

- NOTHING SAYS “I DON’T HAVE A PHD” LIKE A LONG LIST OF POST-NOMINALS -

OCTOBER 2016 FOR #ACMHN2016

*AS EVIDENCED BY THIS STAINED-GLASS WINDOW SHOWING DAMON BEHIND DYMPHNA & GEREBERNUS.

HE HAS A KNIFE!

THE GETAWAY..

NO!