Loving Livingston...

Wasn't a bad idea dropping my expectations to the lowest before I came. But now that I'm here, really loving it. Yeap, am currently on an outblock in Livingston (3hrs away fr Dundee) doing Psychiatry. Consultant/supervisor's great, nurses are helpful, huge huge huge and comfy coffee room, offered free coffee/tea everyday, accomodation's nice, and...muahaha...Scotland's biggest retail/factory outlet and biggest supermarket (ASDA) sits 10 mins away from the residences. Woohoo!! Have not had the chance to go there yet 'coz it's almost 9-5 everyday now...but will be there this Saturday. Esther, don't flip!

I get offered coffee nearly every session here, from my consultant, the SHO, nurses, even secretaries. So even if I didn't have a caffeine addiction before this, I won't be surprised if I have one now. And it's hard to turn them down. Imagine your consultant taking you along for her coffee break. And you sit down with her in the coffee room with the other nurses. And while sitting there, you have nothing else to do except awkwardly watching her and the other nurses sip coffee. Now won't it be nice if you had a cup of warm coffee/tea yourself so you would at least look occupied with something rather than having to bear with the awkwardness between you and your consultant? Well, she's the most soft spoken consultant and one of the nicest I've ever met, but still...
Anyways, was just flipping through the ICD-10 of Mental&Behavioural Disorders last night. It's this whole guide on how to classify mental disorders according to signs and symptoms. and look what I found stated as one of the criteria under Withdrawal states from other stimulants, including caffeine:

Any two of the following signs must be present:
(1) lethargy and fatigue (i get severely lethargic and have a headache if it gets too boring in the hosp, does that count?)
(2) psychomotor retardation or agitation (nope)
(3) craving for stimulant drugs (caffeine is a stimulant but is it considered a drug?)
(4) increased appetite (yeap! *gulp*)
(5) insomnia or hypersomnia (nope)
(6) bizarre or unpleasant dreams (yeap!)

oh no...that's two and a half! Well, of course this is just one small part of the criteria for this praticular ICD-10 disorder. But still, quite bad isn't it? And imagine the irony, getting caffeine addiction and developing withdrawals all while you're doing PSYCHIATRY, the specialty that is involved in patients of substance dependence/withdrawal. But don't worry (yes, mommy, i'll cut down on it) I don't think it's that severe. I'm not getting tremors or agitated if you don't give me coffee. So nope, I'm not classified as having caffeine addiction YET.

Just finished reading Proverbs. Don't think I've ever felt any book in the Bible being so confrontational. Some verses just shoot straight into my heart. and I'll go: hey God, that's me you're talking about! Take for instance:

'Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.' Proverbs 6:6-11

hmmm....