Watch Out For Lunatics!

Today is a full moon.  I work in the medical field.  These two things are very much related.  You don’t have to go far to find a medical professional who will give you a knowing look when you say, “It’s a full moon tonight.”  And, tonight, it’s a full moon.  Thank the Maker my parents are visiting and I am not working!

The effects of the full moon are very real.  This National Geographic article (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/12/1218_021218_moon.html) may say the effects are minimal and no different from any other night of the year, but I disagree.  There is a reason the terms ‘lunatic’ and ‘loony’ exist.  The effects are real.  I want to invite the authors the National Geographic study to any hospital in the days leading up to and the night of a full moon.  Everything is just a little off.

It is hard to describe, but people act differently.  The behavioral health floor in my hospital fills up with people in crisis, they just can’t seem to make things work for them.  All of the sudden, they either stop taking their medications or the meds need to be readjusted.  What can be a usually stable person suddenly spirals out of control.  I am not joking when I say more staff are asked to work on the nights of the full moon on our behavioral health unit.  They just know things are going to get out of hand.

But it is not just those who are on the behavioral health unit.  Everyone in the hospital is different.  Earlier this week (and I believe the effects of the full moon start a couple of days before the moon is actually full) I dealt with a daughter of a patient who was end of life.  A stressful and difficult time for anyone, and I did have a great deal of empathy for her.  But her requests and way of handling the situation were so…off…it made things even worse.  Any and all attempts to help her, which she very much wanted, were met with bizarre responses and failed support.  We all left that day feeling like we had just been hit with a moon-beam (which I am not sure I have ever experienced, but it doesn’t sound good).

No matter what National Geographic says, I am completely convinced there is a direct correlation between a full moon and odd behavior!  Take a look around.  Does that explain some of things/people you have encountered today?

Once I survive this full moon, I will be back tomorrow.  I am hosting my parents for a long weekend, so I get to play tourist in my own state.  I have decided this is a very valuable exercise and I will share some of my thoughts on it with you all tomorrow!