I was taking vitals on the military ward at my new job and had just gotten a reading on a young female patient.

Me: Oh my, are you feeling ok?

Her: Yeah…why?

Me: You’re lying down but your heart rate is 105.

Her: Well, I kind of just had a flash back.

::I look at the rec room TV to see what’s playing.::

Me: Do you think maybe you shouldn’t be watching “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre?”

Her: But I’ve seen it before, and it didn’t bother me.

Me: Yeah… but it’s different now.

This was one of those moments in mental health that’s a little funny and a lot of sad.



From the Floor is an irregular feature of short poignant interactions, sometimes funny, sometimes sad. These are the conversations, this is what we witness when working in mental health. If you would like to contribute email: andre.alyeska@gmail.com.