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February 02, 2012
Marjorie's advice to the fat
Another visit to a psychiatric ward somewhere in England.
Episode 4) Marjorie and the importance of being slim
Marjorie suffers from schizophrenia. She has spent time in both the hospital and the community where for long periods he has functioned relatively well.
She's very slim and looks a lot younger than her years. This is partly because she always dresses very smartly.
However though her clothes are smart they're not clean. Marjorie rarely washes her clothes or herself.
Her slim frame is unusual on the ward. The medication and lifestyle of the patients makes the waif-like look difficult.
She does smoke a lot and can generally be found sitting outside, cigarette in hand. She talks mostly to herself, responding to 'internal stimuli'.
She's a small lady, very feisty and getting her to do something she doesn't like - such as washing herself - is a battle.
But while she won't hear a word spoken against her personal hygiene, finding it insulting, she has no qualms about telling people, staff and patients if they are overweight:
'You need to go to the gym, you fat man,' she said to a nurse the other day.
Posted by Mr Bojangles at February 2, 2012 01:11 PM