Depressed Mnemonic
Mnemonics have usually failed me miserably during the course of my medical school education. There are so many things to remember, and people just make up these things to help squeeze it all in. Some mnemonics make total sense. To remember the symptoms of mania, just imagine a hyper person that has to DIG FAST:
Distractibility
Insomnia
Grandiosity
Flight of ideas
Activity/agitation
Speech (pressured)
Thoughtlessness
That works pretty well. However, I'm having trouble remembering the mnemonic for symptoms of major depression, because, frankly, the mnemonic stinks. Here's what years and years of brilliant minds could come up with for depression: SIG E CAPS. WTF?!?! What the hell does that mean? Here's what the letters stand for:
Sleep (too much or too little)
Interest (loss thereof in pleasurable activities, aka anhedonia)
Guilt
Energy (lack thereof)
Concentration (lack thereof)
Appetite (increased or decreased)
Psychomotor activity (restlessness or slowness)
Suicidal ideation
All of these symptoms make sense, but couldn't someone have come up with something better? It's not that hard. Look: just read it in reverse, and we get SPACE GIS. That is so much cooler, and at least it's a word and an abbreviation. Or PISS CAGE. Now that's a depressing image. I think I'm going with that. Spread the word and turn the health care world on its ear.
Distractibility
Insomnia
Grandiosity
Flight of ideas
Activity/agitation
Speech (pressured)
Thoughtlessness
That works pretty well. However, I'm having trouble remembering the mnemonic for symptoms of major depression, because, frankly, the mnemonic stinks. Here's what years and years of brilliant minds could come up with for depression: SIG E CAPS. WTF?!?! What the hell does that mean? Here's what the letters stand for:
Sleep (too much or too little)
Interest (loss thereof in pleasurable activities, aka anhedonia)
Guilt
Energy (lack thereof)
Concentration (lack thereof)
Appetite (increased or decreased)
Psychomotor activity (restlessness or slowness)
Suicidal ideation
All of these symptoms make sense, but couldn't someone have come up with something better? It's not that hard. Look: just read it in reverse, and we get SPACE GIS. That is so much cooler, and at least it's a word and an abbreviation. Or PISS CAGE. Now that's a depressing image. I think I'm going with that. Spread the word and turn the health care world on its ear.
11 Comments:
PISS CAGE is awesome. It's almost a Rob Zombie lyric (Living Dead Girl: "Rage in the cage/and piss upon the stage/there's only one sure way/to bring the giant down)" Of course the lyric makes no damn sense, but I immediately got the tune stuck in my head from reading your post just now. I'm kind of stream of consciousness rambling right now because I took a Sudafed for my allergies and I'm feeling very disconnected. That's the title of another pop-metal song. Where's my scotch?
Have I told you lately that I love you?
I too am a fan of PISS CAGE.
I vote for some variation of PISS CAGE for your blog title...that Special Ops: Mike Force is just...y'know, I just don't like that title. but, hey, it's your blog.
Yeah, SO:MF is clever (thanks to Kinjo), but I'm not sure it really fits me. (Ahem...where were you when the contest was happening???) Anyway, if I can come up with a more appropriate title, I'll rename the blog. But until then...just bear with it :)
Oh yeah, right. Because PISS CAGE so fits your personality. Don't make me come over there!
All mnemonics aside, I'm more worried about the fact that I have all the symptoms of both mania and depression except suicidal ideation!...Sounds like I need psychiatric help!
I have all the symptoms of both mania and depression except suicidal ideation!...Sounds like I need psychiatric help!
Yo Homes,
That's what I been trying to tell you all this time!!!
;)
SPACE SAG
Suicidal ideation
Psychomotor activity
Appetite
Concentration
Energy
Sleep
Anhedonia
Guilt
(or you could do SPACE SlInG with Sleep, Interest, Guilt)
Huh? Huh? Damn, I'm smoof!
well if you're goin to go for Space SAG you might as well have SPACE GAS...who doesn't think farts are funny...even if they are the Universe's.
OOOOOHHHH! Space Gas is freakin' AWESOME! You so get the prize, Kat! Wowey wow wow! Well played.
Hmmm...Space Gas.
Not bad. Yo Kinjo, at the very least that's the name of our next band. Or our non-existent B-movie script.
POOT POOT POOT
three cheers for space gas!
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