Anybody got a Santa Claus in their unit yet?

[countryboy75]

'Tis the season, just wondering if anyone has come in contact with a psychotic/delusional patient who thinks they are Santa Claus yet.

I heard about one today from a few years back. Apparently seroquel, depakote and a few inpatient days made this santa disappear.

Thought it was pretty interesting how much culture plays into delusions. Is this common?

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[OldPsychDoc]

'Tis the season, just wondering if anyone has come in contact with a psychotic/delusional patient who thinks they are Santa Claus yet.

I heard about one today from a few years back. Apparently seroquel, depakote and a few inpatient days made this santa disappear.

Thought it was pretty interesting how much culture plays into delusions. Is this common?

So if a guy showed up in your ED on 12/25 @ 0300, wearing a soot-stained red fur suit, brought in by police for being found in someone else's living room, claiming to fly reindeer, with eggnog, milk, and cookies on his breath, and stating he's on a mission to deliver toys to all the good children of the world, and that he "knows" who's naughty and nice...would you lock him up?

If my kids don't get presents this year, I'll know who to blame!

 

[whopper]

I never had a Santa Claus due to psychosis.

I did, however, have one Santa Claus due to loneliness and depression. The only meaningful thing this guy felt he had was his Santa Claus job. It was to the point where he wanted to be called Santa Claus. The guy was the spitting image of the guy and used to work as a Santa Claus.

 

[kugel]

So if a guy showed up in your ED on 12/25 @ 0300, wearing a soot-stained red fur suit, brought in by police for being found in someone else's living room, claiming to fly reindeer, with eggnog, milk, and cookies on his breath, and stating he's on a mission to deliver toys to all the good children of the world, and that he "knows" who's naughty and nice...would you lock him up?!

Yes.
Just to see the staff try to log all his belongings from that magic sack.

Unless they get clever and log "1 Sack, magic. Filled with toys for all the good girls and boys."

Interesting that I've never had a pt with a Santa delusion.
I think this goes back to the God delusion thread.
Santa has powers, but he has no "Power." He doesn't decide who's naughty and nice, who deserves presents. He's "gonna' find out who's naughty and nice," from someone else. Somehow, in the modern mythology of Santa, that gets left to God or Jesus. Santa is the delivery man. And whose grandiose delusion leads them to believe he is a 1-day/year FedEx employee - who's 401K has tanked, so he can never retire.

 

[Doc Samson]

So if a guy showed up in your ED on 12/25 @ 0300, wearing a soot-stained red fur suit, brought in by police for being found in someone else's living room, claiming to fly reindeer, with eggnog, milk, and cookies on his breath, and stating he's on a mission to deliver toys to all the good children of the world, and that he "knows" who's naughty and nice...would you lock him up?

If my kids don't get presents this year, I'll know who to blame!

At least two of the hospitals I trained at had an EMR entry for "Claus, Santa" that was updated by various specialties every Xmas. Pulmonology commenting on his black lung disease, Psychiatry noting delusions of "little helpers" and ? of mania with increased goal directed activity, etc.

 

[st2205]

he's "gonna' find out who's naughty and nice," from someone else. Somehow, in the modern mythology of santa, that gets left to god or jesus.

cfr.

 

[nancysinatra]

Yes.
Just to see the staff try to log all his belongings from that magic sack.

Unless they get clever and log "1 Sack, magic. Filled with toys for all the good girls and boys."

Interesting that I've never had a pt with a Santa delusion.
I think this goes back to the God delusion thread.
Santa has powers, but he has no "Power." He doesn't decide who's naughty and nice, who deserves presents. He's "gonna' find out who's naughty and nice," from someone else. Somehow, in the modern mythology of Santa, that gets left to God or Jesus. Santa is the delivery man. And whose grandiose delusion leads them to believe he is a 1-day/year FedEx employee - who's 401K has tanked, so he can never retire.

This is just a dumb thought of mine, but maybe it has to do with the fact that people very clearly learn that Santa is not real long before the age that psychotic disorders have their onset. By that time, everyone knows Santa is a joke.

 

[Sneezing]

Santa is not real long ... everyone knows Santa is a joke.

 

[silas2642]

This is just a dumb thought of mine, but maybe it has to do with the fact that people very clearly learn that Santa is not real long before the age that psychotic disorders have their onset. By that time, everyone knows Santa is a joke.

Residency getting to you?

 

[TenaciousGirl]

Yes.
Just to see the staff try to log all his belongings from that magic sack.

Unless they get clever and log "1 Sack, magic. Filled with toys for all the good girls and boys."
.

 

[TenaciousGirl]

Yes.
Just to see the staff try to log all his belongings from that magic sack.

Unless they get clever and log "1 Sack, magic. Filled with toys for all the good girls and boys."
.

 

[TenaciousGirl]

Yes.
Just to see the staff try to log all his belongings from that magic sack.

Unless they get clever and log "1 Sack, magic. Filled with toys for all the good girls and boys."
.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Was that a "Ho...Ho...Ho", TenaciousGirl?

 

[TenaciousGirl]

Was that a "Ho...Ho...Ho", TenaciousGirl?

Why yes, yes it was!