attend case conferences or participate in mandated record keeping. He
instead practiced a “weird” process of Self I-Dentity Ho’oponopono
(SIH), which had something to do with taking 100 percent
responsibility for yourself, looking only at yourself, and allowing the
removal of negative and unwanted energies within you—ho hum.
Weirdest of all was the observation that this psychologist seemed
always at ease and even to be really enjoying himself! He laughed a lot,
had fun with patients and staff, and seemed to genuinely enjoy what he
was doing. Everyone seemed to love and enjoy him in return, even if it
didn’t appear he did much work.
And things began to shift. Seclusion rooms began clearing; patients
were becoming responsible for their own needs and business; they also
began participating in planning and implementing programs and projects
for themselves. Medication levels were also dropping and patients were
being allowed to leave the unit sans restraints.
The unit became alive—calmer, lighter, safer, cleaner, more active,
fun, and productive.The plants began to grow, plumbing problems
became almost nonexistent, incidents of violence on the unit became rare,
and staff seemed more harmonious, relaxed, and enthusiastic. Rather
than sick-leave problems and understaffing, overstaffing and losing
positions now became a concern.
Two specific situations made an especially memorable impact on me.
There was a severely delusional, paranoid patient with a history of
violence who had seriously hurt several people in the hospital and out in
public, and who had had multiple hospital admissions. He was sent to
CISU this time for committing a murder. He was creepily frightening to
me.The hairs on the back of my neck stood up whenever he was
anywhere close.
It was, then, much to my surprise that a year or two after Dr. Hew
Len showed up, I spotted him walking in my direction escorted sans
restraints and the hairs on the back of my neck did not stand up. It felt
as if I was just noticing, without judgment, even when we passed each
other almost shoulder to shoulder.There was not my usual getting-182 Zero Limitsccc_zero_177-188_truth.qxd 5/4/07 2:34 PM Page 182