mental hospital.About one week after he received the manuscript, he
wrote the following e-mail to me:Ao Akua:This is a confidential note to you and to you alone. It comes from my
reading the draft of Zero Limits. I have other comments to make on
the draft but I will leave them for later e-mails.
“You’re done,” Morrnah said without being emphatic.
“I’m done with what?” I replied.
“You’re done with Hawaii State Hospital.”
Although I sensed the finality of her comment that summer day in July
1987, I said, “I have to give them two weeks’ notice.” Of course I
didn’t. It never came up to do so. And no one from the hospital made
mention of it.
I never returned to the hospital even when I was invited to attend my
farewell party. My friends had it without me. The farewell gifts were
delivered to the Foundation of I office following the party.
I loved my stay at Hawaii State Hospital in the forensic unit. I loved
the folks on the ward. At some point, I don’t know when, I passed
from being staff psychologist to being a member of the family.
I lived closely with staff, patients, rules, polices, cliques, and forces
seen and unseen on the ward for three years, 20 hours a week.
I was there when seclusion rooms, metal restraints, medication, and
other forms of control were regular and acceptable modes of
operation.
I was there when the use of seclusion rooms and metal restraints
simply evaporated at some point. When? Nobody knows.
Physical and verbal violence evaporated, too, almost completely.
The drop in medication use occurred on its own.The Truth Behind the Story 185ccc_zero_177-188_truth.qxd 5/4/07 2:34 PM Page 185