Luann by Greg Evans and Karen Evans for September 21, 2013

‘Workin’ For Peanuts"-

“Freudy Cat” -or“We’re Not On the Same (Funny) Page”

Nickels, nickels, nickels. How I love the sound of plunking nickels.

Famous psychiatrist? Not that it never happens, but it seems less than realistic as an actual goal.

From the way Bernice handled that ‘Young-un’ yesterday, I think she’d make a great Mom.

Psychiatry is a medical specialty, so that means med school, Bernice. And then probably all you’ll do is hand out psychotropic drugs. The fantasy above is about psychoanalysis, which few shrinks learn. Fascinating stuff, to be sure, but your average patient is encouraged to be in analysis for years, and you can see only so many patients in a week. There are better ways to help more people over the course of a therapy career, and you don’t have to destroy yourself in medical school and residency to do it. Looks like you might be interested in crisis intervention—sign up for your local Listening Ear type volunteer group and learn some skills without paying for it, get some experience, see if you like it.

Fun to see Knute and Bernice as the only characters in the strip. I don’t remember that ever happening before.

The Ying and Yang of fantasies.

A bit strange that she fantasizes herself in a suit and tie.

Reminds me of when everyone thought of what Gunther’s swimsuit would look like, according to their individualized perspective via thought balloons… Knute’s rendition had G-man in an “archaic” diver’s suit… every time someone has a thought, Knute’s thought balloons are… different… to say the least!…

CLICK THE THUMBNAIL FOR A CLEARER PICTURE ^

I guess she got away with the touchy-feely stuff

Kudos to the Peanuts Gang nod. Charles “Sparky” Schultz would be proud.

Is that a self-portrait there in the second panel, Greg?

Knute’s mind will never evolve beyond the comic strip level. Crystal would be wise to find herself a better boyfriend. Bernice, on the other hand, could attain what she imagines.

Okay Mordo, Remember its “Halper” NOT “Harper”.

Halper. HAL-PER. HALPER! Ah, THIS is HOPELESS. Mabbe if I used the word in a Sentence.

“My Favorite Rolling Stone tune is ’Mother’s little HALPER.”(OR)“Thank You Officer! You’ve been HALPFUL!”(OR)“You Look Lost. Can I HALP You?”(OR)

“I Am HALPER! Hear Me ROAR! If You Don’t Like It, Well There’s the DOOR!”

(Sigh) I Don’t KNOW Why certain People in THIS Continually HARP on Word Usage.

?!!? ARRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGH!!!!!

Maybe she’ll be like Sharon Hays’ nextdoor neighbour Sheila (except for colour), psychiatrist with in-home clinic (and also mum to best-friend of Sharon’s daughter Melanie).

(reference: Sarah Gregory’s novels)

Knute’s thoughts are spot on!

Thank goodness Greg went in the right direction! A nice comical ending to the Arc. However, there is a danger in Bernice getting to “personally involved” in her cases. It could cause her some “career difficulties”. She has to remain “impartial.” As EMTs we always had to remain “impartial” as some of the patients we’d treat would tear your heart out if you let them. “Treat’em and Street’em” we always said. I hope Bernice develops an analogous philosophy.

Re:empathy

Bernice would find that most people enter a profession for passion, empathy, or interest. As they hone their professional skills they learn that some detachment is essential to doing the best job or objectively assessing the situation (or person). I’m glad most of the doctors, teachers, and counselors I know have retained a good sense of soul and empathy. It appears Bernice would achieve that balance, I’d bet.

Knute nailed it

It’s always a worthy moment to pause and tip the hat to Sparky!

Those stripes aren’t lapels. They are a ribbon, upon which hangs a Nobel Medal for Psychiatry. Truly a funny strip today, though!

I hope she doesn’t. I’m not sure we need more health professionals who detach themselves from involvement with their patients. Some level of empathy is not a bad thing.

Some level, yes…“Involved” is OK. “Committed” is not… not to the point where you let the patient control your head and mess with you… and they will. Because, pretty soon, you won’t be able to help the other patients, since you won’t be able to do your job effectively.

Junior Johnson of NASCAR said it best in his “Hall of Fame Speech.” (Fast Fwd. to about 3:00min.)

It’s OK to be “involved.” Just don’t be “committed.” ;-)

As the spouse of a mental health professional, let me assure you that they CAN NOT become involved with their patients. Patients tend to cling to anyone who understands them and shows them empathy. They tend to transfer their problems to the caregiver. They transfer their emotions to the caregiver and in that way endanger the caregiver.

Being a mental health professional is a very hazardous (both emotionally and physically) occupation.

Hey, Donny Wallace, welcome back!*Did you know that a DW II has been posting in your absence- or was that you, going incognito?*On to the strip: We’d never have believed it 25 years ago, but Luann, Delta, Bernice are all becoming fine young women who are contributing to their communities.

Also, please note that Bernice is sharing an office with Miss Phelps. *This is great as it gives the trained educator a chance to listen in and make appropriate suggestions. It also makes Bern’s desk only “semi-private”, so physical contact would probably not be questioned.

You guys need counseling!

I don’t doubt that Bernice could handle medical school. The question is whether she should bother if it leads mostly to careers other than what she’s got in mind.

“So you don’t mind being wrong more that right? Excellence might not be for you.”_____________________________

Wait, WHAT??

The two opposing visualizations are great!

How:It’s not even close to as primitive as the animation for the weekday material they are showing. And it looks good that way so it’s not the quality of the movement/drawings. It’s probably just not exaggerated enough like South Park or the weekday stuff. Let’s face it Evans is into older stuff and if you are like me and in chaos mode the newer stuff is good and great in some cases but you never get to it- wow! So we get Superman, 3 Stooges and Reel to Reel. Maybe one day he will research the newer material/pop culture.

instead of a Freudian slip, it is a Freudian vest.

*

Bwaaahahaha! Good one! I love shrink jokes. :-)

“And then probably all you’ll do is hand out psychotropic drugs.” Properly trained psychiatrists do a little more than that. And they don’t “hand them out” like candy. Their job is medical maintenance and stabilizing you so you can function and become a productive member of society. Psychology or therapy is for working out issues that are still holding you back and a good shrink can refer you to a good one. Of course that’s just my experience, your mileage may vary.

*

Of course you’re right, Lonnie. I didn’t mean that psychiatrists hand out meds like candy. I meant that if she entered psychiatry, Bern would be most likely to manage illnesses that require medication, since only doctors (and a couple other professionals like nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants) can prescribe medications. A psychologist can’t. Therefore, the psychiatrist does exactly what you put so well, above, and in addition is supposed to be trained to differentiate between illnesses that are not psychogenic in origin from those that are, so the patient is treated by the right kind of physician. However, in my experience in the helping fields, the psychiatrist is usually not the one to go to for talk therapy. Their training doesn’t emphasize it and most do not go on to learn psychoanalysis.

Called it!

I’ve worked as a mental health technician and I refused to have anything to do with borderlines after the first two or three I was assigned to. They scared the HELL out of me. The good ones can even seduce a well trained professional into an emotional or even physical relationship. It’s almost supernatural. Even my supervisor at one placed called them scary. Brrrrr.

*

I’ve done similar work, Lonnie, and indeed, borderlines are extremely difficult patients. One of the most terrifying weeks of work I’ve ever done was going to the unit when 11 of the 12 admissions were borderlines. It was chaotic—people throwing food at each other, crying, yelling, someone stripped naked and ran out of the unit and down the street in the snow, and so on. Plus the never-ending head games. Those were the days.

Though psychiatry residency is certainly easier than, say, internal medicine. Try 60 hours/week vs. 120+ hours/week, for one thing.

What sort of outfit says, “I am interested in your mind, but I want you to be looking at my body”?

*

See Barb Streisand as the shrink in the movie Prince of Tides.

That was so bad groaning doesn’t even begin to do it justice!^ I know, but only certain sounds are audible to the human ear……

Especially since they’re my two favorite characters! Bernie is adorable and Knute is a comic book fan and a goofball. What’s not to like?

*

Totally agree, I love these two.

How about:

“HALP! I need someone,HALP! Not just anyone,HALP! You know, I need somebody’sHA-A-ALP!!!!” ____________^“Halp yourself to a serving of Hamburger Halper”, after you finish enjoying some ‘java’ with ol’ Mordo……

I think the author has hit a nerve!And we haven’t even scratched the surface of violent folks.

Mordy, our house Bobcat Goldwait…

“I would suggest she could get Crystal to do it but the patients might be worried if their doctor was dressed head to toe in solid black.” Not to mention the Goth makeup… ;)

GREAT!

Or How about:

“HALP Me, I Think I’m Fallin’ In Love A-Gain!”

- OR -

“Big Bird Flying across the Sky,”“Throwing Shadows in Our Eyes.”“Leave Us”

(WAIT for it)

“HALPLESS, HALPLESS, HALPLESS, HALPLEEEEEEEEEES!”

Hey JP?

Did Ya ever see the Movie, “ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGO?”

Or, “The HALP”?

“I refused to have anything to do with borderlines…Even my supervisor at one place called them scary.’ Borderlines are indeed a piece of work…they are like spiders sucking a hapless insect dry. Many mental health care workers have been victims of their machinations. In fact, a therapy called DBT was developed purposely for them. It releases the hold such patients have on their therapists/psychiatrist and keeps them out of the hospital. Great for the therapist, bad for the patient who only seems to want unconditional love, caring, etc., which is an impossible situation for both. They are extremely dangerous emotionally. I know this seems a little harsh, but it is what it is…;)

& now for our #4 most requested song of the day that stems from the most shocking post in recent Luann board history:

“Earache My Eye” by Cheech & Chong

Um, just kidding…ok post on gang…

To paraphrase the famous line from “The Treasure of The Sierra Madre”…

“Playlist? We don’t need no stinkin’ playlist.”This is a cartoon, music isn’t relevant or appropriate.

Her true sexual orientation is showing……

I hear you can do that to country records, when you play them backwards….

Moment in History: 1965… I hear a lot of “Beatles” records were popular back then… all along the countryside, clay target sales were down, and the Beatles sold in record breaking numbers… literally…

Or his 1958 Comeback Album: “Can’t Get A Good Date”. Love the line from the title song: “They call me the sanitation worker, cos I’m always takin’ out the trash…"

And the bridge: “This goes out to all the trash I’ve lovedThis is for the refuse that I can’t refuseCos when I pick you up, I’m the only one who ever willWith you, I never win- but I can never lose…”

Try the “Rappin Duke”…real song! he might be somewhere on YouTube…“When you were in diapers, wettin’ the sheets, I was at the Ponderosa, rappin’ to the beat- da huh da huuuh… da huh huh HUH huh huh…

Music makes the world go round, and “soothes the savage beast”, sorta…..

You probably got the last copy, too! Too bad it really is not available in stores… except in Pitts, maybe….

When K-Tel doesn’t want it, that should tell you something…….

..And last year’s IPhone….

Yeah, it’s a tough choice… travel everywhere in an RV and not update your FB, Twitter statuses, or “Style and Profile” with your new phone, but never really having been anywhere….

With a Hint of Boss Hogg and them Duke Boys….