Post #1: The Insane Woman Downstairs & ADPIE

I live with my roommate and friend, Brian, at an apartment complex in a fairly good neighborhood. Now, before I go any further with the story, you must know that I was a very sheltered child and young adult before coming to Northwest University. This is my first time being independent and being in an environment which I must care for myself and do things for myself. I am still adjusting and learning.

Just as I thought I was beginning to adjust, one fine Saturday morning, a hear a loud “banging” on my apartment door. To my surprise, it was the woman who lived below me, and she needed to talk to me about the loud “noises” that were coming from above her. I open the door slightly only to allow my head to peep out of the doorway, but to my dismay, the woman barges into my apartment with force and enters. She quickly storms to my dining table and sits herself down. I follow her over there, but as I enter the room, I quickly open the nearest window and begin to talk loudly to her so that anyone outside can hear.

The woman begins to curse and yell at me regarding the situation about noise from our apartment. I quickly assure her that we have not been making an obnoxious noises and that I am very sorry for the inconvenience. She is obviously very distraught and begins to slam her fist on my dining table.

I soon realize that the situation is beginning to appear very odd to me. She was sweating profusely, and her hands were shaking. The first thing that pops into my mind is A.D.P.I.E!!! I assessed her body language and her speech, and she appeared to me as being mentally distraught; if she was not already suffering from a condition, she was having a mental breakdown. I quickly diagnosed in my head the situation. (I did forget to mention that the woman was wearing a black trench-coat, and her facial appearance resembled a hooker). I immediately diagnosed that I was “at risk to being physically harmed related to a mentally insane hooker-woman in my apartment!”

I began to plan what I would do next once I had calmed her. I started to talk to her—not regarding the noise situation but about her situation. I told her that I was a nursing student and that I can help her. I asked her if she was seeing a physician, specifically a psychiatric one. She did not answer me but continued to curse and scream. I then asked her if she was on any medications. That question seemed to cause her to contemplate her situation, and while she was quiet, I quickly ran to grab my cell-phone and called 911.

I quickly began to implement my plan. I released my dog from his cage and he ran out to the lady and began barking loudly, and I dialed 911 and opened the front door and began to scream at her to leave.

Realizing that I had a plan, she dashed out of my apartment. The police arrived, and I filed my complaint. They told me to press charges and to file for a restraining order. I decided not to do so because deep, deep, deep inside, I felt bad for the woman. They did some research with the apartment complex’s manager and found out that the woman is mentally unstable and that she has a condition. The manager said she personally moved the woman in, and she knew that the woman had a certain disorder and was most likely on medications.

As the police left, I evaluated my nursing process, and although I could not smile at the time due to my fright, I was very proud of myself. I felt like a superhero. The only bad part that comes out of this story is that sometimes, I come home late at night, and I must walk in the dark to my apartment. I feel like that woman could be around any corner waiting for me. It really scares me, so part of my nursing process will be to buy some pepper spray!