在醫院的精神科工作﹐我常遇到各種病人。有的自尊心過低﹐有的常覺無聊﹐他們
不相信自已可以學習些新技能。有的缺 乏社交技巧﹐或是不能自制。有的感到生命
 無目的﹐甚至忘了笑容。  很多病人事事提不起勁﹐和脫離現實。

我 在 精 神 科 醫 院 的
摺 紙 經 驗

開始與病人打交道時﹐我 選擇一些簡單而有趣的摺紙   (例如: 魚)。 在和恰友善
的氣氛下﹐大家可共享摺紙 之樂。病人可自由選擇-----或作旁觀者﹐或加入齊齊
學摺。  當興趣漸濃﹐ 他們會更加投入﹐更加鬆弛﹐無 拘 無束。為達到這目的﹐
我通常選擇一個較靜的角落 ﹐這是一個基於現實交流的活動﹐大家一同聚精會柛在
摺紙﹐一個又一個。不知不覺中帶進一個融洽的氣氛。這時候﹐鼓勵社交和注重個
人衛生之引導﹐可收到事半功倍之效。

在摺紙活動過程中﹐參加者都得到鼓勵﹐發揮互相幫助的精神。同時可以觀察和評
估病者的精神狀態。例如對指導的反應﹔他們的交談﹐注意集中力和一般舉動。當
完成最後一步﹐見到成果之時﹐他們喜悅和興奮之情﹐溢於言表。大家能分享樂趣﹐
其味無窮。當見到難得的笑容﹐浮現於平日呆板的臉孔﹐我便知道功夫沒有白費。
在不知不覺中﹐我們建立了一個互相信任的治療關係。

有時病人會覺得無所事事﹐特別是週末或公眾假期﹐我和幾個病人圍著一圓檯摺紙﹐
方便大家溝通和分享。間中我會採用單對單的情形。例如我要對一重病者作近距離
的不斷觀察。或要伴同病者外出（如作特別檢驗或會見其他專家）。在候診室的漫
長等候是很沉悶。摺紙可幫助打發時間。這特別加插的活動可將長悶的時間變為有
趣的經驗。

摺紙作橋

摺紙是我和病者溝通的橋樑。我和他們一同的時間。他們可領會到被關心和尊重。
摺紙小組活動可令他們有收穫之樂。這收穫可能是一個喜愛的模型。或是他們努力
摺紙的成果。

從摺紙活動他們可領會一個道理－－－可以學習一個新技能。摺到一條魚或一小鳥
可能祗是一小步。但這一小步可提供很重要的經驗。這是成功的滋味和得到他人接
受的感覺。這對他們再面對現實和重建自信心有一定的幫助。

總括來說﹐摺紙是幫助病者康復中一個有益的活動﹐同時亦可作為治療工作者的工
具。

小弟材疏學淺﹐所知有限﹐但樂於分享從實踐中得來的經驗。

我希望拋磚引玉﹐能有機會聽到你的經驗和賜教﹗

歡迎來函　ｅ－ｍａｉｌ  交流經驗

I am very grateful to receive the following valuable messages which reflect the therapeutic benefits of origami. To respect confidentiality some contents are omitted or slightly changed. Thank you for sharing and understanding. ----------- George Ho

Message one -------------- Origami is one thing that really brings me hope

Hi, I came across your web site about the origami in therapy, and I found it very interesting. I guess I could confirm your studies in this.

Origami is often a great way of therapy for me. A few months ago, I was in a very unstable emotional state. I was diagnosed with major depression and other things. I was suicidal and so I was admitted into a psychiatric hospital.

I had been dealing with problems such as anorexia/bulimia and self- injuring. And then I found origami. I don't know how I got so interested, but one day I just decided to search it on the internet. I had learned some basic origami about three years ago, and so I knew a little about it, but I didn't realize it was such an extensive art. I started folding again, and I realized that it was a great coping skill. It could relieve stress in a positive way, and then at the end I had actually accomplished something. It was my creation, something that I had total control over. Sometimes when I felt like I had no control at all, I would do origami and feel confident in myself again.

Whenever I feel stressed, or depressed, I know that I can go and find some paper (and paper is the kind of thing that you always have around somewhere) and start folding. Just to have the feel of paper between my fingers helps me now. It helps me concentrate and think logically rather than irrationally.

Sometimes something as little as a bad grade on a paper can make me feel in despair and become suicidal. But if I wait for a couple hours before I do anything, I usually feel much better about the situation and I'm not overreacting. Sometimes a few origami models can be the gap between hurting myself and being safe.

Another thing that origami does is help me to keep my mind off of food and my weight and other things like that. When I feel the need to purge or to restrict, I can do origami and it relaxes and calms my anxiety. I can really concentrate, and think about what I want to do. Things always seem a lot clearer when I'm folding.

I'm still on medication, but that will soon be reduced. Origami is one thing that really brings me hope!!!

Just thought I would share my experiences with you. Not sure if you can get anything from this, but I am excited that you are using origami to help others!!!

C B S --- 1999

Message two ---------------------------- Origami helped me too

I have suffered from manic depression and auditory hallucinations since 1990 and origami has been such a blessing to me.

In the beginning, doing the origami helped me to endure the besiege of voices that incapacitated me. It was difficult for me to concentrate on anything. Since I knew how to do origami, I was able to concentrate on doing origami to battle the other "voices" by ignoring them.

Doing the origami was a diversion to allow me to focus on something so strongly while I was experiencing an attack (like a radio on full blast was taped to my ears). This allowed me to not give in to the "voices", especially the ones that were scary for me at that time or the ones that were telling me to do what I believe to be wrong actions that were irresponsible and even violent. In doing origami, I was able to cling to the silent voice of my consciousness that guided me to know right from wrong. Origami was my instant weapon. By focusing on doing my origami, I was able to withstand and ignore the "voices".

Last year, I ended up in a psychiatric hospital and was hearing "voices" again. While being an inpatient, I started doing origami again. I made special boxes for the many people at the hospital that were caring for me. They were so impressed that they even asked me to teach a class to the rest of the patients.

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my experiences. I truly hope that it can help others and make a significant contribution to someone else's life.

G. K. R.                1999

* you are welcomed to e-mail George Ho if you like to share your experiences on the benefit of origami.