Health Issues and Jumping

[GBoyett]

Besides the in game idea of jumpsickness are there any medical conditions that will prevent someone to take an interstellar journey?

Can a jump cause problem for someone with heart problems or hypertension?

Can a jump cause epilectic seizures?

Is there any part of a pregnancy will prevent a women to experience a jump?

 

[parmasson]

Interesting idea . . .

I can see it giving the telepaths big headaches or even seizures. IMTU we have established a mental stability rating (1-12) for people with psionics. The more they abuse their brains the punchier they become. Schizophrenics would probably bug out completely and I think people with lower tech cybernetic implants (pacemakers, artificial eyes) might experience some serious trouble.

I would expect that the Imperial College of Physicians would recommend that a woman not experience a jump if they pregnant. Someone with more medical knowledge would know more but my guess would be that exposure to very powerful electro-magnetic fields could have an effect on fetus formation with all of that rapid cell division and delicate anatomy. On the other hand there are no long term side effects to experiencing the transition to J-space that I know of.

 

[Gruffty]

I can only speak on the mental health side of this.

I'd just like to point out (without wishing to be offensive to anyone) that there is no such thing as a "schizophrenic". Schizophrenia can be, and is, a life and personality destroying illness for many people, which is on the increase globally. Schizophrenia is an illness; the illness affects people, just like cancer/TB/psoriasis/epilepsy and a million other diseases. (Gets off soap box and lights a smoke)

Anyhoo....

The effect(s) of going into J-space will vary according to the individual's illness. The key factor (with psychotic illnesses, anyway) is how far removed from reality the individual is normally (known as the "depth of psychosis"). Essentially that means the further a person is away from reality the less effect day-to-day happenings have on them in general. This is due to them being "submerged" in their own internal thoughts, where reality has little impact or cannot be sensed by the individual.

It is wrong, however, to assume that someone who is very "submerged" in their own world is totally unaffected by the real world. The individual still needs to eat/sleep/smoke cigarettes, and any interference with meeting these needs can cause a worsening of their symptoms. An exaple of this might be not being allowed to smoke in their stateroom/ship's dining area. Engineering crews may find someone hiding behind the Power Plant smoking, or talking to the Jump Drive systems monitoring panel. Bridge crews may find a panicking person hammering on the bridge iris valve shouting that the ship is about to blow up. Stewards may find someone who sits at a view port for the entire voyage staring at the swirling pattern of jump space.

Someone with a paranoid/persecutory illness may actually feel safer in J-space, "cos they can't get me here". Equally though that individual's illness may make them paranoid/suspicious of the crew, other passengers, or the mechanical safety of the ship: "what's that noise? The ship isn't supposed to make that noise!" Security devices (cameras, locked doors, etc) may increase the level of distress an individual experiences.

Psychiatric treatments in Traveller would (I surmise) be far more advanced than anything we have now, and would probably be hugely more effective. And, of course, if someone with a severe illness (as described above) might cause problems in Jump, you could always sedate them before embarking and put them in a Low Passage berth for the trip.

 

[Jame]

It might depend on where you are, e.g. in the Consulate they'd have much better psychiatric help, while in the Hive they might have better physical treatments, etc.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Originally posted by Gruffty:
...(Gets off soap box and lights a smoke)....
...(with psychotic illnesses, anyway)...The individual still needs to ...smoke cigarettes, and any interference with meeting these needs can cause a worsening of their symptoms....

Is this a cry for help Grufty?

I think the answer to the question asked, though, depends on what causes jump-sickness. Is it nausea-inducing because it affects the inner ear (or perception thereof)? Or, does it affect the frontal lobe? Or, maybe, hormones?

I wouldn't assume that psychosis would be affected. (At least, any more so than by being cooped up in a giant sardine can, zorching through vacuum, where the slightest mistake can suck the air from the ship and kill everyone; not to mention the giant nuclear bomb that powers the thing, and do we really understand what contra-grav does ... Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!..........)

Sorry, flashbacks from a campaign 15+ years ago...

 

[Jame]

Hey Gruffty, how does one join the NHS? Especially if one's coming from overseas?

 

[Gruffty]

Originally posted by Jame:
Hey Gruffty, how does one join the NHS? Especially if one's coming from overseas?

Do you mean "how do I join the NHS as a member of staff as I am from overseas" or "how do I become eligible for NHS services as a patient as I am from overseas"?

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by Gruffty:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Jame:
Hey Gruffty, how does one join the NHS? Especially if one's coming from overseas?

Do you mean "how do I join the NHS as a member of staff as I am from overseas" or "how do I become eligible for NHS services as a patient as I am from overseas"?

</font>[/QUOTE]Methinks you already know which...

As staff how does one join?

 

[Gruffty]

Originally posted by Fritz88:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Gruffty:
...(Gets off soap box and lights a smoke)....
...(with psychotic illnesses, anyway)...The individual still needs to ...smoke cigarettes, and any interference with meeting these needs can cause a worsening of their symptoms....

Is this a cry for help Grufty?

</font>[/QUOTE]Nah, lots of UK mental health service users smoke and so do I (it's in the job spec!).

I think the answer to the question asked, though, depends on what causes jump-sickness. Is it nausea-inducing because it affects the inner ear (or perception thereof)? Or, does it affect the frontal lobe? Or, maybe, hormones?

I wouldn't assume that psychosis would be affected. (At least, any more so than by being cooped up in a giant sardine can, zorching through vacuum, where the slightest mistake can suck the air from the ship and kill everyone; not to mention the giant nuclear bomb that powers the thing, and do we really understand what contra-grav does ... Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!..........)

Sorry, flashbacks from a campaign 15+ years ago...

Psychosis can be affected by anything. I would agree that the Zhos would probably have a better (non-drug based) approach to treating mental health problems. Not sure how Hivers would deal with severe psychosis though!

Jump nausea could come from a wide range of causative factors: EM fields, temporal lobe dysfunction, inner ear imbalance, limbic system dysfunction.

One question I would ask is this: Can Vargr hear the "top end" noise from drives, and does it make them feel pain/unwell/nauseous?

 

[Gruffty]

Originally posted by Jame:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Gruffty:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Jame:
Hey Gruffty, how does one join the NHS? Especially if one's coming from overseas?

Do you mean "how do I join the NHS as a member of staff as I am from overseas" or "how do I become eligible for NHS services as a patient as I am from overseas"?

</font>[/QUOTE]Methinks you already know which...

As staff how does one join? </font>[/QUOTE]Depends on your profession - which is....?

 

[Gruffty]

Doctor?
Nurse?
Physiotherapist?
Occupational Therapist?
Paramedic?
One of those guys who goes around on a sit-n-ride lawnmower?

 

[Andrew Boulton]

Try googling for nhs jobs.