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Re: Marplan Diary Day 22 » Ilene

Posted by cubbybear on March 6, 2004, at 2:51:58

In reply to Marplan Diary Day 22, posted by Ilene on March 5, 2004, at 20:32:09

>> The pdoc called me and and suggested I call the insurance co. to see if I'm covered. Yes, I'm covered,. I gave the info to my pdoc; she called back to tell me the case manager doesn't think inpatient treatment is "medically necessary". As in, have we tried psychotherapy? (Years.) I'm supposed to show up at the ER tomorrow morning. It's not like I *want* to enter the loony bin, you know, but once having agreed to it, being turned away as not crazy enough adds insult to injury. Maybe I'll tell them about "the plan". I have no shortage of plans. Maybe some day plastic bags will be illegal.
>
Ilene,
You have described very well the infuriating and tragic state of the mental health care system in the U.S. The left hand says that an in-patient stay is not medically necessary; the right hand in the emergency room says that you're not crazy enough. Maybe you're the sane and rational one, and it's institutions like this that have lost their marbles.

Maybe you can have your pdoc nail them with some hard questions like, "what empirical measuring criteria are you utilizing to determine the minimal degree of insanity, craziness, or suitability for treatment?" What empirical data are you using in the determination of what's "medically necessary?"
Yet, intelligent questions like these would probably elicit more B.S. answers. So, maybe you *should* tell them about your "plans".

. They *might* take you seriously and give you a deluxe, four-star private room with cushioned walls. Please forgive my black humor, Ilene; such a scenario would be one possible consequence of your being up-front.

I fully understand your rage and frustration. When I was seriously depressed as well as being jobless and homeless, i wound up being dumped by a so-called friend in a hotel room in Anaheim, California and all I had to do was phone the local suicide prevention hotline. . .and I hadn't even yet conceived of any plan; it was merely ideation. The next thing I knew, two armed deputies from the Anaheim Police knocked on my door, barged into the room and stood within inches of me; when I turned my back to grab a pair of pants to put on, to cover my near-nakedness, they roughed me up to make sure I wasn't going to reach for any lethal weapon. Such is the modern-day American practice of treating the victim like a criminal, or "doing this for your own protection."

The moral of the story: if you decide to tell the hospital bureaucrats about any suicidal ideation, be prepared for a *possible* lockup. I really don't mean to scare you in any way; I'm just angry over the state of the American health care system and your latest experience is an example of how patients are made to suffer more.

If your pdoc is a true friend of yours (and I honestly believe she is), you should ask her for her feelings about divulging suicidal ideation to the hospital, especially if the facility is known to treat suicidal patients unkindly. Whether suicide is a taboo subject or not, there comes a time when all the cards must be put on the table without fear of being further vilified and ostracized.

You deserve nothing but the best care, empathy, and medical expertise. I hope that this helps.
cubbybear


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