Posted by Garnet71 on February 1, 2009, at 0:33:57
In reply to Suicidal, please help!!, posted by G-man885858 on January 31, 2009, at 0:22:56
Gman,
I'm glad you were able to do something about your situation. I understand the psych ward issues.
About the hospital strategy I mentioned...When my sister had her nervous breakdown with severe delusions/mania, I was caring for her and had to take her the the mental hospital 5 days in a row. Three times were about an 8 hour wait. She had come off heroin and oxycontin for a month prior on her own w/o treatment; I found out later that anyone who does this w/o help will have a mental breakdown...Now not to be selfish, and aside from the fact that I was a week away from final exams for the semester...and my mother, who she was staying with while staying clean, was having a semi-breakdown as well and ignored her mental deterioration in her own denial...sis did not sleep during these 5 days and it was not possible for me to care for her 24 hours a day, and I was scared that she would get hurt due to the nature of the mania. Not to mention it was exhausting having to play a role in the delusions, doing everything she asked me to do to keep her occupied w/o getting hurt or her freaking out - even though I am the calmest person in the world while in a crisis, I could only take so much. We would go to the ER each night, and they would NOT prescribe anything. Okay, the first and second time, I thought well maybe they just want to see how this all plays out, or maybe it will cease on its own shortly. Then it got to the point where I could not handle it anymore and what worried me was what would happen to her if she did not sleep for a week? Even when she told the pdocs she was God, indicating possible invincibility characterization, they would not give her a drug to stop the madness (preferably their madness). She could not get an appt. with a pdoc for a month, and the ER pdocs told me they could not give her a medication each time we went. I begged them, and kept taking my sister back for help.
Finally I came to my senses and it was only when I threatened them with a lawsuit (I had in the past always tried to be a 'good' patient, don't want to be the 'difficult' person, too demanding, blah blah blah..)that they suddenly could prescribe something and were able to give her emergency outpatient Pdoc appointments during the day! Well she ended up committing herself a couple of days later anyway, which lasted about a week. I visited her everyday and absolutely could not believe how badly she was treated there. Later when she got the files for disaiblity application, they had written "drug seeking" and also that they could not determine whether the patient was acting or was really having a mental breakdown. The latter looked like they added it later (probably since I mentioned suing, I suspect). Geez, with that mania and the delusions, and I told them this, I could not watch her 24/7; she could have run out in the street, thought she could fly, anything. Unbelievable. You have no idea how manic she was - I do not see how it is possible to fake that unless you are Jack Nicholson!!! Oh but they loved just watching her talk and being a guinea pig for the med students. So - my advice if you get a bad rap at the hospital - say something that will indicate that if something happens to you as a result of them denying treatment or tests or medications - you will sue!
Another thing about ER visits - lie. This is not immoral or unethnical. This is to protect yourself. If you feel like mentioning suicidal thoughts will get you locked up, but think other treatment would help you more or serve you better - you might want to consider this. Lie about whatever you need to. One time I was at the ER after being awake for 3 days straight w/anxiety - they let me almost lose my mind when they could have given me one little harmless pill to save me from suffering a potential nervous breakdown. Well, the 2nd question the ER doc asked me when he came in the room was if I had used illegal drugs in the past. Being the normally honest and uninhibited person I am - I say yes. He then asked which drugs - so I named 2. He left the room right after this and I was left there overnight with no treatment until a psychiatrist was in their office in the morning. What they guy didn't ask me was the context of drug use - it was 20 years ago!!! And only recreational - I was not and never said I was an addict. These medical professionals are insane. If that happens to me again - or someone I am caring for - I am suing. I didn't have the mental energy at the time to consider it, but next time, I am documenting EVERYTHING, and asking for a witness to come in the room. I have never thought about suing a doctor before, and there have been mistakes made. These are not mistakes. This is cruelty; prisoners get treated better. How dare they watch you lose your mind and suffer when they have the ability to help you until you are able to be treated by a doctor. That is the nature of emergency treatment - to get help when you can't get an appointment or need immediate treatment.
You are probably an expert at this point with ER visits, and maybe I'm wasting my typing here, but I don't know if you had tried that before, and wanted to get these thoughts out into the universe. Do take good care of yourself...I really hope you are on to a cure for your condition and wish you well. Bleauberry has a lot of good advice for you. If you ever want to talk, I'll be over at the alternative board.
:)
poster:Garnet71
thread:877295
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090104/msgs/877477.html