Posted by baseball55 on May 22, 2014, at 19:27:20
In reply to Re: make me beg for simething that'll harm me, posted by poser938 on May 22, 2014, at 14:33:27
I don't know how it works in TN, but I can tell you how it works in MA. I would guess they're pretty similar.
If you go to an ER, they will assess whether you have strong intentions and plans to commit suicide. If you do not, they will send you home.
You will not necessarily end up in the Vanderbilt hospital, even if you go to their ER. There is a shortage of psych hospital beds and, if they feel your life is in danger, the docs in the ER will look for an open bed somewhere in the area. This may or may not be at Vanderbilt. It may or may not be at a place that does ECT.
If you go to a place that does ECT, they may or may not agree to do it. ECT is only used for severe depression and sometimes severe anxiety. Insurance companies don't like to pay for it unless they feel the severity of your illness warrants the expense.
If they do decide to hospitalize you, the insurance company will be in contact with the doctors daily to see whether you are really in imminent danger. Insurance companies hate paying for hospitalizations and will try to move you out as fast as possible.
Also - a word about ECT. Most places will not do it on an inpatient basis, for all the reasons I gave above. You will need to arrange to have someone drive you to and from several appointments (usually a minimum of 12) - someone who is willing and able to hang around for an hour at the hospital, drive you home, get you safely indoors and stay with you until the anesthesia wears off. I have lots of friends who are retired or work flexible schedules, so this was okay for me. But some people just can't find this level of help. It seems you live with your parents (?), so hopefully they can do it.
Good luck.
Oh, one more thing. The standard practice, if the ER decides to admit you, is that you will be asked to sign a voluntary commitment agreement. This allows the hospital to keep you for a maximum of 3 business days, if they deem it necessary. If you want to go home after 3 business days and the hospital thinks you should stay, they will file with a court for involuntary commitment and you will be assigned a lawyer.
poster:baseball55
thread:1065904
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20140512/msgs/1065985.html