Posted by BrianBoru on April 24, 2006, at 18:40:47
I have suffered most of my life from depression. Last Monday, April 17, 2006, while vacationing in Myrtle Beach, I suffered a bout with depression. I called a local help line (which turned out to be based in Charleston) and asked to speak to a counselor. I thought that I was speaking to someone with some training in crisis management who could help me. This was not the case. The “case worker” merely alerted Horry County Police who came to my condo. At first, the officer who entered my condo was pleasant. He asked me if I would like to go to a local hospital to speak to a professional who could help me. I said yes. I was in fact taken to Conway Hospital in Conway, SC. Upon arrival, I was stripped of all of my clothes, placed in an isolation cell with only a vinyl mattress, and then asked to give up my cell phone. I said no – I wanted to either call my wife or an attorney. I was told again that I had to give up my telephone, and again I refused until I spoke to my wife or an attorney. At this point three hospital “security officers” entered my “cell”. I was told that if I did not give up my phone, there were five police officers waiting outside who would come in to help take my phone away by force. Again I reiterated that I would not give up my phone until I was allowed to contact my spouse and an attorney. At no time did I pose a physical threat to the security officers, nor did I approach them physically. How, after I again refused to give up my phone, I was beaten, Maced, sprayed with pepper spray, and my phone was stolen from me. The three officers immediately ran out of the holding room, locking the door behind them. After use of the Mace and pepper spray, I was blind for a period of about two hours. I suffered severe facial swelling which lasted more than 48 hours.
I spent a total of about 6 hours at Conway Hospital. During that time I never saw or spoke to a physician. I was not provided with medical treatment. I repeatedly knocked on the door asking the nurses for help. I was completely ignored. I finally managed to get the attention of one nurse. I informed her I needed to defecate and asked what to do as there were no toilet facilities in the isolation room. The nurse said “Just crap on the floor” and walked away from me.
Finally a sheriff’s deputy showed up to transport me to a private mental health clinic called The Lighthouse which is located directly across the street from Conway Hospital. At the hospital’s request the deputy brought handcuffs and leg irons with him, but he refused to use them as he could see that I posed no danger. I was allowed to simply follow him out of the hospital. He drove me across the street to The Lighthouse. From the moment I entered The Lighthouse I was given complete freedom as the staff realized that I did not pose a danger to others in any way. I remained at The Lighthouse for three days and was then discharged. I returned home to Pennsylvania on Saturday, April 22, 2006.
It is my contention that my civil rights and civil liberties were completely denied to me by Conway Hospital. In addition, I was treated brutally and criminally by hospital staff. I suffer from a disease, a mental illness. Depression is not a crime, it is an affliction equivalent to diabetes, or other metabolic or biochemical illnesses. The fact that I was denied legal representation, as well as access to a doctor and other medical personnel, is in my mind tantamount to a gross denial of my civil rights as a patient and my civil liberties as a citizen. My lack of access to a physician and nursing care is I believe a case of medical negligence, if not malpractice.
Please don't suggest I contact a lawyer. I have - many times. When the hear the words "mental health" or "depression", they won't talk to you. One even hung up on me.
poster:BrianBoru
thread:636655
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060422/msgs/636655.html