Mentalhelp

[greatwnorth]

So, it finally happened. I got locked up involuntarily in the looney bin. I am schizoaffective for ten years now, and usually have little trouble with it as long as I keep to my meds. I was actually calling my doctor on the phone to schedule an appointment to get my medications straightened out, there had been a change lately and it was not working out. I was on the phone with his secretary when she must have heard enough to be worried about my safety and called the Sherrifs office. while I was still on the phone with her, three deputies and an ambulance showed up in front of my house for a welfare check. Because my hobby is collecting swords and medieval weapons they decided to Baker Act me and haul me off to the local Crisis Center, A nice way of saying Psych Ward.

Upon arrival there they proceded to evaluate me, did hours of paperwork and lab tests, stuck me in pajamas and assigned me a bed. At this time I was also questioned about my physical needs including why I was wearing a diaper. I told them about my old army injury which damaged the sacral nerve root and resulted in permanant pain and incontinence. The diapers they had for me to wear were Assurance pull-ups. They had to send an orderly to a local drug store to ge my size as I am an XL wearer.

I spent more than a week in there, the latter half of which was voluntary. I must say that in this case I think that the system worked perfectly. I was a danger to myself and I'm glad they intervened the way they did because I feel great now, and I'm in no danger to anyone I have follow-up appointments with my personal psychiatrist and I must say that the doctor and nurses on the inside were top notch.

The only complaints I have about the whole experience are these: Three police cars and an ambulance are difficult to explain to worried neighbors who likely saw me hauled away. The t.v. on the ward was ancient and the remote control didn't work so we were stuck watching espn for a week. They took my watch and such. I know that is no big deal but it was annoying because there were no clocks, I know and agreee with the taking of my belt and shoelaces, but my watch? Christ It's confusing enough at that place without knowing what time it is. Plus with no belt When I got my clothes to wear three days into it my pants just kept falling down exposing my diaper. This was at the time NOT FUN. And the rest of the time was ultra-boring. Not even a deck of cards and the puzzles were all missing peices.

All in all those were some genuinely caring staff members Who ultimately helped me in the end and I thank them for their help. Thats a hard job that doesn't pay much, and most of the patients crazy or sane don't appreciate them.

[Dougie]

Glad it was helpful when you needed it.

[anondl]

Glad you got the help.

I didn't understand some of the rules either, but I complied because I wanted out of there (as much as I wanted in there).

Anondl

[dpfrichard]

Glad they were able to help and that you are feeling better. I tend to have depression episodes with psychosis that could easily land me in a mental ward for a couple of days minimum, but I try to deal with it on my own, regardless of how suicidal I become. Truth be told that if it was not for my kids, I would of killed myself off long time ago...

As for why I am not seeking help? One is that insurance will not pay for it and two, I would have a problem keeping and getting a job with that on my record (I see you spend a week at the local phych ward does not go over well in job interviews). Although if it gets REALLY bad, I order a 30 day prescription of cymbalta through an online pharmacy that does not require a prescription and that helps for 6 months to a year...

[Vickie]

Hugs.

[Mischa]

I ended up having a mental snap last week and i ended up having the cops called for a welfare check by someone i met here, sadly though, it seems my behavior cost me that person's friendship..........

[sarah_ab]

As for why I am not seeking help? One is that insurance will not pay for it and two, I would have a problem keeping and getting a job with that on my record (I see you spend a week at the local phych ward does not go over well in job interviews).

if your medical condition prevents you from performing any of lifes basics tasks, and this includes working, you qualify for disability, which means you qualify for insurance which means you can get continuous care for your condition.

Also, in applying for a job, i'm not sure how the employer would ever know you were in a psychiatric hospital unless you tell them? if they find out any other way it is a violation of hippa laws and you have a major lawsuit on your hands.

I would suggest contacting your local social security disability office and get the ball rolling on applying for disability, this way you will have at least some garunteed income, and on didsability you can still work, just only so much per week/month...

[dpfrichard]

if your medical condition prevents you from performing any of lifes basics tasks, and this includes working, you qualify for disability, which means you qualify for insurance which means you can get continuous care for your condition.

Also, in applying for a job, i'm not sure how the employer would ever know you were in a psychiatric hospital unless you tell them? if they find out any other way it is a violation of hippa laws and you have a major lawsuit on your hands.

I would suggest contacting your local social security disability office and get the ball rolling on applying for disability, this way you will have at least some garunteed income, and on didsability you can still work, just only so much per week/month...

In my career field, we sometimes need to get security clearance and it explicitly states that one of the rules that can disqualify you virtually automatically is having been a patient in an institution primarily devoted to the treatment of mental, emotional, or psychological disorders.

Remember, any entry in a database can eventually be used in ways that it was never intended -- that is not being paranoid but it is a fact. This means the less data an insurance company or other entities have, the better for you in the long run.

[sarah_ab]

well yes certain industries do require this.... but as i said, if you are unable to work because of your medical condition you qualify for disability... the other option.. change careers... if you are in a career which having a severe mental illness is a limitation, and you are hiding your severe mental illness, not sure you should be working in that field. I mean you don't want a kleptomaniac working mall security. You don't want someone who is a subject to uncontrollable rage attacks working with children, you don't want someone who has increasing urges of violence to be in a field that requires handling weapons.... sometimes people just have to accept their limitations and find ways to work around them.

[Dougie]

In my career field, we sometimes need to get security clearance and it explicitly states that one of the rules that can disqualify you virtually automatically is having been a patient in an institution primarily devoted to the treatment of mental, emotional, or psychological disorders.

Remember, any entry in a database can eventually be used in ways that it was never intended -- that is not being paranoid but it is a fact. This means the less data an insurance company or other entities have, the better for you in the long run.

Voluntary admittance to a hospital for depression, or any other treatment, cannot be used to disqualify you from a job. If any company uses that to remove you from qualifying you have a huge lawsuit to file for discrimination. The ADA prohibits company from not hiring a qualified candidate unless you pose a physical safety risk to other persons.

[curiositykilledthecat]

not for nothing, qualified and not crazy vs qualified and crazy, guess who I'm hiring?

Aside from that, mental hospitals scare the crap out of me. I always have nightmares that I'm going to wind up in one some day and watch the rest of my life be ruined.

[sarah_ab]

Voluntary admittance to a hospital for depression, or any other treatment, cannot be used to disqualify you from a job. If any company uses that to remove you from qualifying you have a huge lawsuit to file for discrimination. The ADA prohibits company from not hiring a qualified candidate unless you pose a physical safety risk to other persons.

yes but suffering from severe depression or other mental illness CAN mean you pose a safety risk to other person's depending on your job. If you suffer from severe depression and suicidal and / or homicidal tendency's then you should not have a job that deals with weapons lest one of those ideations takes over and you use your weapon on yourself or someone else.

and certain jobs DO require full medical disclosure. and the ada states a company cannot discriminate against an individual based on a disability or illness UNLESS that disability or illness directly interferes with the individuals ability to perform the job require of him/her...

[aleyxsis]

most people still try to hide their mental illness or think they are just fine and go off their meds becuse it is still taboo out in the world so sad !!

[acemanner]

well from personal experience, even though you may not need some fo those rules, it might be to protect others. I was "semi-voluntarily" admitted as a kid, and I have seen it firsthand and can understand many of the rules in there, and a great deal of them are for the suicidal ones, that was probbaly the only thing that really pissed me off in their: no ipod! But some of them went to great lengths to find things to cut with or hurt themselves, so I understood.

anyways, at least you got the help you needed, glad to see the system working for once.

[LawrenceWaterhouse]

I've only ever had to be taken to the psychiatric emergency ward and never the in-patient psychiatric ward. Mostly due to the bouts of catatonia I've dealt with. I notice I haven't gone through any catatonic periods since the beginning of the year - so some things are getting better.

[BBB]

Not that it has been questioned, but I've seen first hand some one lose their clearance because when they went for their renewal (ssbi) it was discovered they went in on a 5150 hold a few years back and had not reported it to security.

No renewal on clearance, no job.

[DailyDi]

I almost got locked up for a 30 day eval was a kid to try and determine why i wasn't going to school. (Because the school F@#king sucked!) Grandparents moved me out of the county to block it, and at the same time into a better school.