Posted by harry b. on June 5, 2000, at 20:54:09
In reply to Hospital Q's - scared don't know what to expect, posted by me-but-not-me on June 5, 2000, at 18:38:33
me-but-not-me,
For the first time in my life, this year I self-admitted
to a hospital, twice. I had asked my pdoc which
hospitals she would recommend and I chose one that
specialized in mental & behavioral health issues.
You might ask your GP for his opinion.A voluntary admission is just that-voluntary. Both
times, I drove myself to the hospital and went to
the Emergency Room admitting desk. My intent was
to self-admit, there was no doubt in my mind about
that. Each time, a pdoc came to talk to me, quickly
asked about my history, my current crisis, and my
intentions. I was then asked if I wanted to sign
the paperwork for a voluntary admission, and I did
so. By voluntarily admitting I had the option to
leave when & if I wanted to. There's one caveat to
that. If the pdoc feels you are a danger to yourself
or others, he can force you to stay 72 hrs for
evaluation.The criteria for admission: Attempted suicide or
suicidal ideation with a Plan; Posing a risk of
harm to yourself or others.I was in a locked ward. The other patients in the
ward were each there for psychiatric/behavioral/
substance abuse problems. I would not be concerned
about the scars on your arms, I saw plenty of those
there. The first day my bathroom door was locked,
I had to get a staff member to unlock it each time
I wanted to use it. My shoelaces, belt, (even my
robe with its sewn-in cloth belt) 'sharps', and
OTC meds were taken from me. By the 2nd day my
bathroom door was unlocked and my shoelaces and
stuff were returned to me. Those were privileges I
had earned by my behavior.Meals were served on the ward, but after a few
days I had earned the privilege of going to the
cafeteria to eat. At the same time I was allowed
to go outside the building on walks led by staff,
and to go to the basement gym to shoot hoops.
I doubt many hospitals are this permissive and
caring, but this is the only one I've been in.During the day there were scheduled activities. I
was encouraged to attend and participate, but if
I wanted to sleep all day I could. The activities
were classes on Coping Skills, Educational lectures
(mostly on psych stuff & meds), Recreation,
Group Therapy, and Relaxation periods. I saw the
pdoc each day and was able to schedule sessions
with a therapist. The staff was kind & caring. I
became friends with 2 of the patients there. We
are still in touch with one another.What did I miss?
Only one blood draw each stay
Street clothes were the norm (take slip-on sneaks
or ones with velco)
Med eval by the pdoc, short, non-invasive physical
exam
I was allowed visitors
Freedom of movement was restricted to the ward except
for the privileges I mentioned
Length of stay: 9 days; 7 days (the hospital pdoc
told me the average stay is 4 to 5 days because of
insurance)me-but-not-me, this was my experience at the only
psych hospital I've been to. Others can maybe
tell you their experiences.I can hear the desperation in your post. The
hospital was a good place for me to be at the time.
If you are afraid and if you are considering
self-harm, it might be good to admit yourself and
let others care for you for awhile. Oh yeah,
your cats, I have one cat and she fended for herself
during both stays. I put out so much food and water
for her that most of it was still here when I
got back home. Give them extra litter boxes and
they will do fine.hb
poster:harry b.
thread:36182
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000603/msgs/36198.html