Discussion i work in a psych hospital AMA

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

just the title. i have worked at a long-term state hospital for a few months and i now work at an acute care hospital going on 2 years.

Edit: im in the US

 

[Ch4in3dcr0w]

1. Did u ever had a case of self-inflicted cutting of artery that was successful ?
2. Were u ever asked by a patient to end their life ?
3. As someone suicidal (i can only guess sorry if im wrong) does seeing people CTB made u jealous or made u scared to CTB yourself?
4. How many that came to after CTB died anyway and what was the method
Im from EU so sorry if any of these questions are wrong or anything like that. Much love

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

1. Did u ever had a case of self-inflicted cutting of artery that was successful ?
2. Were u ever asked by a patient to end their life ?
3. As someone suicidal (i can only guess sorry if im wrong) does seeing people CTB made u jealous or made u scared to CTB yourself?
4. How many that came to after CTB died anyway and what was the method
Im from EU so sorry if any of these questions are wrong or anything like that. Much love

1. i see lots of self harm, some stitched but no arteries hit.
2. i actually have been asked this. i wear a sword necklace and someone asked me if i could use it to stab her to death.
3. im not scared to ctb, seeing other people attempt gives me more ideas. the self harm some of them inflict is sometimes more triggering than their attempt itself.
4. im pretty sure before i started working there someone was discharged and ended up hanging themselves.

also: where i work is part of a huge company so some of the other facilities have had successful suicides IN the hospital. usually partial hangings.

 

[SeafoamSkeleton]

What are the easiest things to say and do to have them release you quickly or not admit you at all?

What do people use to complete the partial hangings? Clothing? Sheets?

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

What are the easiest things to say and do to have them release you quickly or not admit you at all?

What do people use to complete the partial hangings? Clothing? Sheets?

1. (from personal experience) when i was a kid all i had to do was tell the doctors that i had something i was looking forward to in the near future and they let me go home from crisis. the easiest things to say to leave once youre there is that you feel better, youve learned coping skills, etc. positive things. (which is easy to say if you actually have)

2. in one instant someone used a string of plastic (true) by stretching the plastic that the disposable silverware comes in. i have no idea how that worked but it did. in the other instant it was the bottom sheet of the bed.

 

[WhatCouldHaveBeen32]

Have you ever seen a case that is truly not salvageable? I mean I know that the answer might be a resounding Yes but I am curious if the propaganda runs deep even in hospitals and you might say Yes but other workers might say No at the same case. Edit: so any case where everyone agreed that nothing could be done?

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

Have you ever seen a case that is truly not salvageable? I mean I know that the answer might be a resounding Yes but I am curious if the propaganda runs deep even in hospitals and you might say Yes but other workers might say No at the same case. Edit: so any case where everyone agreed that nothing could be done?

this was something a lot of people in the long-term care hospital were. treatment-resistant individuals and those who could not care for themselves. they are chronic patients, never leaving the hospital.

in our acute care hospital we have 2 patients right now that are being sent to long-term care. one of them is 63 years old and has debilitating schizophrenia and cannot live on her own. but because of the mental illness aspect she cannot go to a nursing home.

the other patient is 22. he has been with us for almost 2 months and swears to everyone he will kill himself if he leaves the hospital. obviously we cant send him home if he says something like that, so he is going to be taken care of long-term to ensure he'll have to live his life (which is the saddest thing)

 

[imsotired35]

I'm wondering because a lot of people on this site are pro choice, do you ever wish you could let someone go when they attempt instead of saving them?

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

I'm wondering because a lot of people on this site are pro choice, do you ever wish you could let someone go when they attempt instead of saving them?

its controversial and i would never say this to my coworkers but, yes… the older patients. some of the older patients are SO sad SO destroyed by life. its sad seeing some of them go to into long-term care to live out a life filled with so much pain.

many of the older patients have minimal to no support at home. they dont have anyone to visit them, talk to them, etc.

 

[tercermundista]

Does this method work for anyone?

Notes on Ligature Strangulation (with working dropbox + extra details)

Notes on Ligature Strangulation Method - This post will contain all the information without anything unsaid. It is also as clear as possible. It is exhaustive and detailed. - If it means anything, this is what I've compiled and collected after a year of thinking of this stuff and going in...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[CatLvr]

I just wanted to say I appreciate your candor. I have had friends who were COs (Corrections Officers) and many of them quit before 5 years because they, as they described it, "got tired of going to prison every day even though they had done nothing wrong".

Do you ever feel like you are "in" the psych ward, and not an employee? Do you get my drift -- I mean the guys who were COs KNEW they were going home at the end of shift but still I guess the environment wore on them psychologically. Do you ever feel like that??

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

Does this method work for anyone?

Notes on Ligature Strangulation (with working dropbox + extra details)

Notes on Ligature Strangulation Method - This post will contain all the information without anything unsaid. It is also as clear as possible. It is exhaustive and detailed. - If it means anything, this is what I've compiled and collected after a year of thinking of this stuff and going in...

sanctioned-suicide.net

i honestly have no idea, sorry to disappoint

I just wanted to say I appreciate your candor. I have had friends who were COs (Corrections Officers) and many of them quit before 5 years because they, as they described it, "got tired of going to prison every day even though they had done nothing wrong".

Do you ever feel like you are "in" the psych ward, and not an employee? Do you get my drift -- I mean the guys who were COs KNEW they were going home at the end of shift but still I guess the environment wore on them psychologically. Do you ever feel like that??

all. the. time.

this time last year i was in the psych ward and ever since then a lot of things have become hard for me at work. like i said in a previous post; self harm is really triggering to me when in the past i couldnt have cared less about seeing it.

i work overnight and take my break ~4am and i have to sit in my car just to get out of the physical hospital or i go nuts.

logically i know i go home at the end of the night at 7am. but working 12hrs it feels like im always there. its also super hard to "leave work at work."

 

[theboy]

What was the most "beautiful" thing you saw? Maybe hugs, sharing food, games or something like that?:)

 

[ceilng_tile]

What happens to someone who gets brought in after a failed attempt and then refuses to participate in any treatment? I'm talking about someone who calmly says to the psychiatrists "I don't know you, I don't trust you, and I do not wish to discuss my thoughts or feelings with you because it's none of your business. I have experienced enough trauma as a result of coercive psychiatry and by holding me hostage like this you are only making things worse. I am not a danger to myself or others and I am not hallucinating. Please let me go home."

If I were ever in this situation, I don't know what would be worse--staying in the hospital indefinitely or giving in to the emotional blackmail by lying about how I'm "feeling so much better" and letting them maintain this condedcending charade of benevolence.

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

What was the most "beautiful" thing you saw? Maybe hugs, sharing food, games or something like that?:)

last night a bunch of girls were consoling another who was leaving today. the girl didn't want to see her emotionally unavailable dad but she stopped crying when her peers told her to think about her mother (shes super close with her mom) and how proud she'll be when the patient gets home. it was heartwarming to see a bunch of them come together to help one another. you can really see meaningful relationships form.

What happens to someone who gets brought in after a failed attempt and then refuses to participate in any treatment? I'm talking about someone who calmly says to the psychiatrists "I don't know you, I don't trust you, and I do not wish to discuss my thoughts or feelings with you because it's none of your business. I have experienced enough trauma as a result of coercive psychiatry and by holding me hostage like this you are only making things worse. I am not a danger to myself or others and I am not hallucinating. Please let me go home."

If I were ever in this situation, I don't know what would be worse--staying in the hospital indefinitely or giving in to the emotional blackmail by lying about how I'm "feeling so much better" and letting them maintain this condedcending charade of benevolence.

at my hospital youre voluntary or involuntary. if youre involuntary you are made to stay until you are deemed safe; that could be by telling them what you said. if you dont participate in groups, medication, etc. thats your right - but it slows down discharge for involuntary individuals because theres no progress being seen.

if you are voluntary you can sign a "48-hour notice" which gives the doctors and social workers 48 hours to talk and see if you are ready to be discharged. if they agree - off you go. if they disagree and feel you need more time there you become involuntary. (we always advise patients to not sign 48s before talking to the doctor because of that reason.)

ive seen people leave after signing and ive seen people get labeled involuntary after signing that paper.

so its best to agree to go to the hospital and then participate. let them see you interacting with others, taking your meds (if you dont want to you really dont have to,) generally just doing something other than lying in bed. then tell the doctor what you quoted and you may be able to sign a 48 and leave after 2-4 days.

 

[claracatchingthebus]

since psychiatric patients are one of the only customers who can be forced to continue to be a customer, do you ever feel that psychiatric hospitals are extremely financially exploitative?

for instance, i don't think groups help anyone except the lowest functioning patients. the idea that going over "if you want to slash your jugular, why not visualize a tree in a calm meadow and breath in and out" is somehow worth thousands and thousands of dollars seems absurd to me.

Medications that work barely better than a placebo, groups that teach useless techniques, and being locked up. 30 days later it's a 30,000 bill. It's why people should never call suicide hotlines. All these places do is teach people how to act well enough to leave.

most people take the drugs, pretend to get better, then throw them out after. The cost of this is extraordinary and can also be financially devastating for patients, leaving them much worse off. A temporary wish to die after a breakup (which kidnapped "patient" may not have even followed up on), may turn into a real realistic long-term death wish when the free patient later suffers a financial setback and ends up homeless because they have no savings.

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

since psychiatric patients are one of the only customers who can be forced to continue to be a customer, do you ever feel that psychiatric hospitals are extremely financially exploitative?

for instance, i don't think groups help anyone except the lowest functioning patients. the idea that going over "if you want to slash your jugular, why not visualize a tree in a calm meadow and breath in and out" is somehow worth thousands and thousands of dollars seems absurd to me.

Medications that work barely better than a placebo, groups that teach useless techniques, and being locked up. 30 days later it's a 30,000 bill. It's why people should never call suicide hotlines. All these places do is teach people how to act well enough to leave.

most people take the drugs, pretend to get better, then throw them out after. The cost of this is extraordinary and can also be financially devastating for patients, leaving them much worse off. A temporary wish to die after a breakup (which kidnapped "patient" may not have even followed up on), may turn into a real realistic long-term death wish when the free patient later suffers a financial setback and ends up homeless because they have no savings.

oh i agree 100% and so do my coworkers. our company is run by an evil evil man. we have been risking our lives and our own mental health for the last ~6ish months due to the CEO accepting violent and aggressive individuals. (people that have committed crimes and are physically assaultive.)

its all money based. they squeeze everything they can out of medicaid and medicare and they try with private insurance as well. anything to fill a bed and make some money.

 

[RadiantNumber]

Did you see people after using certain drugs like bath salts, datura, those artificial cannabinoids like Spice? It must be a scary thing

 

[su1c1dal-dungeon]

Did you see people after using certain drugs like bath salts, datura, those artificial cannabinoids like Spice? It must be a scary thing

yes ! we have a dual diagnosis unit and theres a ton of individuals with drug induced psychosis. its scary because once youre in psychosis from drugs you may never come out of it.

 

[claracatchingthebus]

do you see corruption by colleagues and not report it? why or why not?

i was involuntarily hospitalized and one of the most evil practices I saw is that if a patient was disliked for any reason, staff would often write inaccurate lies in their chart.

for example, if a patient was up late and was told "you need to go to sleep" and then said "i am just quietly reading in my bed" and then the psychiatric technician said "you're always causing problems, aren't you?" and the patient said back "you can't talk to me like that, i'm going to complain," the patient would later find that their chart said: "patient experiencing insomnia and hypervigilent aggressive behavior due to hypomania. patient was redirected but experienced paranoid ideation before eventually sleeping as directed."

patients had a phrase for it, "smoking a chart," which is crazy, because it happened so often there was a phrase for it. it also happened to me personally, in a way that I can't describe without accidentally identifying myself, with things being extraordinarily misrepresented in medical documentation in a way that did not align with reality at all.

i also saw the worst people who worked there, bullies who would be verbally cruel when the doctors and psychologists were not there, often get protected by colleagues and therefore they stayed year after year, despite the fact that these people made people's mental health worse and had no place being around vulnerable people.

i saw corruption like this, and the fact that other staff didn't report it, as extremely alienating and degrading to patients, with many patients feeling a profound sense of powerlessness that also worsened symptoms of depression and even other problems.

if you haven't reported colleagues for corruption, have you thought about doing so? have you ever witnessed a colleague smoking a chart?

 

[theboy]

last night a bunch of girls were consoling another who was leaving today. the girl didn't want to see her emotionally unavailable dad but she stopped crying when her peers told her to think about her mother (shes super close with her mom) and how proud she'll be when the patient gets home. it was heartwarming to see a bunch of them come together to help one another. you can really see meaningful relationships form.

Yes
I have had beautiful experiences in this context
We must not forget these supports

 

[nebble]

Has anyone ever attempted to escape the ward? Has anyone ever succeeded? Were they found, what were the consequences?

 

[Manic Panic]

1.Do you believe mental Healthcare in the US is below standards of the rest of the world?
2.How often do people usually attempt in your care?
3. Do you know of anyone who got better and started working in your field after being a patient?
4.Have you ever been hit or hurt I'm anyway by a patient?
5. What would say is the percentage of people actually getting better ?
1.Do you believe mental Healthcare in the US is below standards of the rest of the world?
2.How often do people usually attempt in your care?
3. Do you know of anyone who got better and started working in your field after being a patient?
4.Have you ever been hit or hurt I'm anyway by a patient?
5. What would say is the percentage of people actually getting better ?

 

[Britney Spears]

If you're involuntarily admitted for a failed suicide attempt, how long are you there? I'm from Spain, but to give I an idea...
I was recently in a medical hospital, but not a psychiatric one, and I came out terrible. I was there for two weeks Thanks

 

[Manic Panic]

I was once a er nursing assistant and a mortician assistant and I would see so many people go through both areas in the hospital...
So many people just struggling to stay alive only to end up in the morgue the hours later.

I had leave because it made my depression that much worse. Turns out I have scizoaffective disorder and bpd.
I still have nightmares about working in the hospital... do you ever worry you might end up mentally scarred from this line of work?