hey- i was actually just discharged from the post traumatic stress and dissociative disorders ward at mclean on wednesday [it's not just for rich people anymore, i'm on masshealth myself]. unfortunately, as a "frequent flier" of local psych wards i'm quiet familiar with the rules. 1) they'll only admit you if you state you are actively suicidal and/or homicidal- i had a friend who was quite psychotic once and seeking help, only to be forced to say they were homicidal in order for an admission.
2)they cannot and will not drug you forcibly if you sign in voluntarily. there are catches to this, of course- if you're viewed to be an active threat to yourself or others. most places will have you sign a form upon admission asking what you'd prefer in case of such a situation: restraint, chemicals, check-in, etc
3)if you voluntarily admit yourself and want to leave- you can sign a 3 day notice, which gives them 3 business days upon which to decide whether to release you or get a judge to commit you. i've signed 3 days several times and they've let me go all 3 times- it was against their wishes but they couldn't do anything because i continually stated that i was no longer suicidal.
hospitals are not fun places to be- staff members can get power trips and patients can be scary [although usually only because of the antagonism of fucked up staff]. however, it's far better than nothing if you're feeling suicidal and there are places that will treat you with relative respect and dignity. stay as far away from arbor in jamaica plain and westwood lodge in westwood as possible- they have an abnormal number of restraints and also a lot of power-tripping staff [in my experience, at least]
i highly recommend mclean hospital, particularly if you are dealing with any trauma issues- as the trauma ward is far quieter and more respectful of people's dignity.
things to know if you decide to go: -it'll be a long wait in the ER, try to bring a friend, books, magazines- something to keep you occupied.
-about 75% of psych hospitals do strip searches [i know the DID unit at mclean doesn't, but it's either hit or miss w/ other places], prepare to be pretty much demoralized- although when someone having themselves locked up to protect themelves from themselves, they most likely feel pretty low already.
-most hospitals take your cell phone and keep it locked up while you're in- so bring change or a phone card for pay phones- they technically have to give you free phone time, but it's hard to come by
-they'll give you information about your civil rights when you go in, read it and keep it and make sure you understand everything before you sign anything
-upon admission, they'll do a "sharps" check and take anything away that could be used for self-harm. very place is different but some idea: sharp things [obviously], medications, anything that is long enough to wrap around one's neck- such as belts and shoelaces, some places also hold personal care stuff like shampoo and lotion, but that seems to be a rarity around here
-hospitals are good for 1 thing, maybe 2 depending on the team of people you work with: 1)keeping you physically safe- if you need that, please go in- nothing can get better if you're dead. 2)getting you the help you need on the outside- once you've had an admission, your case is given higher status by community outpatient organizations and it will probably be easier to get free care. sadly, sometimes the nature of this system makes it necessary to go in even if you're not in acute danger.
finally, i know there's a lot of information here. even though we don't know each other, if you'd ever like someone to hang out with during these times, let me know. my email: lia @ glowinthedarkstars.com
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-09-16 12:59 am (UTC)1) they'll only admit you if you state you are actively suicidal and/or homicidal- i had a friend who was quite psychotic once and seeking help, only to be forced to say they were homicidal in order for an admission.
2)they cannot and will not drug you forcibly if you sign in voluntarily. there are catches to this, of course- if you're viewed to be an active threat to yourself or others. most places will have you sign a form upon admission asking what you'd prefer in case of such a situation: restraint, chemicals, check-in, etc
3)if you voluntarily admit yourself and want to leave- you can sign a 3 day notice, which gives them 3 business days upon which to decide whether to release you or get a judge to commit you. i've signed 3 days several times and they've let me go all 3 times- it was against their wishes but they couldn't do anything because i continually stated that i was no longer suicidal.
hospitals are not fun places to be- staff members can get power trips and patients can be scary [although usually only because of the antagonism of fucked up staff]. however, it's far better than nothing if you're feeling suicidal and there are places that will treat you with relative respect and dignity.
stay as far away from arbor in jamaica plain and westwood lodge in westwood as possible- they have an abnormal number of restraints and also a lot of power-tripping staff [in my experience, at least]
i highly recommend mclean hospital, particularly if you are dealing with any trauma issues- as the trauma ward is far quieter and more respectful of people's dignity.
things to know if you decide to go:
-it'll be a long wait in the ER, try to bring a friend, books, magazines- something to keep you occupied.
-about 75% of psych hospitals do strip searches [i know the DID unit at mclean doesn't, but it's either hit or miss w/ other places], prepare to be pretty much demoralized- although when someone having themselves locked up to protect themelves from themselves, they most likely feel pretty low already.
-most hospitals take your cell phone and keep it locked up while you're in- so bring change or a phone card for pay phones- they technically have to give you free phone time, but it's hard to come by
-they'll give you information about your civil rights when you go in, read it and keep it and make sure you understand everything before you sign anything
-upon admission, they'll do a "sharps" check and take anything away that could be used for self-harm. very place is different but some idea: sharp things [obviously], medications, anything that is long enough to wrap around one's neck- such as belts and shoelaces, some places also hold personal care stuff like shampoo and lotion, but that seems to be a rarity around here
-hospitals are good for 1 thing, maybe 2 depending on the team of people you work with: 1)keeping you physically safe- if you need that, please go in- nothing can get better if you're dead. 2)getting you the help you need on the outside- once you've had an admission, your case is given higher status by community outpatient organizations and it will probably be easier to get free care. sadly, sometimes the nature of this system makes it necessary to go in even if you're not in acute danger.
finally, i know there's a lot of information here. even though we don't know each other, if you'd ever like someone to hang out with during these times, let me know.
my email: lia @ glowinthedarkstars.com