Oh I remember one time an RMN asked me why I had cut myself so I said something about liking seeing the blood rise to the surface. I was only about fifteen so I probably didn't even fully understand why I did it but her response was:
"That's sick".
Err thanks. If you think there's somewhere you might not be judged for SH you'd think it might be in a psych hospital but apparently not.
Stop thinking about what I want, what he wants, what your parents want. What do you want?
I/we have had some pretty sh*t house experiences in psychiatric units as well...
I'm not trying in ANY WAY to invalidate anyones experiences, because it is truly horrible that any of you were treated so poorly in a space that is supposed to be providing safety and care. My thoughts are with you all, and I'm sorry you all have been through such things...
I am concerned however that members here at RYL that are unwell might be very put off, or refuse psychiatric treatment because of the things they read here. I'm not saying I believe this thread should be deleted at all, I think it is a valuable space to share these traumatic experiences.
I want to add that though I have had some extremely unpleasant/abusive experiences in psych units, it isn't all bad - more often than not in my experience in hopsitals i have been cared for, kept safe and treated with compassion and respect and as a result have grown, learnt new skills and my illness has improved.
I am going to start a thread about positive experiences in the mental health system, to allow others to share their experiences, and let members see that all experiences in psychiatric facilites aren't traumatic.
Sorry to butt in, and again I do not in any way shape or form mean to betlittle your experiences - I'm am sorry you've been through such things...
Ash/lostboys
Hey Ash.
I completely understand your post and I will post in your thread about positives. I was in a bad mood when I made this thread, I apologise.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
I think though, that it can be therapeutic in a way to vent about bad things that have happened in hospital. I don't think it's that bad to be put off going into a psych ward. It's not something you should ever want to do.
Stop thinking about what I want, what he wants, what your parents want. What do you want?
Ash/lost boys ... that is a good point, and i am going to reply to your thread.
Catherine .. Also a good point. But I think things like this need to be discussed because otherwise it just provokes more secrecy/shame. And its not right.
These all sound like terrible experiences to have had. My ward feels very different. There's quite a lot of talking used rather than restraints or anything like that. I've never seen anyone be restrained or the seclusion room used (though I know it has been very occasionally) and people often put themselves in the de-esc. when they know they need time to calm down.
A member of staff told me that she's worked on the ward for two and a half years and has only had to use C&R twice herself in that time. I've also never heard the panic alarm before, with the exception of a couple of mornings ago when someone accidentally pressed it looking for some linen.
Also, the hospital's pretty big on cleanliness so the toilets are cleaned at least twice a day by the domestics and the staff do checks for cleanliness every shift too, and the water checks to stop Legionnaires.
Not that it's always quiet or lacking in a bit of scary-ness on the ward (!), but I think generally they deal with it all well and use talking first, followed by medication, followed by the more intrusive forms of control I guess. A good thing is that the area I live in is quite small, so the staff move around teams every now and then, so staff on the ward you may well have known previously as members of the crisis team or something. It also means they get to know individual patients quite well so know what helps and what doesn't.
The following content has been hidden - Reason : some people might not want to see (mods change if u like)
of us have been through stuff that is soo bad that going into hospital wasn't the right thing to do. i ended up spending 8 years in hospital, if i had had decent treatment in the first place i might have only spent 2years.
Well I didn't have time to read the thread so I skimmed through, but I've spent alot of time in Psych Wards and my Expiernce Is you get treated better at children's hospitals then adult ones. BUT if you really want to know how bad it can be I just got out of a 21 month stay in prison and believe me if you just tell them you're THINKING about hurting yourself they will put you in the slot for days or even weeks and believe me the slot is 100X worse then any seclusion room. Basically they torture self-harmers in prison. BE HAPPY YAY
2009 for 3 and a half months
1.my worst experience was being taken to my room by two nurses and forced to strip down to nothing just to check for sharp implements.
2.not aloud to wear my normal clothes and made where pj's everyday for three weeks.
3. having nothing in my room but a bed
2009 for 7 and a half months
1.restraints 3 times a day for two weeks instead of talking to me.
2.being room bound because i was a risk to myself and others
3.being stuck inside for 4 months with getting out for a smoke as my only way of getting outside
4.when i was on observations i wasnt aloud out of my room when one particular nurse was with me forcing me to stay in a cell like room and complaining when i "winged" about wanting out.
5.forcing me to have physical treatment when i clearly didnt want to go even though they have no right to do that.
reading through everyones, mine doesnt seem half as bad, i feel for everyone who has suffered and the hands of Dr's and nurse etc. I really do!
Each tear drop falls with sorrow, hoping and praying for another tomorrow!
In my experience I found the child one worst than the adult one. they treated you like you had done something wrong, even though I was there totally voluntarily and hadn't even tried to kill myself! They just had this horrible attitude that we were all stupid kids that were just causing trouble. I've had bad experiences on adult units too though.
they will put you in the slot for days or even weeks and believe me the slot is 100X worse then any seclusion room
What is the slot? What is it like?
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
Well the slot is the maximun security area of a prison. You're locked in a small cell and never allowed out untill they transfer you somewhere else. It is staffed by the nastiest/hardest guards there are in the prison. When you get there they strip search you and put you in a filthy canvas smock that hasnt been washed in god knows how long. Its covered in all kinds of digusting body fluids and they dont care wat size it is so you're lucky if it fits.
In the cell there is a camera watching you and light left on 24 hours a day. There no sink, a steel bed, a toilet you cant flush no toilet paper or tooth brush or anything. If you want a drink of water you have to ask the guards to give you one. Basically there is nothing in the cell you could cut/burn/hang yourself with.
The worse part is the guards - basically they're allowed to treat you however they want. Its not like nurses, who are supposed to be nice you . screws can treat you howver they want to.
LASTLY i would like to say im not really complaining as it is PRISON and its not supposed to be a nice place to be.But it annoys me how self-hamers get punished for huring themselves. b
BUT REALLY i dont care how people treat me anyway. Im over it
Last edited by wishfordeath : 14-01-2010 at 10:00 AM.
Reason: spelling
Well the slot is the maximun security area of a prison. You're locked in a small cell and never allowed out untill they transfer you somewhere else. It is staffed by the nastiest/hardest guards there are in the prison. When you get there they strip search you and put you in a filthy canvas smock that hasnt been washed in god knows how long. Its covered in all kinds of digusting body fluids and they dont care wat size it is so you're lucky if it fits.
In the cell there is a camera watching you and light left on 24 hours a day. There no sink, a steel bed, a toilet you cant flush no toilet paper or tooth brush or anything. If you want a drink of water you have to ask the guards to give you one. Basically there is nothing in the cell you could cut/burn/hang yourself with.
The worse part is the guards - basically they're allowed to treat you however they want. Its not like nurses, who are supposed to be nice you . screws can treat you howver they want to.
LASTLY i would like to say im not really complaining as it is PRISON and its not supposed to be a nice place to be.But it annoys me how self-hamers get punished for huring themselves. b
BUT REALLY i dont care how people treat me anyway. Im over it
Well that sounds like disgusting treatment anyway. I am appauled.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
i have had some good and bad experiences in hospital i have been in 3 over 2 years. I am always getting restrained when all i have done is kick a wall or punched it and then there would be 5 or 6 people holding me down and then they would not even give me a chance to take medication oral they would just inject me in 2 weeks i was at a intesive care unit i was injected everyday sometime 2 times a day and now i have been transferred back to a less secure unit i escaped because i could not take it anymore and was brought back by the police because im on section i begged the police to just leave me alone but they would not believe me and i was last night injected twice and the police watched and they where all acturally laughing at me at one point when i was trying to get them to open the door because im clostraphobic. so i asked this morning if i could go home so i am now at home on section 17 for one night and they want me to go back tomorrow but i am going to refuse to go. i cant stand that place anymore. the unit is snowsfields adolescent unit at guy's hospital in london and coborn centre for adolsecent mental health (picu). these are the worst hospitals ever.
has anyone had any problem in these unit also would like to know??
I'm sorry
but I have broken my wings,
I'm not able to fly away
from this pain inside.
R.I.P. Grandad I will love you forever!!!
That sounds horrible, I'm sorry you had to go through that.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
hun they will just get the police to come and get you and force you to go back! its not fair i know but its what will happen, isnt it better if you go and do what they want then you might get more leave more quickly?
(i just wanted to reply to that i dont mean to hijack the thread)
Hospitals can be terrifying though but they will send the police.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
well they did get the police :( and i was in handcuffs for 1hour and a half pretty pissed off about that but my section has ended now so i refused to stay there so i am now at home finally. soz for just talking about my experiences but i do believe that u do get treated differently if u have been in a psychic unit.
I'm sorry
but I have broken my wings,
I'm not able to fly away
from this pain inside.
R.I.P. Grandad I will love you forever!!!
Where i was ,a guy had been sexually assaulted and went public about it ,however nothing happened to me like that thank f*ck.I was held down and forced medication though even though I said I would take it orally.Four of them held me even though I wasnt aggressive and I was very thin that time and they injected me with liquid haladol ,way too much dose for my frame.
I couldnt walk for three days after it ,had to stay in bed .Doctor after admitted was three times dose for my size .
All my clothes were taken off me ,Even my bloody slippers ,when I wasnt looking and when I asked for them ,they played mind games with me .
I was so unwell that the slipper thing really affected me .I mean I couldnt go anywhere! I was in there two months like .
I couldnt go to the shop ,nowhere .I was a complete prisoner .And when I complained they got me to talk to a doctor .I was so angry but not aggressive ,after all I was doped out of it constantly anyway.
If I so much as walked down the corridor the wrong side I was force fed tranquillisers .I must say a lot of the nurses were genuinely nice though and cared truely .
being held down though ,they did it in front of a guy that was an external worker in the hospital ,he was a cleaner there cleaning and they did it in front of him.I was so embarrassed .I mean what was he thinking at the time ?
