Hey, I posted a week or two ago about my friend (but in a hurry I can't find the thread) so here I go again with a bit of context - my friend is taking venlafaxine and is very depressed and suicidal a lot of the time - recently she has told me she's OD'd twice. Today she came up to me, showed me her empty packet of pills and said she took them this and feels funny. She said she feels sick (I think she said her tummy feels weird) and she feels really dreamy and can't see properly. I'm really worried about her and I don't want to panic her as I'm one of the few people she trusts, but I'm really concerned about what will happen to her. What do I do? (PM me for more info, sorry if this is too detailed)
I'm no expert on that medication, but it's vital that she gets medical attention immidiatly. I don't know your situation, but basically I suggest you either get someone to take her to A&E now, or call an ambulance.
Hope she gets better soon!
I agree with the two responses above - she needs medical attention so get her to hospital and be with her. She's most likely scared and confused and will need a friend whom she can trust by her side.
Location: third star from the right and straight on until morning
I am currently:
hope that you and your friend are ok hunny" you need to get her to a hospital. and fast.
when they are made aware of it hopefully they will reduce how many tablets they give her down to weekly so she wont have the chance to do somethign like this again.
"A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'"
I think that getting her to hospital is the primary response here because her health is at risk. Okay, so you don't want her to be upset but I think she'd be more upset if you let her go on like this and didn't do anything. Sometimes you've got to be cruel to be kind and she needs to get to hospital. If she won't go, you need to call an ambulance.
I agree with Belle
You're primary concern is getting her to help and in the long run she will understand and forgive you for that although the short term may be less pleasant
Also think could you live with yourself if you didn't do all you could to get her help?
"A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'"
as someone who was in similar boat myself a few a months ago i now how she feels, the best advice is take straight to a+e if she doesn't go then call an ambulance, make sure she is seen my psychiatric nurse/doctor as well. She may have to go inside for a quite sometime but reassure her it's the best course of action.
Try and persuade gently to go to a+e.
If she's reluctant to go via ambulance, is there anyway you can go by taxi?
I took a rather large od once, and didn't go to my GP for over a day. When I did, they sent me to hospital immediately via taxi (I think they even paid for it) so it was obviously a very serious situation. I didn't want the attention and they made me have an ECG which made me realise how important it was that I was checked out. I hate attention but I went along with it.
I'm eternally grateful that the staff did what they did.
When I arrived in a+e, they took my bloods that came back fine. Then they sent a Mental Health nurse to speak to me who changed my life.
That was the first proper step I took towards getting a diagnosis and insight to my feelings, since then I've come on leaps and bounds. (They pointed out I have cyclothymic mood variation).
I really hope your friend gets the help she needs.
Both of you take care and keep us updated on the progress.
Hey everyone,
I mentioned hospital to her but she was like no way I'm fine. So I kind of panicked. I ended up telling my head of year (who she speaks to occasionally, we're in year 13) and she spoke to her (but my friend told her she had only taken 2 extra tablets, kind of dumb but then my H of Y had to take her word for it) She didn't make her go to hospital or anything so it kind of feels like I betrayed her trust for no reason.
On the plus side, although she told me she feels sick and keeps blacking out, she is okay (ish.)
I am keeping an eye on her and will get her to hospital if anything happens.
I just feel like such a crap friend, and such a crap person cos I didn't help her properly by getting her to hospital. :/
Your not a crap friend. It is kind of unfair of her to tell you she OD'ed and that she's unwell but won't do anything about it. I'd be fuming if it was me.
By all means phone the ambulance..or even tell her parents..I've had people do that to me before..I know taking the choice out of her hands will piss her off for a bit but she will forgive you.
But in the end it is her choice, it doesn't make you a crap person x
Life can be beautiful if you let it.
Step back, breathe and take it in
