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Re Mental Health - Anyone else had this problem?
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By n1kki
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Tue 20 Nov 2007 18:48
This is my first ever post so I will fill you in on my situation!
Basically I am caring for my mum who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder about a year and a half ago (I think?!) and also had an onset of psychosis around this time too.
We were being visited every two days by people from the local Home Intervention Team but this has recently stopped as the service was very poor and they were providing no support for my dad whatsoever, let alone my mum.
The problem is basically getting my mum into a psychiatric hospital. We have tried before with success but it took days of phone calls and shouting down the phone to get them to finally admit her. She has recently attemped 4 suicides in 4 weeks and it still takes a hell of a lot to get her admitted to such a hospital.
How bad does it have to be for them to realise she is not well or safe enough to be at home? It seems that attempting suicide isn't a serious enough case for her to be admitted... and then when she finally did get admitted before, they sent her home within 2-3 days saying that it is in her best interest to be at home, even though she says she isn't ready to come home! Is it because she is willing to go in voluntarily?
Now my dad has given up trying to get her admitted because it's too much effort in the first place and she is in there for such a short amount of time that it does her no good anyway.
So my questions are...
Why do they keep discharging her when she is clearly suicidal?
And how do I get her into a hospital long term?Sorry for the long post!
Replies
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By madian7
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Re: Re Mental Health - Anyone else had this problem?
Tue 20 Nov 2007 19:33n1kki
Hi Nikki,
I have had experiences of my wife attempting suicide.She suffers post traumaitc stress disorder.We were batting onfor help for her as well.One day were out shopping,when i came back with my daughter,she was slumped in her chair.There was a broken plate on the floor.All her wrist had been cut andcuts up her arm.
I rushed her to the docs and said its an emergency.He took one look at her and phoned the hospital.Ward 4 she was put in straight away on suicide watch.She got got given these tabs that knock her sleep.What im trying to say is maybe you need arefural through your docs.That is my experience,i hope this imformation helps you.It certainly help ,my wife would now be dead ,if it wasnt for hospital helping us out.
She is put on proper controlled med now.review by the hospital and not the local docs.He is a scyciatric doc.Many thanks ian
Many thanks ian
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By n1kki
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Re: Re Mental Health - Anyone else had this problem?
Wed 21 Nov 2007 06:14Hi Ian,
Thank you for the quick reply. My mum is on medication and sees a psychiatrist once a week. The problem with trying to get her sectioned is that we are being told 'she is safer at home'. It is really hard to get her sectioned as they don't think the situation is bad enough.. but if it isn't bad enough I don't really understand how bad it really has to be in order to get her sectioned. Another problem is once she has been sectioned, they discharge her within a stupid amount of time, and send her home even when she says herself she isn't ready to come home.
Have you had any experience of trying to get your wife sectioned? Were they very helpful? I feel it is a losing battle. If the professionals aren't providing the support we need then who are we suppose to turn to? They expect us to deal with it ourselves!!
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By coffee
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Re: Re Mental Health - Anyone else had this problem?
Wed 21 Nov 2007 11:06Hi nikki
Two websites that might be able to help you are
www.sane.org.uk
www.mencap.org.uk
I look after my mom who has mental health / kidney problems but not she is not suicidel but if she don't take her tab's she can have those thoughts she has treid it many years ago but where I live I do recieve good help but I know not all places are the same so it would be good for you to contact the 2 sites I have sent you .
all the best coffee