I've been to the psychiatric emergency room twice in the last year, and both times, while needed, were absolutely traumatizing. Here's how a psych hold went in my city with no insurance:
The First Visit
I arrived at the traditional emergency room, and my advocate was allowed to stay with me and help me communicate. They took ALL my possessions, even the harmless ones I use to cope, and I panicked and cried when that happened. I snuck some coping items in with me, and they snuck them back when I went to the bathroom, but they avoided confrontation.
My advocate had to leave after about half-an-hour, and the hospital staff expected me to be able to get them if I needed anything, like food or the bathroom, but I couldn't. I barely ate during the 30-hours I was in hospitals because I was too out-of-touch to execute the steps of asking a nurse for food unless she appeared and asked me if I was hungry.
During the hold at the main hospital, they just watched me. They didn't give me any of my normal meds, not even the physical health ones, and they didn't intervene when I was distressed.
Eventually, I was transferred to the psych ER. The ambulance drivers were really nice.
Security at the psych ER was scary, and they took my wheelchair, which was strange, but a nurse got it back to me. I wasn't at the psych ER long that trip. The doctor on staff that night looked at all of my communication accommodation paperwork, communicated in a way I could understand, and made the medication adjustments needed to get me stabilized. I got to go home a few hours later. I was not allowed to have any of my possessions the whole time I was there.
The Second Visit
The second visit was altogether more horrifying. We went straight to the psych ER, and they tried to separate me from my advocate immediately, even though I hadn't scripted talking to them at all and had prepared for my advocate to do it. I had an immediate meltdown, and the doctor was telling us harshly that he didn't need anyone's autism coach to tell him how to do his job. Then, they kept giving me vague, unclear instructions, and, because I couldn't answer questions like, "Why are you here" in the midst of a meltdown, I ended up getting discharged immediately. They said my psychiatrist was dropping the ball by not having any open appointments but didn't offer me any recourse. They kept me just long enough for my ride to have to leave, and then tried to insist that I could use transit that is inaccessible to me.
So, I guess the first visit was helpful, and the second kind of pointless.
The First Visit
I arrived at the traditional emergency room, and my advocate was allowed to stay with me and help me communicate. They took ALL my possessions, even the harmless ones I use to cope, and I panicked and cried when that happened. I snuck some coping items in with me, and they snuck them back when I went to the bathroom, but they avoided confrontation.
My advocate had to leave after about half-an-hour, and the hospital staff expected me to be able to get them if I needed anything, like food or the bathroom, but I couldn't. I barely ate during the 30-hours I was in hospitals because I was too out-of-touch to execute the steps of asking a nurse for food unless she appeared and asked me if I was hungry.
During the hold at the main hospital, they just watched me. They didn't give me any of my normal meds, not even the physical health ones, and they didn't intervene when I was distressed.
Eventually, I was transferred to the psych ER. The ambulance drivers were really nice.
Security at the psych ER was scary, and they took my wheelchair, which was strange, but a nurse got it back to me. I wasn't at the psych ER long that trip. The doctor on staff that night looked at all of my communication accommodation paperwork, communicated in a way I could understand, and made the medication adjustments needed to get me stabilized. I got to go home a few hours later. I was not allowed to have any of my possessions the whole time I was there.
The Second Visit
The second visit was altogether more horrifying. We went straight to the psych ER, and they tried to separate me from my advocate immediately, even though I hadn't scripted talking to them at all and had prepared for my advocate to do it. I had an immediate meltdown, and the doctor was telling us harshly that he didn't need anyone's autism coach to tell him how to do his job. Then, they kept giving me vague, unclear instructions, and, because I couldn't answer questions like, "Why are you here" in the midst of a meltdown, I ended up getting discharged immediately. They said my psychiatrist was dropping the ball by not having any open appointments but didn't offer me any recourse. They kept me just long enough for my ride to have to leave, and then tried to insist that I could use transit that is inaccessible to me.
So, I guess the first visit was helpful, and the second kind of pointless.
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