Posted by Racer on November 26, 2004, at 16:13:50
In reply to On the psychiatric ward....., posted by ed_uk on November 26, 2004, at 12:36:44
I've been invited to spend a few days on the psych ward over the past decade -- call them offers I couldn't refuse.
Both times, I stopped eating entirely. The last time, I was there for about two weeks, and did not eat during that time. (OK, to be fair, of course I did ingest some things: a half pint of apple juice most mornings, a small salad from the dinner tray on the days that they served salad, and two saltine crackers on the days that those were included. That was it, though.) No one noticed. To make matters just a bit worse, though, I had been placed on Wellbutrin, too, so the not eating was possibly dangerous. The fact that none of the staff noticed, though, seems really outrageous to me. The patients all seemed to notice, so what the heck was wrong with the staff?
The doctor saw me three times in time I was there. Once to check me in and prescribe Wellbutrin, once to tell me that she wouldn't allow me to be released, and once to tell me that she was letting me go home. There were supposed to be group therapy sessions, and other groups, but they were all cancelled. My room was changed four times while I was there. The heating system was out of whack, so it was freezing all the time -- several patients spent most of their days in bed wrapped in all the extra clothes and blankets they could find, because of the cold. Even the doctor was uncomfortable.
No one could tell me anything about outpatient options for when I got out, just sent me out the door with a pat on the back and three days worth of pills.
This, by the way, was a private hospital. While I was uninsured, the county facility was full, so they diverted me to a private facility. It was pretty bad, and more frightening because it was said to be amongst the best in the area. THAT was a frightening thought.
Interesting question, I look forward to hearing others' experiences.
poster:Racer
thread:420511
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041123/msgs/420578.html