Posted by yxibow on December 8, 2008, at 13:21:54
In reply to Re: Locked wards 'harm patients'addendum to my pos, posted by Phillipa on December 7, 2008, at 21:16:09
Well I guess let's say I agree to disagree. And I think, trying to to be offensive, there is some recall of when you were seeing patients at a somewhat earlier era in time -- I don't know.
Things have changed a bit here rapidly in what you'd find in a decent Level I trauma hospital and the rest of them, what they can do for emergency treatment for organic conditions, let alone psychiatric situations.
But at any rate, the concept of a "patient" is really why NAMI calls people now who have mental illness "consumers". You go to your doctor, therapist, talk, etc, and get your service, just like you would from your hair cutter, for example. It doesn't make people feel like an object.
I don't know how many examples I have to make that there again (why do we need exaggerations....) is that there is a difference between a person who is clearly not making rational decisions for themselves and is in immediate danger of harm, whatever, channeling through dogs, running with scissors, I mean we can come up with a lot of pretty offensive things....and those who are rather depressed and are experiencing emotions over the holiday, and well, someone else may think they should just be in a hospital, but I must press that isn't really the best place to be if you have any support system at all, even the minimum, outside a hospital.
Having a therapist or doctor go over with you ways to get through the holiday season -- and yes, that includes myself as well, and using coping strategies, relaxation, etc., is much better in the long run because it means you don't have to get into a situation where one dwells on everything and feels they must be in a hospital over what, the entire month of December?
Because in the long run, therapeutic and medical strategies should be in a recovery mode, and people, consumers, should be using stragies so that going to the hospital is kept to a minimum, considering that at least here, that really isn't a concept -- you aren't going to get the observation that you get with a doctor in an outpatient clinic even if you think that is an odd statement -- people are visited by both staff and if they are terribly lucky, by family, not very often over a stay.
A hospital is a place for life-threatening illnesses and women in labor and yes, people with complete plans on how to end it all, but only for short visits, and there isn't necessarily a reason to lock the door and strap them down.
Voluntary admission to a hospital is just that, and it should be that. If the ward is running itself correctly, the most ill would be observed more carefully and wouldn't be wandering the streets if they came in anyhow.
-- anyhow my 2c-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:865930
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081204/msgs/867497.html