Psychiatrist

[Alibongo]

Hi guys happy new year I hope you all had a lovely time.
Just looking for a bit of advice if that's ok. I have my first appointment with the psychiatrist in a week or so and I'm not going to lie - I'm terrified. Can anybody give me an idea of what will happen at it? Will they make me go into hospital if I tell them the extent of my suicidal thoughts? I'm in the UK just in case that makes a difference. Thanks very much :nailbiting:

 

[bring em all in]

Hi guys happy new year I hope you all had a lovely time.
Just looking for a bit of advice if that's o...

In the USA, if a doctor deems a person an imminent threat to their safety or the safety of others they will require hospitalization- if that is the case you need to be hospitalized. My frequent suicide ideations come from wanting to escape the misery of my conditions rather than feeling life is hopeless and not worth living. Doctors have gauged the nature and extent of my suicidal thoughts- have I thought of how I would do it? Do I have access to a gun, and so forth.

I've shared my suicidal thoughts with several doctors and once they were sure I wasn't in danger they moved beyond it.

In my experience, new therapists wade in slowly- they don't ask for your deepest darkest secrets right away. They want to get to know something about you and why you have come to them.

I hope this helps- and that you will be open to hospitalization if doctors decide that is best for your safety!

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

If your vague they will have to look at things on the side of caution.
I most cases but there are exceptions if you're honest and open and not in imminent danger most likely they will try to help you without the hospital. Have you done any self-harming?

 

[Friday]

On both sides of the pond it can be fairly difficult to get hospitalized even if you want to be. Same reason; expense and not many beds available / demand is greater than the supply. There are exceptions. But think of it this way; if the level where you're at being completely honest is at a level that bypasses all the red tape and challenges of getting a voluntary admission (instead of being sectioned), and someone who deals with suicidal people all day long thinks it's better to act now, and get an immediate level of care that cannot be provided outside of a hospital, rather than to; research different programs specific to your needs and get on a waiting list for an inpatient admission, partial hospital, or IOP; and rather than to try therapy &/or meds to see if all you need is a bit of help; or any of the other myriad options for treatment... Don't you think that might be a good idea?

 

[Alibongo]

Thanks guys I've not actually physically hurt myself yet but have attempted to carry out my plan but bottled it - came really close a few times. Have told my therapist about it but have been discharged so have been managing it on my own really. Surely if I've not gone through with it means I can manage and be safe at home? Fingers crossed coz there's no way I'm going into hospital. Thanks for taking the time to reply

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

@Alibongo There is a lot of support here, when I was active suicidal while waiting to get into the trauma disorders unit at pratt in the USA, everyone here on this forum helped get me through my toughest moments. I urge you to do the same and use the support your peers can offer on this forum.

There are probably some programs and hospital units that are specific to trauma in your country. In fact people come from all over the world to be treated at the unit I was treated at. So it is an option.

I acknowledge how you feel about hospitals but I ask that you consider the following. Because in the end you are going to need the right help, and if that is to spend a few days in a psych unit it's a reality your going to have to face if you get closer to carrying things out.

regular Psych units are scary, and often retraumatize, I ask that you consider a PTSD oriented unit, where the milieu is designed to eliminate triggers. And the therapy is PTSD specific. The unit I was on was very quite. PTSD units are designed to isolate patients from the very things that trigger and stress them, while teaching how to manage PTSD, Flashbacks, etc.

One plus to consider with the above, you will have control over what kind of unit you are on.

 

[Alibongo]

Thank you and yes the guys in here have definitely got me through some really tough times before. They were amazing. We don't have any inpatient ptsd units so it would definitely just be a general Ward. Fingers crossed it doesn't come to that! Hope u guys are all doing well x

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

We don't have any inpatient ptsd units so it would definitely just be a general Ward.

Sheppard Pratt Trauma Disorders Unit had people coming to be treated there from all over, even one admission was from someone who came overseas. It would mean traveling to the USA once they accepted you for admission. Paying for it may be an issue, it averages about
$1200 a day, I saw people there for just a few days, and some who were there for months, but the average is about 3 weeks. My stay was 26 days.

I realize the cost might rule out that as an option, but I don't know your situation, so the best I can do is give you information.

What I can tell you is this, if I had not gone there I would probably be dead, having gone there I have been able to manage my flashbacks, and such, and stay safe. Its the difference between night and day compared to how I was doing before I went. Just ask @joeylittle who immediately recognized the difference and its reflected in my posts at the time.

 

[Alibongo]

Sheppard Pratt Trauma Disorders Unit had people coming to be treated there from all over, ev...

Thanks for the info. And I'm glad u are still here :)

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

@Alibongo I am glad I am still here too.

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

I just got a new psychiatrist this week. Honestly, I have had three different psychiatrists as outpatient and they have all been different. My new one had me answer general questions and we didn't get into a lot of details about the actual traumas, which is good. I absolutely hate the idea of hospitals, however, I have been to Sheppard-Pratt and to general pysh wards and while SP is definitely by far more helpful, I have found that a general psych ward can be a good place to regroup. It's not without its anxiety and triggers, but I have also found relief because there is someone else who can help me with safety and I end up finding a decrease in symptoms so I can figure a few things out. My stays on a general ward ranged from 1-5 days. I will also say that I was never sent by a psychiatrist and in my experience unless you are threatening to walk out and actually harm yourself then they may work with you on safety contracts and treatment plans to address the ideation, but wouldn't send you to the hospital. The unknown is scary.

 

[recoveringfromptsd]

I have had the sheriff show up at my home because they were called by my therapist because she felt I was too unsafe, the last time was right before I went to Shepp-Pratt TDU. In both cases I was a voluntary patient, the last one I had a bed waiting already at SP, but the Insurance Company was nixing my admission, thus I became suicidal and left my home after sending a message to my therapist to call my on my cell as I was not home if the insurance company approval came thru, she called the sheriff instead. In the end I went to the ER in Baltimore next to Pratt, and the admitted me to pratt from there to the bed that was waiting for me. The first time someone else called them, but that time I was in the severe depression part of a bi-polar episode and I ended up on a general psych ward for 5 days.