How Do You Define Emergency?

[Ronin]

It's come up with my treatment team multiple times my definition of emergency, when it pertains to my involvement with it, is not exactly in the same book.

And that bit pisses me off for communication reasons / I outright loathe working outta a different rulebook with people I'm trying to accomplish the same goals with.

So a question: What's your definition of emergency?

And composite, how bad do your things have to be, to be an emergency?

Intentionally not asking feelings. My default when not alright is anything down to amused or laughing my ass off. Feelings don't factor, and since I look out for the wins always, there's always a hilarious angle.

Which my support people also find mildly concerning.

But I can go by rules. Words & definitions & road signs of Don't do this, here, or that, ever. So figured I would suck up pride and ask.

 

[Mee]

it’s urgent ( it requires quick intervention ) And It’s dangerous ( without that intervention there risk of is serious damage )

 

[Friday]

Immediate threat to life.

 

[Rani G2]

how bad do your things have to be, to be an emergency?

Time loss!

 

[Ronin]

A-ha ;) Thanks so much all so far, as gives me an idea where I & people may differ / I don't take threat to anything not life an emergency, and seems to them basic health concerns blip as more acute.

Ditto to threat to life I file by if I perceive myself able to sort it, or not / not an emergency to that degree if it's just me and can sort it.

Still thinking of this as the whole concept & variables is crazy loaded in my head, but for now the thread goal was find common ground and commonalities and all suggestions super helpful to that.

 

[Chris-duck]

Immediate threat to life.

This is how I define emergency too.

Ditto to threat to life I file by if I perceive myself able to sort it, or not / not an emergency to that degree if it's just me and can sort it.

I also agree with this, but it's more problematic in a lot of cases. Cos a situation involving only me that I think I can sort could be an emergency to someone looking on cos it's not just them n something they're able to sort if that makes any sense at all ?

And since it's concerning MH issues, how accurate is your own assessment of what other people would see as an emergency? Assuming they agree it's only an emergency if it involves a direct threat to your life.

 

[Mee]

Yes there are threat to lives and emergencies that we can resolve without outside intervention.

There are things thT are a threat to life that are not emergencies too.

 

[Ronin]

This is how I define emergency too.

I also agree with this, but it's more problematic in a lot of cases.

And since it's concerning MH issues, how accurate is your own assessment of what other people would see as an emergency? Assuming they agree it's only an emergency if it involves a direct threat to your life.

Yep, definitely makes sense.

I think I struggle more with the others aspect... e.g. not a problem I'm being threatened by armed fellas... becomes a hell of a problem if I have a kid I need to shield & keep alive. Sort of thing. The what makes things emergency in my book are other people and how my state affects these / mobility & functionality of everyone. Not just that asshole moi has this or that puddle.

And therapy ppl keep coming with the no comprendo bits of Need to be well even if immediately not effecting others / when my momentary unwell *is* the best outcome, that I'll bounce from, and keep others distracted long enough.

But treatment fellas keep coming with suggestions of what all *needs* more care that I'm :shifty: :mask: about.

Re. MH, yeah, that's other thing treatment supports people and I are still talking out. They red flag a lot of things I take as need mind only if people who lived the same redflag it too / or from people without extensive trauma histories, who I though have a few serious obligations to.

So the... tldr whose eyes I value on this and would listen to, is the bit of need to figure how much off target I am.

 

[Friday]

Still thinking of this as the whole concept & variables is crazy loaded in my head, but for now the thread goal was find common ground and commonalities and all suggestions super helpful to that.

Something my son’s hospital did was remove the whole “emergency” aspect. These were kids who were sent home with conditions/symptoms that would have rated an ambulance being sent... IF... they and their parents hadn’t just spent several months in the hospital, and being trained in how to provide fairly high level home care. So WHEN do you head back to the hospital if most people’s “emergency” is your easy morning?

Green Yellow Red

Green = (Our) Normal (911 for anyone else). Chart it, but no worries.

Yellow 1 = Uptick in symptoms, not worrying per se although noticeably different = ring the Dept. to update them &/or get bounce things off of &/or get a new symptom list to cross check. Probably continue home care, may be told to come in.

Yellow 2 = Feeling paranoid? Ditto. Trust your instincts and call. You’re probably noticing something. We’ll probably have you come in, priority, but calling gives us the chance for an easy fix over the phone, or to shuffle our schedule before you get here.

Red = Don’t call the hospital, call 911

^^^^
That bloke I was seeing who dealt exclusively with cops/firefighters/NGO? Had a similar system. You can handle green, yellow, and red. That’s not the issue. The issue is backup. As in you rate it, even though you don’t “need” it. Hit yellow? Call. Because backup. Lemme do my job, helping you do your job. <<< He really did believe that, by the by. That he was absolutely unnecessary, because we COULD handle ourselves. Not needed, but wanted. It was the single best trust-thing I’ve ever come across in therapy. Because he trusted me to handle my shit, I trusted him when my shit was getting hard to handle. Not impossible, just hard. Exactly when someone wants backup. >>> Ditto, he had an after action report thing. Because, he said, he didn’t work with ANYONE who was capable of recognizing a “crisis” until it was over. So if I realized I’d just sorted a crisis? Ring him. One of the. best. things. ever. In part because AFTER a crisis is when I break down, and in part because it kicked all the cognitive distortions to the curb running through an after action report with HIM, rather than my own head. What was done well, could be better, total pooch screw. Everything broken down, and laid out, in a useful way... that let me handle the next one, even better.

 

[Tinyflame]

and all suggestions super helpful to that.

I will write only because of the above, but not sure if it's helpful.

'Emergency' to me is anything that so threatens loved ones, or a person, or myself, or what is valued and necessary to 'live', and by live' I mean what makes life livable/ possible or worthwhile, that the loss of it is grave, and when not acting or not accompanying is going to make the situation worse than doing so.

When it comes to MH, esp SI, I don't know if anyone would view their own condition as an 'emergency' (I doubt it). Though there may be the knowledge that not getting help could lead to an emergency for others, in so far as they be bothered, than for one's self.

and since I look out for the wins always, there's always a hilarious angle.

Which my support people also find mildly concerning.

I actually don't think this ^^ is a bad thing; in fact finding the ridiculous amidst emergencies and tragedies is not only simply calm, and within focus, but I would also say a strength & perhaps common within such times. I do it, I'm sure many do. I think it's just a cross between irony and survival, and not denial (as practitioners may see it. In fact, they may think you present too well, on the other hand). If people have your back and suggest something, it's worth listening. If they can't hear you, or really don't care, it's not, is what I think.

ETA, also, an emergency or something of import, would be that which recognizes what can help prevent something from turning in to a grave situation or crisis, before it happens (not an emergency, but one in so far as it will be short-headed in to one).
:hug:

 

[Freida]

I told my trainees: If there's no weapons in play, nothings on fire, everyone is breathing and no ones bleeding you have time to sort out the situation. At that point it might or might not be an emergency:

So then you triage:
Emergency means: Weapons involved, suicidal/homicidal subject on a rampage and a danger to others, medical condition (unconscious and not breathing), somethings on fire.

Not quite but could be emergency: Pending threat to life, impaired (drunk/drugged) subject doing something stupid, medical condition is unstable, its a little fire

Not an emergency: someone broke into my car, a broken arm from falling off a balcony, my 5 year old won't go to bed ( a WAY too common 911 call :banghead:)

And yep -- everyone I knew laughed at inappropriate crap and that made (other) people uncomfortable sometimes. Maladaptive coping technique and all that. My t gets it - finally :laugh:

 

[Ronin]

@Tinyflame, super useful - the mind the escalation potential & mind effects on others reminder.

@Friday I had a Q, somewhere... That I soo hope to come back to when our brain decides it's not stupid shit to stfu about and move, and if not moving it, at least stfu harder. :banghead: But yeah. Talk after = good idea, backup = theory rocking practice tangled as f*ck with longterm miseducation buggers wrecking havoc.

@Freida that was seriously the best delineation I read in a good long while. :tup: :D Goldstar, you.