Going into hospital now… mention ptsd or anxiety?

[Smile]

What’s more beneficial for me? Will they treat me better or worse?
I’m going in bc I fell in my back… but anxieties rearing it’s ugly head

 

[joeylittle]

What’s more beneficial for me? Will they treat me better or worse?

It's always hard to know - but I'd encourage you to practice all the anxiety management skills you've got, keep breathing and re-grounding yourself; and, if there's a circumstance where it would help them do their medical jobs better if you let them know more about what's going on with you, do that.

 

[Mee]

What is your instinct? I do prewarn people for examination as I can dislike touch and breathe in a way that grounds me but is audible and can worry healthcare providers. I want them to be aware that’s not a symptom of a problem I’m seeing them for . I also don’t much like feeling restricted so if I am on a gurney or similar what them to know I might be staving off a panic attack .

 

[Sues]

I work in a hospital. In ER it's always chaos and busy. I wouldn't mention it when you first check in. I'd wait until you start to get physically checked by the nurse or doc, or if something comes up and you need to mention it sooner. They should be accommodating and understanding.

 

[Sideways]

I'd mention both at some point during the admissions process. And then unless the admission was to a psych facility, I'd probably not elaborate any further.

That way (1) they instantly understand all the damn meds I take, and things like "the anti-psychotic isn't for psychosis", just like my heart med isn't for a heart condition; and (b) if a problem comes up for me down the line related to my mental health, then I can add relevant context, without them being caught off guard.

The same way I handle other medical conditions, like migraine. "I get migraines, but it should be fine". That way, worst case scenario I get a migraine? I'm not starting from scratch explaining the situation mid-episode.

 

[spinningmytires]

The hospital medical staff will usually monitor the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and watch for any signs of anxiety and panic. So I’d suspect, they’ll be well aware of your mental state while monitoring you. I think I was given a mild anxiety drug during my initial hospital stay due to my unsuspected TBI, both pre-op and post-op.

In fact every time they had to touch me they would first knock me out with drugs. They were bathing me, changing my gowns and everything else while I was asleep. It was very disorienting for the first few days. If your hospital stay is anything like mine, they’ll notice your stress levels on their monitors and simply knock you out. The straps on the gurney are there for your protection just like a guard rails on the sides of your bed. No one wants you to land on the floor and risk an injury.

General anxiety disorder is already listed in my medical records so is, dissociative episodes with suspected victim of sexual abuse. I don’t see this as a problem and not until after my 5 week hospital stay with rehab did they finally remove my earlier diagnosis of schizophrenia.

I do think there had been some bias against me with this earlier diagnosis of schizophrenia or perhaps, these few people were merely having a bad day and were grumpy with everyone, who knows. Yet technically my treatment was the same.

If you’re going to be anesthetized they will want to know if, you’ve been previously traumatized and might then unknowingly fight the medical staff while not yet fully conscious.

 

[Smile]

Thanks all! I didn’t mention it & all went well

 

[Mach123]

I’ve never been happy with the reactions I’ve gotten and I don’t do it anymore. Not unless I feel compelled during. I feel I know when now, but most of the time I don’t . Glad it worked out.

 

[HealingMama]

I do not generally mention it, but after something happens I will. Like, I had to get a lung function test, nobody told me what to expect, and I had a really hard time with it. If my PTSD might make me physically violent when triggered, I'd probably say something.

I hope you're feeling okay!

 

[Freddyt]

I say something. Mostly because my trauma happened in a hospital so its really stressful to start with. Not to mention they like my right arm for some reason and want to stick needles and IV in it and for sure that will end in me being triggered.
There is a second reason and that is because in a hospital environment there are lots of people involved and its not hard for someone to do the wrong thing. If I am triggered I don't need anybody panicking around me. Being non verbal and affected in a hospital can make things way worse. To them things like TIA, stroke, drop in blood pressure, and all the other physical stuff can be interpeted as life threatening. All the activity noise and confusion and stress are going to make things really bad.