Have Your Rights Been Violated As A Result Of Being Mentally Ill?

[twinkle30]

When I had my first full blown psychotic episode at the age of 26 I didn't know what was going on. I took it as possibly being suicidal. It was just an uncomfortable feeling with a lot of symptoms ( I have schizophrenia). So I ended up calling a crisis hotline and asking them what to do. They said I needed to go to the hospital and walked me through the steps and also told me what to pack for my hospital stay. Clothing and medications that were not psych meds. So I packed my clothing and birth control and went on my way.

The next day after being admitted the nurse gave me my birth control and psych meds the hospital doc had prescribed. Later on that day a nurse assistant approached me to ask me if I was married .I replied that I was not. Well she then went on a long rant about sexual purity and how inappropriate it was for an unmarried woman to take birth control and how the mentally ill should not be sexually active. I told her I was not sexually active at the time and was taking the pills for my PCOS. PCOS is a hormonal disorder that left untreated could lead to diabetes, infertility, painful cysts growing on the ovaries, ect.

Well that answer wasn't good enough for her and she told me she would inform my nurse I would not be taking anymore birth control. I am usually a pretty outspoken person but understand I was very sick and not in the place to advocate for myself. I was in there for 20 days and did not receive birth control other than that first day. After I was released my period came and it was extremely painful. It took months to undo the damage.

At the time I thought maybe it was just an isolated incident that happened to me. Over time though I have come to realize that stuff like this happens to mentally ill people all the time. When you "go crazy" you really do lose all your rights. Everyone makes decisions for you.

I just wanted to know if anyone had had similar experiences.

 

[LuckyDuck]

First off, that nurse is a douchebag who powertrips and has narcissism.

Second, yes. I don't feel comfortable talking much about it but in short I lost sight for awhile because of medications and a nurse got fired.

LD

 

[twinkle30]

Oh my that must have been really scary. For some reason my most common nightmare is losing my vision.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I told her I was not sexually active at the time and was taking the pills for my PCOS. PCOS is a hormonal disorder that left untreated could lead to diabetes, infertility, painful cysts growing on the ovaries, ect.

I havent had this experience and VERY sorry that you did! :hug:

I just wanted to say that I also have PCOS (though dont have mentrual cycles but maybe 3 times a year which makes every Dr force you to take a preg test) and though Im not longer on birth control for this, I was given it to help regulate hormones so its not like 'not known' and even if it is all you have to do is google PCOS and birth control. Idiots!

Again, im sorry this happened to you! Whats the issue with being not married and sexually active anyway? Id tell them "yes, I have a shit load of sex but thats none of your business" just to f*ck with them! You're there for mental health, not a lesson in "morals"! I repeat, idiots!

Im sorry this happened! :hug:

 

[twinkle30]

Well I was also raised in a religious household so I get that there are people that wait for marriage. Nothing wrong with that. So that's another reason I was respectful to this lady's beliefs. I mean my parents have the same beliefs but they also believe people should be able to get properly medicated. They also never said anything to my brothers when they moved in with their girlfriends before marriage. In other words they don't push their beliefs on other people.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

In other words they don't push their beliefs on other people.

Yeah, thats my thing with my family. They are fire & brimstone or whatever sort of people.

I respect all beliefs, all relligons, just dont push it on me.

I grew up in early yrs in a Nazereene church, my therapist says they are fundalmentalist christians. I dont know, due to my past all of the god stuff confuses me but i dont get a hospital like judging you about it, especially after you told her what it was actually for! I was give birth control for PCOS in my early 20s over 10 yrs ago, its not like not a known treatment for it.

 

[Ronin]

Frequently.

Still at it. It's the manner in which it's done at the moment that concerns me more. Or basically: If I'm not detained without my consent just because abusers twisted the story and made my self defense me being a perpetrator, again, I tend to cope. If the opposite, I cope, but it's hella uglier kind of coping. Me + imprisonment don't mesh together.

 

[Fadeaway]

Yes, it has happened to me. A number of times.

@lostforgottensoul They are indeed fundamentalist. My grandfather was a pentecostal Nazarene associate pastor. And for much of my childhood we went to a nazerene (nonpentecostal denomination variant ) church and I went to the private school affiliated with that church.

 

[Ronin]

I admire you guys for getting through it.

What I know of pentecostals have been so overwhelmingly horror stories. Mucho respect to everyone able to get through it and then carry on with their lives.

 

[Pakadlangitok]

(((Twinkle)))) What a horrible "nurse." Hideous. Report her. Go up as far as possible to her supervisor, the board the whole darn authorizing organization. Once they let me out of the hospital suicidal because there was no shrink in the Er. They gave me a PAMPHLET to the local mental health agency. I went there for help! I was so upset and floored, especially since my very best friend in the world HAD walked out of same place and killed himself!!!
I was just SO upset!!!! All I kept thinking about was my friend and how I was feeling what he felt and I had to fight so hard to even think straight. But next day, ,oh I burned up the phones and then wrote tons of letters and refused to stop until I talked to supervisors and the supervisor of the supervisors. I was calm and used my educated language and took it all the way to DHHS........and now they DO have a shrink in the ER which is something I am happy about.
She probably has done it to others and has no place there. In fact it is not even ethical. Seriously, if it still bothers you after a time has passed, report her to help yourself and others to whom she will assault verbally.
. Oh I am mad even hearing about that nurse. GRRRRRR.