- Post starter
- #229
I ended up calling one of the SA nurses last night. I tried using just crisis line, and doing activities to keep me busy but that was working. I called the hospital to have the SA nurse paged, and then she called me back shortly after. I told her I was very suicidal and tried to deal with it on my own since I got off work hours before. She convinced me to go into the hospital with her. She met me at the ER doors and went back with me.
She helped explain things for me that I couldn't say to the triage nurse. They took me back into an area of the emergency department where they keep suicidal people. It was pleasant looking, it was actually very scary. Two security guards sitting at the entrance, big heavy metal doors with circular windows. It literally looked like something off of a psych horror movie. In the room there was one way glass against one wall, a stretcher bolted to the wall, a chair bolted to the ground. A sheet was used to cover up the restraints that were on the bed.
I sat on the stretcher against the wall, and the SA nurse sat in the chair. She talked to me the entire time. Asked me about my pets, about work. She kept me distracted the entire time which I appreciate. Then the psychiatric nurse came in, her and the SA nurse stepped out together and the SA nurse gave a lot of background information so I didn't have to rehash it all out. The psychiatric nurse came back in alone and talked to me. Asked me questions about how I've been feeling, past thoughts, attempts, told me what my options were (be admitted for a few days, or go home and come back as an outpatient). She asked what I wanted, what I thought I would benefit better from, if one of those options would help more than the other.
She was very nice, spoke very softly to me (which I needed, it was calming), she also called me names like sweetheart, darling, honey... it was different being called nice names like that. I know that would irritate some people, and it would me too depending on the tone behind the names. But this nurse didn't sound patronizing. Listening to her talk to me like that actually made me want to have a hug from her.
The psych nurse left and my SA nurse came back in and stayed with me until the doctor came in. Again we went over my options. They are going to help me set up resources to make the stronger anti depressant I was on before more affordable without a drug plan, I go on Tuesday or Wednesday morning to see a psychiatrist at the hospital outpatient clinic. They are going to "diagnose" me, maybe help me set up disability if need be. They seem to think that working might not be the best thing for me, so they are going to show me different options and help me put them in place if need be.
I slept for the first time last night. It was short, but still sleep. They sent me home with a few ativan to dissolve under my tongue. Now I'm off to work.
She helped explain things for me that I couldn't say to the triage nurse. They took me back into an area of the emergency department where they keep suicidal people. It was pleasant looking, it was actually very scary. Two security guards sitting at the entrance, big heavy metal doors with circular windows. It literally looked like something off of a psych horror movie. In the room there was one way glass against one wall, a stretcher bolted to the wall, a chair bolted to the ground. A sheet was used to cover up the restraints that were on the bed.
I sat on the stretcher against the wall, and the SA nurse sat in the chair. She talked to me the entire time. Asked me about my pets, about work. She kept me distracted the entire time which I appreciate. Then the psychiatric nurse came in, her and the SA nurse stepped out together and the SA nurse gave a lot of background information so I didn't have to rehash it all out. The psychiatric nurse came back in alone and talked to me. Asked me questions about how I've been feeling, past thoughts, attempts, told me what my options were (be admitted for a few days, or go home and come back as an outpatient). She asked what I wanted, what I thought I would benefit better from, if one of those options would help more than the other.
She was very nice, spoke very softly to me (which I needed, it was calming), she also called me names like sweetheart, darling, honey... it was different being called nice names like that. I know that would irritate some people, and it would me too depending on the tone behind the names. But this nurse didn't sound patronizing. Listening to her talk to me like that actually made me want to have a hug from her.
The psych nurse left and my SA nurse came back in and stayed with me until the doctor came in. Again we went over my options. They are going to help me set up resources to make the stronger anti depressant I was on before more affordable without a drug plan, I go on Tuesday or Wednesday morning to see a psychiatrist at the hospital outpatient clinic. They are going to "diagnose" me, maybe help me set up disability if need be. They seem to think that working might not be the best thing for me, so they are going to show me different options and help me put them in place if need be.
I slept for the first time last night. It was short, but still sleep. They sent me home with a few ativan to dissolve under my tongue. Now I'm off to work.
