Epic Beard Man
Bearded Philosopher
As some of you know I work with psychiatric patients at my local hospital in Los Angeles California and I've noticed (at least on this forum in Dope's thread) there is a pattern I've learned with psychiatric patients is that a lot of them tend to justify the behavior of others. By justification, I'm not saying they intently justify the destructive behavior (although some drug addicts do) but they tend to say "hey this guy was just tormented" or "hey he is an intelligent guy and rational" yet by doing such waters down the ultimately destructive behavior of that individual. One of the infinitely frustrating things us clinicians face especially in emergency medicine and psychiatry are those that DO NOT WANT HELP.
For example I tend to deal with a lot of homeless individuals who are drug addicts with nowhere to go and what happens is a lot of them utilize emergency rooms as "hotels" of sorts by complaining of suicidal ideation. Usually, when that happens we triage them and place them in a room or a waiting room. A physician will do a second assessment of their medical/mental health. Usually the question is "do you want to harm yourself or others?" The usual response is "yes" the following question is "how would you do it?" The usual answer would be "jump into traffic" or you'll get some interesting answers.
Many of these individuals get placed on holds for 72 hours (5150) then go to our psychiatric facility and get follow up treatment there. I think many of us clinicians (myself included) get jaded are those that receive follow up help care in the form of referrals and other forms which ought to aid them. Most times these patients throw these referrals in the trash. Some try to follow up and just fall off the road (these are the ones I feel sorry for because they're really trying)) but I've noticed a lot of psychiatric patients do not want to get better because it forces them to actually do the work and not have their hand held doing it.
People need to want to get better. I was an idealist before getting into mental health but I've been slightly jaded in the sense that a lot of people overuse emergency rooms as a means to have this cyclical scheme where they're like "hey let me smoke this meth and act crazy, have the police pick me up and place me on a hold and do this all over again." I'm of the opinion that if you want to kill yourself, do it. If you want to give up the life God gave you do it. But it makes no sense that if me or any other clinician sit down and actually look you in the eye and sincerely want you to get treatment, it gets spat back in our face. I mean, suicidal patients have no problem demanding food and juice but wont demand to get better by getting help. But it seems doing the work yourself is too much and this is the additional problem of mental health. People need to have a want to get better, using temporary services like emergency rooms is not the answer.
Edit: I've been suicidal before after my mother's passing and while cleaning my gun one day, assembled my gun back placed one bullet in the chamber coked it back and held it to my head. The only thing that kept me from doing it (aside from being afraid) was I made a promise to my mother I'd graduate college. Also, what would my family think of my brain matter being splattered all over the walls? What would my brother who loves me think? How would that effect him or my extended family? The road has never been easy and I personally continue to fight demons of depression, anger, and rage but God dang it, if I can truck it through I know someone in a far worse situation can. People need to have the mentality of refusing to lay down and die.
For example I tend to deal with a lot of homeless individuals who are drug addicts with nowhere to go and what happens is a lot of them utilize emergency rooms as "hotels" of sorts by complaining of suicidal ideation. Usually, when that happens we triage them and place them in a room or a waiting room. A physician will do a second assessment of their medical/mental health. Usually the question is "do you want to harm yourself or others?" The usual response is "yes" the following question is "how would you do it?" The usual answer would be "jump into traffic" or you'll get some interesting answers.
Many of these individuals get placed on holds for 72 hours (5150) then go to our psychiatric facility and get follow up treatment there. I think many of us clinicians (myself included) get jaded are those that receive follow up help care in the form of referrals and other forms which ought to aid them. Most times these patients throw these referrals in the trash. Some try to follow up and just fall off the road (these are the ones I feel sorry for because they're really trying)) but I've noticed a lot of psychiatric patients do not want to get better because it forces them to actually do the work and not have their hand held doing it.
People need to want to get better. I was an idealist before getting into mental health but I've been slightly jaded in the sense that a lot of people overuse emergency rooms as a means to have this cyclical scheme where they're like "hey let me smoke this meth and act crazy, have the police pick me up and place me on a hold and do this all over again." I'm of the opinion that if you want to kill yourself, do it. If you want to give up the life God gave you do it. But it makes no sense that if me or any other clinician sit down and actually look you in the eye and sincerely want you to get treatment, it gets spat back in our face. I mean, suicidal patients have no problem demanding food and juice but wont demand to get better by getting help. But it seems doing the work yourself is too much and this is the additional problem of mental health. People need to have a want to get better, using temporary services like emergency rooms is not the answer.
Edit: I've been suicidal before after my mother's passing and while cleaning my gun one day, assembled my gun back placed one bullet in the chamber coked it back and held it to my head. The only thing that kept me from doing it (aside from being afraid) was I made a promise to my mother I'd graduate college. Also, what would my family think of my brain matter being splattered all over the walls? What would my brother who loves me think? How would that effect him or my extended family? The road has never been easy and I personally continue to fight demons of depression, anger, and rage but God dang it, if I can truck it through I know someone in a far worse situation can. People need to have the mentality of refusing to lay down and die.
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I'm not really labeling myself with a religion anymore, but I believe there is a higher power, a God who sees all of our struggles. And however we label that higher power, I feel it/him. I feel spiritual more than anything, and if your Catholic faith gives you hope, hang onto it. If studying Islam gives you hope, hang onto it. Whatever it is, hang onto those positive things, that can bring you hope.