topic Interactions with health professionals in Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

Interactions with health professionals

Gem17 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 08:02:12 GMT

I've recently had some negative interactions with health professionals, mostly in the emergency department of the hospital, related to my mental health and specifically around SH. These have left me feeling quite traumatised. I am doing better now as I have spoken to my psychologist about these experiences but I am wondering if anyone else has had these experiences? It was quite upsetting because it took a lot of courage to seek help when I needed it and to be that vulnerable and then made to feel like a waste of time and space was hard.

Interactions with health professionals

mmMekitty — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 08:48:19 GMT

Hello Gem17,

I haven't been through anything like this experience you have spoken about. I can't explain, & wouldn't even try to rationalise how you were treated. It's just not right.

There still seems a long way to go before Mental Health/Illness is acknowledged as being as real & as important as Physical/Biological Health & Disease/Illness is,

I'm glad you could talk to your psychologist about your experience. I imagine goingthrough that might make going there again less likely for you, if you thought you needed help.

You don't go there to be judged, but to get help, onto treatment, stuff like anybody coming in with an injury or with severe flue-like symptoms would.

Isn't it discriminatory? Can you complain about your treatment? I know that would be very hard, but we need to try. Maybe someone to advocate for us?

It's so frustrating. I'm not sure I would know what to do, if I could feel I could make a complaint, but I know I want to, for nyself, for anyone.

I expect someothers will be along to talk with you some more, & maybe be of more help? I hope so.

mmMekitty

Interactions with health professionals

Gem17 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:06:41 GMT

Your response was helpful. Thank you! Just having someone appreciate and acknowdge how difficult it can be is helpful.

I was actually quite shocked with how little understanding of mental health some of the people I interacted with had. I haven't had much experience with receiving support for my mental health through the emergency department until recently so I guess I was unaware of how different it can be. On some of the occasions, people were understanding and supportive however on other occasions they were obviously frustrated with me and were quite rough with their treatment of me, not listening when I tried to non-verbally express how I was feeling (as I wasn't really able to communicate verbally because I had shut down). It unfortunately makes the thought of having to go back there again difficult, though I also know that if that's the level of support I need, it's where I will need to go.

Interactions with health professionals

smallwolf — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 10:23:50 GMT

You said ...

It unfortunately makes the thought of having to go back there again difficult

It can be quite upsetting and frustrating when others do not understand what you go (or are going) through. My psychiatrist has given me some tips on these types of situations and as hard as it might sound I have to put some people into a group "they will never understand" and for myself "rise above".

And you are good enough as you are!

Interactions with health professionals

Gem17 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 10:39:59 GMT

That is good advice, especially for the general public but wouldn't you expect doctors and nurses, trained medical professionals, to know better and to be a bit more understanding? I feel like when we are unwell and in crisis due to mental health that maybe we should be treated with the same respect and empathy as someone who was unwell and in crisis with physical illness.

Interactions with health professionals

geoff — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 15:24:14 GMT

Hello Gem, this can easily happen, unfortunately, more times than we would ever imagine.

My sister wanted me to see a psychologist 2 hours away when I was depressed and on the second session said that could not help me when I was self mediating on alcohol and didn't want to see me again until I stopped.

What she didn't take into account was to find out why I was drinking and couldn't, but mostly didn't want to know, which I felt disappointed being pushed away like this.

The last psychologist I visited about three times always said that I don't need to take any medication, not for depression, OCD, anxiety or even pain, so I asked him if he had to suffer from a dislocated hip, he said no and that he would be able to control his mind so that the pain wasn't an issue with a smile on his face, that's when I left.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

Interactions with health professionals

Gem17 — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:17:39 GMT

Hi Geoff,

I'm sorry to hear that you too have had struggles with health care professionals. It definitely makes something like getting help, which is already tricky, even harder.

Interactions with health professionals

feralchik — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 11:22:56 GMT

Hi Gem17,

You are certainly not alone in these experiences I assure you. I have experienced the same and know of numerous others too. I think overall it is the whole system to blame. I don't know which health professionals you are referring to exactly, but I imagine you may be referring to the CATT or crisis assessment team, but I am not really sure either. I think the problem is that there are limited psych hospital beds and limited immediate services. I think they need more services for people who are suicidal, perhaps like halfway places, as hospitals may not be good for everyone. It can be a bit traumatising too I think being admitted into a psych ward as well. I think sometimes you have to be really psychotic basically to be admitted into the hospital. That is in the public system I mean. The problem is there is not much understanding of how this screening process can make people feel. I certainly understand how the whole process can be traumatising and make people feel worse. I experienced a similar sort of push-pull experience, and experienced it numerous time with public mental health service. On one side you are encouraged to reach out for help but can receive a reaction like you shouldn't have bothered. It is incredibly confusing. I even had a counsellor beg me to go to the hospital once and she came and picked me up after hours and drove me to the hospital because I found it so hard to walk in myself. I was worried I wasting peoples time and felt ashamed. I waited hours to see the crisis team, which ended up being just one woman and by that time it was late at night. After all that time, I was just told to go home and felt treated like there was nothing wrong with me. I hated myself and my suicidal thoughts intensified even more. I think I did end up being admitted after I just ran out of the hospital. Maybe it was not the crisis workers intention to make me or anyone feel like they have wasted peoples time, but that is sort of what the whole process does and it is really not good. I wonder sometimes whether it can even have fatal consequences too. I think the whole problem lies with the hospital service kind of being overloaded and so they have to do this kind of intense risk screening but without understanding how it can make people feel. I hope this helps a little and hope you are feeling a bit better now.

Interactions with health professionals

Gem17 — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:48:12 GMT

Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. They sound very similar to what I have been experiencing. I'm sorry to hear you've also faced these challenges.

Recently, I've been left feeling as though I am a burden and wasting everyone's time when I'm feeling like I'm at crisis point. I don't know about you, but it's taken a lot for me to get to the point where I am asking for help so to have my struggles trivialised and joked about, ignored and completely disregarded and to be made to feel like I'm over reacting and wasting everyone's time has been hard. I can understand and appreciate that there is a lot of pressure on the public health system, including mental health, but being treated this way doesn't feel right - it's frustrating.

Interactions with health professionals

geoff — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 16:35:01 GMT

Hello Gem, what has been said can certainly be the case, especially when a therapist asks you why you are feeling this way, and then tells you that you shouldn't be like this, rather than getting down to the reason, that's what helps you, but when they say the former, only makes you close up and not tell them and that's not how to help you.

A person comes to a therapist for a reason and wants to open up, but not to be told otherwise.

Geoff.

Interactions with health professionals

feralchik — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 15:18:10 GMT

Hi Gem17, sorry for my delay in answering you. I didn't seem to get any notification that you had replied to my post and I was sort of expecting I would if you replied. I am sort of not really regular on here. I have just sort of been drifting in and out I suppose of the forums the last few weeks. I have been feeling a bit low myself, but not at a suicidal point at all, but I have been there in the past. I am really sorry to hear of your experience and the way you are feeling at the moment.. It is really difficult I know. All I can say I think is just keep reaching out for support when you feel you need it. I think you will find that some health professionals, counsellors are better or more suited to you than others, and have more understanding than others. If you feel you are really frightened you will do something - talk to someone. I have found lifeline helpful too, but again you may not feel understood by everyone on there either. The Suicide call back service is another good one. I am sure the number is listed on here or if you just google it. It will come up. I struggled with suicidal thoughts for a long time, like over several years and never thought I would be free of them and that I would succumb to them. Its a horrible dark and painful place to be in. You may not feel you will ever be free, but things can change and get better. I am not sure in the finish what made them finally leave for me. It may have been finding the right medication, or maybe it was just time and a realisation that no matter how much a part of me wanted to die, or thought I should, I just couldn't. I have had now several years of being really free of them and the depression or whatever it was that was wrong with me. I did spend a number of times in hospital, even one stint for a few months once, but like I said being in the hospital, especially the public system may not be the best solution for everyone. I don't know now if sometimes that made me feel worse, but it may have been my shame and feeling stigma with being in a mental hosptial, also I have social anxiety quite bad and live alone, so it was somewhat confronting I suppose being surrounded by people and having to talk to so many people, like doctors and nurses etc. But if you really are feeling you are going to hurt yourself, it is the safest place to be if you have no other alternatives and I found most of the staff in the actual hospital part good but again you can have mixed experiences.. Take care.

Interactions with health professionals

Gem17 — Sat, 18 Dec 2021 08:43:53 GMT

Hi feralchik,

Thank you again for your response. It sounds like you've had some varied experiences, some positive and some not so much.

It's hard knowing that if I get to the point where I don't feel safe that I will ultimately need to take myself back to the hospital where I end up feeling worse, but am at least safe. I'm hoping all the work I'm putting in with therapists will mean I don't end up feeling like that again!

Interactions with health professionals

Chris_Tas — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 06:54:07 GMT

I've been hospital and in custody many times this year.

The front line have been absolutely amazing.

However in hospital I've been treated very poorly and belittled.

I accept it but please know the people treating you are humans, not robots.

Poor help is inevitable and I was told last time I'm "just a drink loser" yet I'm qualified in Law.

Try to focus on how you feel not how others think.

I'm no expert it simply helped me last few times in hospital.

Interactions with health professionals

Miiia — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 12:53:01 GMT

I attempted suicide about 10 years ago & the police & paramedics who attended were supportive & amazing but one nurse in ED was so horrible & made me feel so insignificant, stupid & not worth her precious nursing time. She had just inserted a cannula for the drugs & said to me "you do realise we have really sick patients who need these beds" & rushed off to attend to an incoming accident patient. I was already feeling like I wish I had died, so I chewed off the cannula, grabbed my clothes & ran to the nearest bathroom to get changed into my clothes. I calmly walked out the front entrance (at 1am) & rushed to my car. I drove around for hours not knowing the police were searching for me. When I arrived home around 3 hours later, the police were waiting to take me back to hospital. I was scheduled into ICU and had a guard placed outside my room for 2 days. If that nurse had NOT been such a callous, cold hearted "caring nurse", I would have obviously stayed. I never reported the incident with her. I have had many other suicide attempts since & the nursing staff have been amazing. Just wish my own GP cared about me. When I told him a year ago, I wanted to suicide, he just laughed. What is wrong with these "health care professionals" ??? Maybe my GP is hoping my next suicide attempt will succeed so he will finally be free of another annoying mental health nut case. (I only refer to myself as that so please don't take offense).

Interactions with health professionals

mmMekitty — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:12:49 GMT

Hello Miiia,

Time fpr a mew GP? I would say so. It can be hard to find a GP who has a specific interest in the mental health of their patients, but they are out there. Many GP practices have their own websites, so you could google the practice name & often they also have a list of the GPs working there,& a little about each & what areas of medicine theyhave an interest in. That could steer you in the right direction.

People living near you may go to the same gP's practice & see other GPs. You could maybe talk to these people & find out how they are treated by their GPs, & get some sort of idea from that.

Mostly, you just have to keep trying until you find one who seems to care & who will have time for you. & hope they don't leave the practice!

I've had that happen before.

Finally I do think I've found a pretty good GP. It's been so long, I'd wondered if it's me that has the problem, but no, some of them really do have a problem when it comes to mental health issues.

mmMekitty

Interactions with health professionals

Miiia — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:49:00 GMT

Hello mmMeKitty,

Thanks for your reply. I only go to this GP because he does "walk ins" at 6.30am and due to my chronic anxiety & depression, I arrive at his surgery at 5.30am so I am his first patient. I hate being seen in public. I also have a disfiguring disease which I am so self conscious of & he is fully aware of this. He is fairly easy to get repeat scripts off so that's the main reason I go to him.

Where I live it is so hard to get in to see a new GP anyway. Better the devil you know and all that. I also never leave my home unless its at 7am for food for my little dog or the chemist at 8am for prescribed drugs otherwise I stay home, secluded from everyone. I never answer my front door if the doorbell rings or answer my phone unless I know who is calling.

Thank you for your reply and suggestions. Not sure I'll be around long enough to really be concerned about anything to do with life. My sister is calling my name. Hugs xxx

Interactions with health professionals

geoff — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:14:13 GMT

Hello Chris_Tas, in all that's been said I to have been called 'just a drink loser' in those terms and many other sayings by both psych's and family/friends which only exemplifies the problem.

The trouble with this is when you are referred to as being like this no medication (AD) will be prescribed, so it's a catch-22.

Take care.

Geoff.

Interactions with health professionals

mmMekitty — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 14:28:21 GMT

Hello Miiia,

Given the last of your last sentence s post, "...Not sure I'll be around long enough to really be concerned about anything to do with life. My sister is calling my name.

...", I need to ask, are you at risk of harming yourself?

If you are at immediate ristk of harming yourself, you need to call 000.

Otherwise, would you call BB's own counselling service, on:

1300 22 46 36 please?

mmMekitty

Interactions with health professionals

Chris_Tas — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 09:47:54 GMT

I read your entire post and I completely understand and sympathise.

Nurses are usually great imo but I've had a few who made my situation much (MUCH) worse with the "beds are for sick people not you".

I refuse now to listen to it and I encourage you to listen to better people only and do the same (if you can)

Chris

Interactions with health professionals

Chris_Tas — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 12:29:07 GMT

I'm a very direct but person.

If you don't get the help you need, demand it.

Nurses and Drs just another day and couldn't care less.