What Happens When You Go To Hospital

[Shannon-Lee]

Hi all

I’m 51 year old suffering PTSD anxiety and depression following accident that killed my husband 3 years ago. Functionally normally in day to day life but legal stuff happening (finally) and it is bringing back all my PTSD symptoms and I am having self harm thoughts. 
I know the hospital system is crowded and don’t want to sit in waiting room for hours in tears and not coping: and then worried about what happens next. I want to know what happens when you go to A&E in this situation? 

[Sophie_M]

Hi Shannon-Lee,

Thank you for your post today and welcome to our online forum family. We are glad you reached out and really want you to know that you're not alone on your journey to better mental health.

We're so sorry to hear of your loss and can hear how difficult it has been for you, and how troubled you are feeling right now.  We've reached out to you privately this evening to offer you additional support, please check your inbox.


We understand your uncertainty and concerns at what it may be like but IMPORTANT NOTE - PLEASE: Call 000 (triple zero) if you are in immediate danger to yourself, or take yourself to your nearest Emergency Department for mental health assistance if you feel at risk at any time.

Thanks again for posting Shannon-Lee and please feel free to check back in to update us anytime, it shouldn't be too long before one of our lovely community members contributes to your thread, in the meantime, please take care of you, you are important to us.

Kind regards,

Sophie M

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear Shannon-Lee,

A very warm and caring welcome to our forums…

My support worker had to take me to A&E once a couple of years ago….as I was in a PTSD downer and not doing really well….We did see the Triage nurse and told to sit down for a while…after around half hour the hospital’s psychiatrist called us into a little office in the waiting room area…where he did an assessment and admitted me into a mental health rehabilitation ward….I stayed there for 2 weeks…that was my third admittance to that particular ward…..which did help me so very much…

Shannon -Lee, as our lovely Sophie has suggested…please call 000 if you are in danger to yourself…or Please, do go to A&E if needed…the hospital nurses will look after you their and get someone to talk to you and help you…going into a mental health ward…did help me so much…and honestly if I needed to go again…I would so….

My kindest thoughts with my care dear Shannon-Lee…

Please talk here anytime you feel up to it…we are here to help you the best we can…hugs dear sweet Shannon….

Grandy…

[Bob_22]

Hi Shannon-Lee,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for reaching out here. It is incredibly brave of you and note worthy that you have sought help and posted your experience here. I'm sorry to hear that your PTSD symptoms and self harm thoughts have returned. As Sophie M mentioned, please do not hesitate to contact any of the following crisis lines (which are all 24/7 and have phone and web chats) if you are ever having negative thoughts and need someone to chat to: 

Beyond Blue

Lifeline

Suicide call back service

I have also found some online resources around PTSD and where you can seek support if you need it on the Black Dog institute website here.

In terms of the hospital system it is a bit of a mixed bag. The process is similar to what Ggrand described but the wait times can vary unfortunately and in my experience it was uncertain whether I would be admitted or not. However, I resorted to signing up for private health insurance which covered in patient mental health treatment. There was a two month waiting period after signing but after I was able to be admitted to a private mental health clinic where I received in patient psychiatric treatment including ECT. It is sad that I had to resort to going private to receive appropriate mental health care but such is the state of the public system atm. 

Please keep us updated on how you are going and thank you again for reaching out here. 💙

Bob