Posted by ramsea on November 12, 2003, at 3:30:24
In reply to Re: PPL IN THE UK PLSE READ... » crazychickuk, posted by pixygoth on November 11, 2003, at 13:59:30
Sorry, guys. I understand the frustration totally, but please don't think Casualty is a last stop. There is a worst outcome--the police are called and the suicidal person is arrested and thrown in a jail cell. The patient's picture is plastered on the local papers as a CRIMINAL and they are villified as a waster of police time and emergency services.
This may be rare--but it happened to someone I know. It was horrible. It is most likely to happen if the dx includes "Personality Disorder", which is just shorthand for the fact that pdocs think the patient is a bothersome female (75% of borderlines are female) who isn't ill and needs to grow up and get over her personal truamas (Most have childhood abuse/neglect issues or traumas) and stop playacting crazy.I saw a letter written by her pdoc to the court and that is essentially what he said--she isn't mentally ill, she has Borderline Personality Disorder, and she is wasting our time and the time of emergency services. THIS, despite the fact that she was near death by medical reports from suicide attempts, 2 in a space of a few months.
So----don't try the Casualty thing, is my advice. If the police weren't called, the psych unit might treat the patient to a punishing ordeal if she was admitted--I've seen this happen to folks too. Like, YOu want to be a mental patient?? Okay, doll, we'll let you see what it's like to be a Mental Patient!! Out come the restraints....Better deal would be to chain yourself to the desk of the pdoc receptionist, or just flatly camp out all day waiting for cancellations, and do that howvere many days in a row you need to before the doctor would find a free 15 minutes and see you. I have had emergency visits before, at the 11th hour--usually because GP called and arranged this. The GP has to believe it is a true emergency. In my case, it was. But short of real emergency, camping out by receptionist would bring help, I really do believe. One other tip--get ANOTHER helping agency to be on your side!!! This is best yet. An advocacy service, Samaritans, help-line, social services, drop-in workers, support workers, smart and caring family member or friend, church/temple leader or employer--anyone who is a third party, and who can vouch for your problems (as for some reason doctors take mores seriously a third party report than they do a patient's report of themselves).
poster:ramsea
thread:278316
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031111/msgs/278894.html