daredevilkink | Discussion/Off-Topic Post #1

but with http://daredevilkink.dreamwidth.org/2760.html?thread=5483720#cmt5483720 it just sort of struck me. What are the general guidelines for dealing with suicide attempts?

My suicide attempt was pretty half-assed. A deliberate overdose, and after a night in the cardiac ICU and another in the general ward. Things were pretty much "Are you going to do this again?"
"OMG no, this was too embarrassing. Think I'm gonna change meds too."
"Kay, here's your bill."
"Hey, ambulance charge? I'm a member!"
"Oops, sorry.... we'll just fix that."

Although before that, the last time I was in hospital it was because I was being born, and I'm a pain wimp, so it's not like I went around collecting scars for the most part.

I guess I'm just asking- how do hospitals determine who to put on suicide watch? Are signs of physical injuries given more attention vs purely mental issues?

(i wanna preface this by saying that i'm from australia so i'm not sure if this is how it works in america too. i assume it'd be similar, but i hope this helps even a little!!)

i don't think it's a case of physical injuries > mental state it's more that where there are physical injuries there is evidence that a person has harmed themselves. when it comes to a psych hold it generally/ultimately comes down to "is this person a danger to themselves? is this person a danger to others?" so if someone presented with self-inflicted wounds it would be reasonable and responsible to assume that this person would be a danger to themselves if not provided care.

it's basically a lot of talking and answering questions (as well as factoring in mental health history) that tells medical staff what the best and safest course of action is.

when it comes to physical injuries vs mental health it’s not a case of importance it’s that it would be harder to convince medical staff that you weren't a danger if you were standing in front of them with self-inflicted wounds. whereas if you had no physical injuries and didn't want to be admitted (even if you did have mental health issues) it would be relatively easy to convince (or lie to) the hospital that you didn't need to be admitted.

I had my fiance take me to the ER with mere passive suicidal ideation. I hadn't hurt myself. I didn't want to hurt myself. I just wished that I didn't exist. I had no prior history of any kind, either with suicidal thoughts or any kind of violence ever. I was taken in handcuffs via police car to a mental health facility under involuntary watch over the weekend.

Once I got to the facility, I was told that it's pretty much entirely at the discretion of the ER staff whether they think you pose a threat to yourself or others. The mental health professionals that I dealt with told me they thought the ER just didn't want to deal with a mental health case when I came in, because it was very unusual for a case like mine to be an involuntary hold with secure transport when I had come in voluntarily with another party to drive me.

^Above anon again. I'm in the southeast US.

jeez. i wonder how your case could've ended up in an actual mental health facility -- i had to get tested for ADHD and they figured out i had some form of depression (it's...tolerable, but i do get really low points now and then) that included suicidal ideation (i've never made attempts on my life but i have had troubling thoughts like how much better off my family would be if i had died, how much i would stop suffering, etc) but i guess they never took what i had that seriously because they never really suggested medicating me and i was never taken to a psychiatrist following that.

but i wonder why cases like these are handled so differently depending on the circumstances? maybe they thought since i had no history of self-harm or suicide attempts i wouldn't be in trouble?

OP here- I'm Australian too. It all seems so arbitrary doesn't it?
I'm not kidding when I say the end result of my attempt was a simple "Are you going to do this again?" Hell, I'm not even sure if the person who asked me was even from the psych unit.

Although, I have cultivated a bad memory for years now. (Combination of having severe OCD and being bullied all through high school. It's hard to obsess over something if you can't remember it, and the less I remember of high school, the happier I am.)

(SE US anon again). I had no history of self-harm or anything either. As a result of this event, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

With suicide attempts, people are usually admitted, whether it's to treat whatever the attempt was, or the mental illness behind it.
(I'm from Canada.)
In Ontario we have a form 1, which is an involuntary commitment for 72 hours, which can be extended. In New York (cause I'm doing research for a story) they have a code 9.39 which is also involuntary, and can hold a person for up to 15 days, and again, can be extended. Although a lot of hospitals now in New York City have extended observation beds, which are more like the 72 hours hold sort of thing, to just get a person stabilized.
Involuntary commitment varies from state to state, although the best known one is probably California, with the 5150.

On another note, when it comes to admission for suicidal thoughts, my sister wasn't admitted the first time she went to the ER because she was only a little bit suicidal, apparently. The second time she went, she was admitted. Apparently repetition means you're serious. idk. She hadn't attempted anything, but really, it shouldn't have to get to that point. (Of note, this was a hospital with a special psych emerg, so they were more prepped to deal with that sort of thing. But like the above anons said, it's really subjective.)

SA, because I realized I forgot some things.

These are generally based on whether the doctor/healthcare worker thinks the person is a danger to themselves or others. So that can mean a lot of things, but a suicide attempt is a pretty clear sign of wanting to harm yourself. And if you are depressed/possibly suicidal, they usually ask three questions: Are you thinking about hurting/killing yourself? Do you have a plan? Do you have the means to carry out the plan?
If all those three things are yes, then admission is a very good idea. (The plan part is pretty important, because a lot of people think about hurting themselves, myself included, but never really plan out how they're going to do it. If they have the means to do it, it makes it more likely that they will/will succeed.)

Discussion/Off-Topic Post #1

Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-

Re: Ok, I'm just being a chatty bitch here-