ER Psych Visit: I Wasn't Handcuffed This Time
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2024
- I share about my experience going to the hospital emergency room voluntarily for the first time. I was having a psychotic episode and was in crisis, and in this video I share what my experience going to the hospital this past weekend was like, and my takeaways from it.
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The most medically irresponsible thing is this policy
that people having a mental health crisis need to be violent to themselves and others in order to be taken seriously. Clearly patients are suffering long before they put a fist through a wall. They don't wait til cancer patients are in stage 4 to begin to treat them. I've seen this happening to my loved one and it's so shocking and horrible.
Exactly
“They don’t wait until cancer patients are in stage 4 to begin to treat them.” E X A C T L Y
I was taken to Shreveport by the police to LSU mental hospital. They had no beds, gave me a shot that sedated me horribly, then kicked me out into the street. Wouldn`t let me sit in the waiting room. I slept in a ditch. People kept waking me up, "You ok dude?" and cops started threatening me. I hate society.
You are suffering from Emotional Damage Syndrome from the trauma due to what happened to you.
So sorry it's ridiculous
If there was something I could say that would take away your experience and replace it with something significantly more humane I would. What they put you through was about them and not you, but I know your experience and the difficulty in trying to move on! I do, sincerely hope you find others who treat you better!
did you go to brentwood? i spend i think 11 days there around march. some people in would ask for the shot (liquid Benadryl) to sleep every night
I love your picture
I’ve said this before but you are SUCH a classy and well spoken person. I’m so glad you put yourself out there without shame to help bring awareness to mental health issues❤️
It breaks my heart to think of all the times my now 30 daughter has been handcuffed in the 13 years since her first psychotic breakdown at the age of 17, especially the time the cop broke her arm in 2 places when she refused, out of fear, to get out of the cop car in the ER bay. She screamed, "You broke my arm!" but they handcuffed her anyways and strapped her to a gurney. I hope she has forgotten most of these times.
Dear God. I'm so sorry! This breaks my heart. Praying for your daughter. I hope she is in a better place now. ❤️
I am sorry you both have gone through this experience
We have just discovered that ours sustained fractures in hand/wrist last year's episode and wasn't treated for it.
Cops need more training on mental health. Apparently they need training on patience, too. So sorry that this happened to your child
What you lead you to believe your daughter has forgotten any of these incidents? Is she cognitively challenged? Does she have a dissociative disorder with amnesia?
It sucks having schizaffective Disorder and having people say "stop playing the victim card"
I have Bipolar Disorder and cannot take most medications to treat it, because I develop serotonin syndrome easily. I have had to go to the hospital several times, because I was unsafe in my own care and/or suicidal. When you said that going to the ER felt like the final step that let you down really hit home. I have gone in multiple times in crisis, which means that I am also having severe anxiety and a feeling like nothing is "right". When I would finally get to talk to the doctor, it would make me feel more agitated, because they were not only unhelpful but often condescending and mean. When I reach a point in my agitation, I always say, "Well, I just want to go home then.". Then they let me. Keep in mind that I had told them multiple times that I want to kill myself and have had means and plans, and I was very unstable in my symptoms, and there was no reason I should be allowed to leave, but the hospital here just really doesn't care. The only people they really take seriously are people that are having major psychotic episodes or are being held against their will. If you aren't in one of those two categories, they don't care what happens to you.
Now if I am in crisis, I go to the PHP (partial hospitalization program), which I cannot praise enough. They help so much, and they are so kind and supportive.
M a primary care physician who is fortunate enough to be married to a clinical psychologist. I had NO IDEA how ignorant I was in the entire field of mental health. She has taught me a lot and has made a better physician. YOU have thought me so much to. I routinely share what I’ve learned with my medical students. I hope it makes difference, but I did get the “SPOT” look today when I teaching about the best way to approach an older patient with what they assumed was schizophrenia.
I’m curious: what is the SPOT look?
@@brindmusicnerd The “Spot-Look is that confused look a dog (Generic name for a dog) gives you (tipping their head to one side , then the next) when they hear see something they’ve never seen or hear before
It is so incredibly unacceptable that we still do not have the resources to treat acute mental health crises appropriately. An emergency is an emergency regardless of where in the body it's occurring. I've taken my sister to the ER multiple times for suicidal ideation and have had very similar experiences to what you are describing. A separate mental health ER would certainly help so many. So sorry you had to go through this, but you should be so proud of your milestone in going voluntarily. 💜
I agree but where is the money for this mental health care going to come from?
True, but in a physical ER, you need to understand the concept of triage. The people who have serious phyisical things, like not breathing, bleeding out, heart attack etc. Must be seen immediately! You can't just tell them to hang in there or just start breathing again. If they don't get help immediately, they die. And it does take a team of folks to get someone in that state stabilized or into the OR. Lots of people who complain about wait times in ER need to understand this. Obviously all medical personnel need more psych training etc. And there are understaffed ERs that contributes to long wait times too. There's a massive crisis in the healthcare field with people leaving in droves.
@@EJ1443 I very much understand the concept of triage and I know just how bad it is in the healthcare field right now, sadly, I just wish in the future that we can get this sorted out and have the resources to treat mental health crises more seriously.
@@5p674he money we sent to Ukraine🤷♀️ The population is so worried about who will pay for it. I saw one woman who said she never wanted to go back to America bc everything there (Scandinavia) makes sense. Free healthcare. They pay people to go to college too. Their tax rate is higher but the actually see a return on their “investment” (taxes). The last thing on my mind when someone is in an emergency is “who will pay for it”. That’s all I hear about this issue.
It’s so dangerous to leave the mentally ill to fend for themselves. They are legally a vulnerable population, they need help by definition. Last thing normies want is an army of hungry and homeless loons. I think daily “wtf are people doing? Are THEY crazy? Don’t they know what will happen?” If we don’t pay for treatment and food stamps normies WILL pay the societal costs of not caring for our own. And the patients are gonna be MAD as everyone gets sicker due to the way society is so unnatural now and the strain on/ cost of resources. People can only take so much before they snap. In all reality all the mentally ill ever wanted was to be as close to “normal” as possible but there are way too many roadblocks so we end up homeless starving prostituting or dead
It’s heartbreaking hearing that you did what you felt was right for you and you were let down by the medical system. Definitely need a mental health emergency room or urgent care or anything that doesn’t involve waiting for 8 hours to tell the doctor what to prescribe. Take care.
69 haha!
In the US there are CSU (crisis stabilization units) that are 3 day voluntary psych units, usually way more tolerable than psych inpatient hospitalizations. There are still so many gaps and nuances in between “acute safety crisis” and “on my way to crisis but no quite there yet but needing help very soon..”. This also exists with aclohol/opioid detoxing. Not in medically acute alcohol withdrawal but not necessarily stable enough to be at home yet not meeting citeria to take up a bed and be be hospitalized. Very frustrating for individuals. Agree that a psychiatric emergency dep would be incredibly useful.
You are so generous to these lovely creators. Sending you hugs 🤗🤍🤍🤍
@@michaelwalker6775 What States are you talking about? I live in Maryland and haven't seen anything like this.. just curious, thanks..
@@elisaacello592 it depends on the hospital
I went through this with my sister. We went to one hospital on Friday and that was a total waste of time. I took her again on Monday to another Hospital on Monday. They admitted her. The problem is, she doesn’t realize she hears voices and the first thing they do is separate her from family. I really had to advocate for her because they only seem to focus on if she was going to physically hurt herself or someone else. They didn’t care that she was up roaming around outside her house all night while being in psychosis and doing other things while in that state. I really wish you the best. I have found your channel a very informative place while trying to understand what is going on with my sister. She’s 64 and this is a fairly new thing. Thank you for sharing with us, it really makes a difference. I wish you well! 💕
Do check physical causes. Both low sodium, and UTI, can cause real mental problems. If either of those are the case, make sure they are dealt with.
We need better mental health institutions
Whats is it Itu ? I dont speak english
@@encantandaeshop2034 uti stands for urinary tract infection. Surprisingly, it can cause mental issues.
I don't understand. Are you saying that your sister just developed schizophrenia? That is highly unlikely at age 64. Sorry if I misunderstood. If hearing voices and wandering around is a new thing for her it is likely not schizophrenia. Schizophrenia manifest in late teens early to mid 20's. She should be evaluated for dementia, especially *Lewy body Dementia,* strokes, and other brain disorders like tumors, etc. I'm sorry you're.going through such a difficult time.
here in Australia hospitals usually have a separate mental health emergency area, so if you go to the regular ER they'll just transfer you to that mental area. Mostly to avoid that scenario you had with ER doctors with minimal mental health training. I am a little surprised your hospital didn't have an on call psychiatrist on call to deal with this stuff at least.
It's not necessarily a good thing. My brother went to Liverpool hospital in Sydney to self admit himself. Less than 24 hours later they released him and he killed himself. A good system would involve nurses and psychs who have the skills to help once the patients go in (admittedly a near impossible job).
@@21nickmac Sorry to hear about your brother. Yeah a very tricky situation to get right.
@@21nickmac sadly its a common story in Australia. There is still a lot of work to be done to hone the system and to stop the negligence inside it. Ive heard of people successfully committing the act whilst on suicide watch in these psych wards. My own sister attempted countless times, one attempt unfolded right infront of me at my home. My mother refused to have her in a psych ward. I believe help from Drs was an extremely flawed procedure on their part as my sister really made her external self seem happy to them, even though she was deeply depressed inside. My sister has been gone 15 years now. I held her as the Drs turned off her life support.
I wished our hospital had a separate area because I do agree they lack the training. Maybe one day things will be better when going to the hospital. I want to advocate for my daughter who has bipolar and for all of you who suffer any mental illness. I’m an icu nurse and I’m glad I work for the closest hospital. They seem to be more helpful
@@bearclaus2676 oh my god. im sorry that you and your family had to go through that. best wishes and hope youre holding up alright
You are so brave & spot on. These issues are serious & scary. You are showing us "in real time" what is needed. I hope you fedl better now & continued success xo
I'm so proud of you to have made the choice to take care of your health and go to the hospital. That's fabulous progress! Sorry to hear about the crisis support team not being supportive and the hospital team not being very helpful. Glad you have a Plan B in place 🙏
The doctors only know to add more dosage of meds, they don't realize that the drugs don't stop delusional thinking. What we need are more coping skills and reality checking. A list of what is real and based in reality and what is delusions and not based in reality. I talk to my husband often and our conversations help to ground me when I am thinking in delusions and paranoia. Thinking and talking out the delusional thoughts help to sort through the thoughts and feelings.
When I'd tell my mental health care professionals that I also don't feel like I have any support in times of crisis or feel safe using the emergency room after seeing how unhelpful the system in its entirety has been in the past, they'd act surprised! Like they don't know it's a mess?!
Omg. It's so disingenuous.. There's no trust there at all.
Similar situation happened with my daughter. Love the idea about a separate mental health waiting room!
They have a mental health waiting room at one hospital I go to but you still have to go to the regular one first.
*Hospital w/o asylum
We have one where I live in Canada and unfortunately, myself and others I know have had really negative experiences. It has so much potential, but they don't let you bring a loved one with you or any electronics in with you for "security and confidentiality", so you're left with nothing to distract you from your thoughts and no one to help comfort you or advocate for you. In my experience, they treat you way worse in psych emergency services than in the general ER, and there's a lot of advocacy going on now in response to people being mistreated there. I think a good psych emergency room has so much potential, but without enough resources or good staff, it can be awful.
Lauren, I really admire the strength that both you and Rob show in dealing with all the medical roadblocks thrown your way. I have a stepdaughter in Calgary with real and problematic health issues and understand the limitations that Alberta's health care system places on their citizens. I find it completely unacceptable that anyone, for any reason, should endure an eight hour ER wait. I wish you all the best!
Thank you so very much for sharing your experience and thoughts on the matter; unfortunately, your latest run-in with the E.R. sounds like the standard for much of the country. I live in TX and it's the same here.
Not only do the E.R. doctors have no real clue how to approach and treat mental crisis' patients in their hospital, but more often than not we, the patients, are typically and almost ALWAYS handcuffed and treated as Dangerous; even when we've made the INCREDIBLY difficult and courageous decision to VOLUNTARILY take ourselves to the nearest emergency room.
I'm so sorry, that even after being the BRAVEST human being in the world, and facing down your past traumatic hospital experiences in order to seek the current help you KNEW you needed.....you were tossed aside and ignored for eight hours, only to THEN be told (after FINALLY seeing the doctor) that they really had no idea how to treat and help you!
I.....these experiences make me so indescribably sad and continue to destroy what little hope I have of receiving quality and humane care at ANY hospital for my own mental health crisis'.
Same and I really wish you the best. You're a really brave person.
I’m so so sorry for your experiences over the weekend, and in your prior hospital visits 💔 As an ER nurse I have seen over and over again the brokenness of our healthcare system, and mental healthcare is one of the most broken elements. I am grateful for you sharing, because I know that it helps motivate us to fight for change so we can better serve all of our patients ♥️
Don't know what country you are living in but you are so right. MH is a specialist area of medicine and as Lauren said, it needs it's own specialist MH crisis centre with doctors and nurses trained in MH. Your average A&E physical doctor won't have a clue.
Try asking them to observe all the spiritual communities and maybe the #hyperian movement, for the logical elements?
@@jmk1962 whats mh?
@@Burevestnik9M730 - mental health
This just makes me so sad. You did so much RIGHT and the system kept letting you down. Years ago, I had a psychiatrist who was also my therapist, who I could call 24/7/365. I still ended up going to an ER once and swore I wouldn't do that again, and that was in the 1990's. Something really needs to change in this field! I SO ADMIRE your sharing of how you got through it. I have so much respect for you.
Hi Lauren. I'm so sorry you've had another tough episode with your illness. I'm also very sorry that the health care system was hardly responsive. At my age of 75, I realize that emergency room care even for common physical problems is typically very slow and not always particularly helpful. When the issue is a mental health issue, the chances of getting relief are not particularly good because mental health ER staffing is "slim to none" and because mental issues are almost always more complicated to accurately diagnose than a broken limb, torn muscle or even a stroke. That must be extremely frustrating for anyone seeking care during a mental health crisis. The important point to me is that you were very "real" in this video. The mixture of frustration, disappointment and anger came through as it should have. Often, the videos you and Rob produce are high quality and very educational but they don't always convey the real and appropriate anger that a mental health patient has or had about their illness or when seeking help. You always speak the truth and this description of your disappointing ER experience and your feelings at that time and subsequently are not "air brushed". You tried to stay calm and patient throughout that experience, as you should have, but that's difficult in the ER even for the most common "simple" physical injuries. I think it's important for mental health patients to realize that negative feelings about hospital visits, ER visits and regular visits to one's psychiatrist can be and, as I understand it, are often very frustrating. Living well with schizophrenia is not easy! Your website is a godsend to those who have such illnesses and to those of us who love someone who does.
Man don't know what to say of help other than try to stay strong hope you can overcome this. Send you tons of love
You should be proud of yourself for how you handled it all!
Lauren... so sorry for all you had to go through. You are so reasonable and responsible and trying so hard to trust the system and use the tools as directed.
It's so sad to work in the MH Crisis System (15 years in Ontario) and know that the trite responses that are part of "the script" are empty suggestions that lead to more run-around. We have very little to offer when someone has real urgent need for clinical support. "Call the Police" we say to families or "GO to ER" we say to individuals... thats all we have once it gets beyond the "listen, educate and validate" stage.
You are right about the need for ER services specifically for MH. We have known this for many years... why does it take our system so long to make changes that make so much sense?
Fear, resistance and lack of inight are not only symptoms of.... psychosis!
Yeah it sucks. In Ontario too, but have had treatment outside of and in the GTA. Where we are it is overrun with cases and not enough of them can get help. Highly understaffed everywhere. CAMH isn't much better. Husband works security in a mental health ward and he is the only security guard that has Mental Health First Aid training. >_> Apparently a lot of people in the field around here don't know you can actually get SJH training in Mental Health First Aid and further.
Pardon me, but WHO is advising families to “call the police?” That is horrible, dangerous, actual life-threatening advice.
God Bless you for doing these videos and sharing your experience with us. My wife has the same Dx as you.
Don't let all the frustrations distract you from the wonderful way you are managing your illness these days. I am incredibly impressed ! I think I get as angry as you at the limitations others have in helping with these crises. There is a weird response out there from mental health staff: "if you are well enough to ask for help, it can't be a crisis !" As well, there is a public service vs private service issue: "If you've got your own private psychiatrist, don't bother us public hospital staff, we've got our own problems !" My only consolation is that help is on the way - Lauren will look into this mess !
I just wanted to tell you that I'm so proud of you for reaching out for help. Even though your previous experiences have proven to you, the help that's often given, isn't really much help at all. You are so brave and really a wonderful role model to all of your viewers. I do not have schizophrenia, however my maternal Grandmother did & I have my own issues with mental health. I have dealt with paranoia and I really take comfort in watching your content. I hope you're feeling much better, very soon 💜
Thank you so much for your video . Changed our lives.
Prayers for both you and Rob. Thanks for sharing. You are an amazing person!!
You are so admirable for your honesty and courage, Rob, too!
Lauren, I've been struggling with the same circular obsession for almost six months straight now. (These intrusive delusions are awful, but they are my own thoughts... that means I'm awful!)
Sweetheart, you are far from alone. All of my love to you. Take good care of yourself.
I'm Praying for you To get well
❤️🙏❤️
I have so much respect and love for you. Your courage is so inspiring to so many. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR JOURNEY ❤️❤️❤️Please take care. GOD BLESS YOU
Proud of you! And so grateful you’re sharing your story and showing us all what true courage looks like. I wish my uncle had someone like you to look up to in his mid twenties when his schizophrenia developed. No one around him knew how to help him (this is back in the late 80s) and his situation worsened and worsened and he is still very distrusting of people to this day.
My heart breaks for him but knowing that someone that really needs to be seen will watch this and feel better or more hopeful makes me really happy for the future. ♥️
Great points. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for sharing your mental health journey with us you’re an inspiration.
Praying for you & your partner🙏🏼
I'm so sorry you were let down by those who were supposed to help.😭 Glad you have a medication backup plan tho and I hope it helps if you need them in the future.❤️❤️❤️
Sending you love Lauren and family ❤️
This was so helpful. Thank you. Thankful you finally got help.
You are a reservoir of strength and wisdom, Lauren.
You're amazing, brave, and I'm grateful for your content!!!
Been there btw !!!!
Prayers up for you. Hope you start feeling better soon
You did the best you could with the resources you had. Nice job! Thanks for another great video Lauren!
Sending good thoughts and prayers to you Lauren!
Best wishes for you, I pray and hope you feel better.
My prayers are with you and I hope you find a relief.❤
thank you for sharing your experience!! i'm going into the mental health field and i will save your video for future awareness/resources about these issues. sending much love your way
thanks for sharing your story, it helps a lot of us to know we are not alone. love your videos
I'm proud of you,I have the same capability of knowing when I'm slipping. I'm in-between doctors now and need trauma therapy badly. I appreciate you and hope you and Robb the best. Take care of that baby
Thank you.
Your videos are more helpful than you could ever imagine. I’m so sorry you suffer from this cruel illness, but sometimes the burdens we carry have a more important meaning. Quite possibly your mission is to help families who are lost in this struggle with their loved ones.
Thank you for your generous sharing, you are speaking for all the people with mental illness! My love and blessings are with you! Best wish!
The information you share is very helpful for people like myself living with the illness. You videos brings so much clarity and insite. Thanks for sharing, hope you pull through this all right.
You're such a brave woman Lauren! Warm hugs! 🥰💖💪
Thank you SO much Lauren, for sharing your journey so openly. It is courageous, and incredibly valuable, for information you provide, for things we as caretakers and or patients need to look out for, and to hear a voice of a real person going through what so many are feeling so alone, going through... You are a Friend, and I appreciate you. Sending love to you and your family
Thank you for all you share! I’ve read about mental health ERs in some cities and I hope that idea will spread to the point of reaching my small town hospital! ERs are often chaotic places and can escalate the problems for someone who is psychotic or tending toward psychosis.
thank you for being so brave and sharing your story some of us cant do it because were too afraid of being judged. Send you love and light.
I'm so sorry that you had to go through what seems to be the universal problem of getting the Mental Health help we need when we need it. I'm glad that things are improving a bit for you and that you have what will hopefully be a more successful plan the next time you need help. Thank you so much for your channel and for being so honest and open and vulnerable. I think you are very brave and courageous. Wishing you all the best!
Your very brave. Thank You for sharing. Love and Blessings 💕🥰💕
Really great advice, it's very wise and important to basically look out for yourself and take steps when you're feeling better, so that you could rely on that when you're not doing so good. I'm glad you got the help you needed in the end, but yeah, getting mental health care in the country I live in (in Eastern Europe) is also a struggle.
You are the best and bravest girl, and these videos are so helpful, bravo
I really admire your strength and openness about sharing all these roadblocks you're facing in accessing care. You shouldn't have to jump through all these hoops just to receive proper treatment, thank you so much for advocating for better care and wishing you all well
Wishing you some relief and that the meds stabilize your health. Be kind to yourself, Rob and talk to the children as they pick up on these changes and worry for you. My prayers are with you! 🙏🏼
I feel for you! I experienced this in an er when trauma came into my life last year. You will survive because you have some amazing people in your life. Stay strong girl!
Your brave! I love how you advocate for yourself.❤
Massive RESPECT for you for posting these videos! Thank you.
*hugs* you are never alone. I'm having a horrible week too
Thank you once again for always being so honest and insightful about what you are experiencing, it really does help us loved ones to understand what it is like for people in crisis.
Well done for making the decision to go to hospital, I know that can't have been easy for you, even though an 8 hour wait is not acceptable for someone in crisis. You are so lucky to have such a supportive partner in Rob and speaking from experience it is really hard to know what to do for the best when your loved one is in crisis and extra hard to do it alone, so even being in a hospital setting can help your partner if not you, to know that there are others around to help.
You are so right, we need a seperate MH emergency crisis facility with highly trained staff who are specialists in MH. Your average A&E doctor just won't have the skills required and will just use sedation to get a patient to the next day to see a psychiatrist. Also seeing a random psychiatrist is not that helpful as they will not know your history and will not be as helpful as your regular psychiatrist who does know all about you.
The system is so flawed and is letting so many people down like my own daughter who died last year whilst under section in a psychiatric hospital. This happens all the time and no one seems to care.
I would love to see someone like you on the board of directors in a hospital. Someone with lived experience of the failing system who can articulate what needs to change and how they can improve, but sadly in my experience a lot of the medical profession are blind to their failings and are not open to suggestions of how to improve. They just do what they have always done, even when it is blatantly failing their patients.
Hope you and Rob made up afterwards. He is a really good guy and he does understand.
It’s so easy to get down and just give up and retreat into yourself, but you’re taking all the steps to get better and even making videos like this to help others do the same. You are so strong!
Strength and peace to you, Lauren. Mental health management is exhausting when trying to recalibrate. I hope you feel better soon!
Lauren, I really admire you for your honesty and for sharing your journey. It helps me understand more and that's a good thing. Thank you for being so honest, you are helping so many people. I'm so sorry you had to wait until after people with physical ailments were seen. That's completely wrong and inhumane. Take care sweet girl❤️🌺🌻
What a strength you have now in your back pocket that you recognized things were taking a noticeable turn and you went to the hospital despite the traumas you went through there.
Also, what a strength that you advocated for yourself at every step of the way with some very educated people.
Helping me open my eyes to the needs of those experiencing this.
You're very brave for being so open. Don't get discouraged, I was doing amazing and then after a few changes to routines, a lot of social and professional engagements, lack of sleep, and also after starting to take accutane my anxiety got so high up in the course of a week that I considered going to the ER, eventually it subsued, and this is just due to anxiety disorder that was leading to this impeding doom sense. You should feel proud of yourself for managing to take so many steps to improve your mental health and address your crisis, just compare this to how you dealt with these situations in the past. You're so much better equipped now and for sure will continue to be able to find wellness even if the medical system needs a lot of improvement. Mental health fluctuates in everyone the fact that you have so many tolls and manage to use them is amazing!
So sorry about this. My prayers are with you 🙏 ❤️
I can totally relate to this Lauren and agree that the mental health system is broken. I have 3 family members with schizoaffective, one of them being my daughter. My sibling has had a very traumatic experience with hospitals, police, & group homes. A hospital er kicked him out onto the streets and said nothing was wrong. That lead to jail for a year bc he was having psychosis and hit a first responder. It’s so heartbreaking! Had the hospital sent him for psychiatric help, he wouldn’t be in jail. I don’t understand why people that suffer from mental Illness are treated so poorly while people with other health conditions are treated well. Then system is really broken. Two of my three family members do not acknowledge their illness. Thankfully my daughter was started in therapy at a young age and can tell when she’s having symptoms. I’m proud of you for getting help! Thank you for your videos, it makes me feel like I’m not alone and had given me knowledge to care for my two family members that live in my home with schizoaffective.
Hi Lauren, I just found your Channel I think a day ago and I am so impressed by how kind you are. In my opinion too kind. I do not have schizophrenia but I suffer from other mental illnesses which are quite severe. The fact that you can so nicely talk about how the system sucks is beyond me. How frustrating is it that when we go for help to the place where we think the help is offered we hit roadblocks obstacles and sometimes things end up way worse than they were when we first arrived. I remember calling a suicide hotline once which I will never do again because when I got on the phone the guy kept questioning me about my living conditions which had nothing to do with any of the phone call. He would not stop questioning me on the fact that I live in a motorhome. So when I hung up the phone I was way more traumatized and I felt betrayed because here I am trying to get help and it ended up being worse. Something has to happen like you said Lauren. They need a mental health wing in the ER or if not that at least one doctor or social worker or whatever who can deal with the situation at hand and talk to the doctor on your behalf. This just frustrates me so much. It reminds me of law enforcement. Supposedly they're there to protect and serve but most of the time they drop the ball and screw up everything. I know this firsthand unfortunately. You are So graceful you have such a kind nature when really I would be very angry to be honest. I hope you're feeling better now and that you feel more stabilized and centered. so I will be subscribing to your channel as I find you are a very helpful resource on just connecting with another person that suffers from mental illness. Thank you very much.
Thank you for helping all of us move the field forward ♥️♥️♥️
I thank you for sharing. I always feel alone, I always wondered if there is others I can compare to. You always discribe exactly how I am feeling and where I go when I have to check in at the hospital ( which I feel is never helpful) and now it makes it less scary for me when I have to deal with my mental health. TY 💞
Congratulations on having the insight to get the help you needed voluntarily. It's hard for those of us without schizophrenia to admit when we have a problem, but hallucinations and delisions must make it a whole new ball game.
After a decade with multiple sclerosis, I know medications can often be very trial and error, especially with a chageable condition, and most of them are habituating-- your body needs more over time or may stop responding to it. It's a frustrating thing to deal with on top of having symptoms, and I get not wanting to be on a lot of medication.
You are very articulate, clearly conscientious, and I wish you the very best. Subscribed!
So sorry this happened to you. Glad that you have a new plan. I think your idea about the mental health professional in the ER is a perfect idea.
You're not alone in this experience, sadly. Sending you my warmest sympathies. Thank you for sharing with the internet this very common, awful state of affairs.
You are such an inspiration. Your helping more people than you can imagine ❤🙋♀️I hope you're feeling better ☮️💜 More training is needed with mental health.
Lauren, you are a warrior and a huge help to a lot of people with your videos. I hope you know that. I work in the mental health field in an inpatient co-occurring program in the U.S. and the system of getting help can be frustrating in many ways because of mental health stigma, understaffing, "red tape" barriers, the need to triage who is more "severe", amongst other factors. I often encourage my clients to draw inspiration from your journey, your ever-increasing insight, and your profound wisdom from all your life's ups and downs. I wish you, Rob, your kids, and the rest of your family all the best. Keep expanding your support network so even on off-hours, there are plenty of help to catch you when you starting slipping. Stay strong! Look forward to your future videos!
Lauren First of all I’m a mother I love you and I’m proud and grateful for your presence here 😉🫶
I’ve watched of few of your videos .
And…. Mmm!
I have gone through 20 years myself
And now my grown children.
I applaud your composure as you explain the ‘most awful frustrations we endure’with such 💞grace and aplomb.
It was one thing for me , to have to go through such an incredibly slow and long process myself and -everybody effected by ,me.🫣
as we have to work and trust in these professionals and I use professionals loosely..
It behooves me that This is the best we’ve got for us it’s just crap.
How I have been treated -
how - I have witnessed other people in the emergency departments be treated
In words I cannot describe.
This truly
requires national & all of us to be educated along with available medical facilities. Honestly 🤦♀️
(I literally feel I or someone need to make a documentary on these experiences . A view , from the bottom up and top down or from an ex provider turned patient?)
Thank you for continuing to document your experiences and insight..
So many of us are benefiting from your testimonies we send our gratitude and love to you through the universe in our support🙏🕊
thank you for sharing so much information
Yes, as a former ER RN, I so feel some of your frustration and pain with waiting 8 hours. Not being able to help is also frustrating for us. I’m so sorry we don’t have a better way to help in crisis.
You are so brave. I do know how you can get in front of a camera that alone would trigger me, but to do so, and be openly expressive of what's going on, again another trigger, I just get so paranoid, heck I don't really feel completely comfortable even commenting on youtube. I don't really have trust to tell my whole journey to anyone, and you being able to, you inspire me and give me hope. Before I got my service dog 8 months ago, heck I never even left my room. Seeing you go through your journey is helping me get through mine. I do not know if you will even see this, but from the bottom of my heart, Thank you!
I love the way you are able to describe your experiences so that others can get a view on what is arguably the murkiest part of the human experience for so many. Your frankness and lack of drama in your narratives is admirable.
Thank you for your story
You're so well spoken. You communicate incredibly well. I'm so sorry you had such a negative experience with the whole thing. One hospital in my city has a psych ED which is entirely separate from the rest. They take you right back & there are still hours of waiting of course but at least you're in a room with a bed & safety. They have an actual psychiatrist. I think my city is fortunate to have this. Hope you're feeling much better. The crisis support system really fails people.
You are very brave, (ER and all the rest!!) and so well spoken. And such a help in the world of MI.
I really love how you’re describing that some thoughts seemed like maybe your own internal ones, but that you realized that they were not. How confusing. How helpful to describe , thank you!
ive subscribed to your channel a long time ago to help with my journey with dealing with Bipolar disorder and general anxiety. Ive been purposely avoiding watching your videos. But this is the first one ive actually watched since watching the previews of all the previous videos. Ive been bipolar since 21. and im 29 now. Ive never been non involuntary been admitted. Ive only went in my self a couple of times to get meds because i ran out. But i agree going in with mental illness your not treated very well. Even in crisis services does nothing for you really. Barely any Mental health specific areas... Ive been meaning to make videos about my experiences with mental health and your videos really make me want to do that. And maybe help other people dealing with this. I applaud your courage for sharing this online because i would love to have 10 percent of that courage. Thank You!
THIS. All of THIS. Ty for making this.
hey lauren good to see your doing better.
Your story demonstrates the importance of getting the right help at the right time. As with any illness or problem, the longer it takes to get the right help, the more severe the episode. Kudos to you for recognizing that you needed help, taking real initiative to get that help and, despite a less than perfect system, collaborating with your doctor to come up with a plan of action for crises like these in the future.
Thanks for being so honest with your experience. So frustrating the ER or crisis support wasn’t able to help you when you needed their help
Dear Lauren, I hope you are feeling ok. Hugs from Venezuela
You dropped this 👑
💁🏻♀️👸
Thanks for sharing your journey to inspire and empower others, it is sincerely helpful in so many ways to see and relate to you! Thank you 😊 💕 💗
I hope you’re feeling better ❤️
You are taking good care of yourself. Good for you. Sometimes I take my night medicine in the morning, but it’s only been about three times in over ten years. Stay well.