My daughter is having her the worst attack ever. And we are taking her to the hospital because we we are that concerned about her
Sorry to hear, Windyhill63. Stay strong. Are you aware of criteria for involuntary holds? This might come up during your daughter’s hospital treatment. Also, is she 18 or over? If so, communications with her health care providers may be an issue unless she’s agreed for the hospital to communicate with you. Hopefully they will be able to help her quickly.
@Windyhill63,
I’m thinking of you and your family. Good that you are taking her in. So hard to feel helpless, keep us informed.
Many prayers, AnnieNorCal
I am sorry. Episodes are very scary for all concerned. Try to stay calm. I hope you are able to get medical information as this unfolds. Admission may help you all as with discharge comes access to providers, social services, etc.
I am so sorry you are going through this. I know you have been looking for a psychiatrist. I hope the hospital might be able to help you find one, even if it’s just someone to get you through while your daughter waits to get in with a good one.
We have been here all night long and the psychiatrist will be coming sometime today
@Windyhill63
I feel for you and your family.
Emergency hospital visits are super stressful. Hopefully, you all get to feel a little comfort that you did the right thing and your loved one is surrounded by people who want the best for them and have the training to assist them through hard times.
Now that you have extra help of a medical team, take the time to evaluate your own mental condition and that of the rest of your family.
Often for caretakers, we need our own support system and our own caretaking.
For me, it has sometimes been necessary to go ahead and trust the medical system for a while and attend to my own peace of mind. Sometimes, I just need to step back from being a knight in shining armor and watch some dumb tv show, or treat myself to breakfast at waffle house.
Those things might seem inconsequential, but if they restore your emotional reservoir and rebuild your peace of mind, do it.
1 Like
She decided she wanted to go to the hospital on her own… because things are getting worse
This is good that she knows she is ill. Sending hugs
2 Likes
Sometimes the hospital is a relief… my son has met some really caring doctors and nurses (and other teenage patients) in the hospital.
2 Likes
The social worker here told her that she is brave and strong to have endured so long without any help
3 Likes
Your daughter is a special soul, she endured in private for a long time, has insight, and wants help. I do hope that your journey to help her becomes easier and is very successful.
2 Likes
We are finally back home… after a long grueling 20 hours with very little sleep! Leaving her at the hospital was one of the most difficult thing we had ever done! We started out at one hospital’s ER and end up at the mental health ward of another one. Before she took the trip on the ambulance to the other hospital she was hopeful. After checking into the psych ward, she realized how strict things would be, that she couldn’t even have her stuff toys that she uses for comfort or her electronics. Then she said this was her worst nightmare and she hated it. She looked angry. She was rethinking her decision. It was so hard to say goodbye and drive back that hour to home. We plan to visit her every day.
To make matters worse, we hit a deer on the way to the hospital! The car has no front grill now. No one was hurt and the car is still drivable
Yikes. What a stressful experience for you all. So awful.
I think the key is that your daughter needs to have the most positive experience possible, so she learns that a hospital can be her “safe place” when things are getting bad for her.
Visit, bring special food, call often, encourage her to participate in therapy groups.
Good luck to you all. I’m so sorry she has to go through this at such a young age. My son was 19. He’s now 22.
2 Likes
Hello @Windyhill63,
Thank you for the update. I can only imagine how hard this is for the family. Hopefully you will get some rest. Your daughter is in good hands. God bless you, saying a prayer for you, annie
2 Likes
Hope you get some good rest, @Windyhill63. Along with special food, your daughter might like a favorite t-shirt or other comfortable clothing and perhaps a family photo. I heartily agree with the comments from @Day-by-Day.
You’ll likely be communicating with her doctor and social worker. I’ve found it helpful to also talk to the nurses on the ward. They spend a lot of time with their patients. Also, hopefully you can visit any time, but if visiting hours are on a set schedule, they might loosen them to accommodate you and your wife since you live some distance from the hospital.
Best wishes to everyone and remember to take care of yourself, too.
2 Likes
The first time you leave a child in the hospital, it is heart wrenching. I regretted it the whole time she was gone that first time. However, since it was the first hospitalization of many, we have learned that the hospital is a safe place, even she considers it a safe place although she doesn’t want to go there on her own (my daughter has zero insight).
There will be a list of things you can and cannot bring to her. I could not bring food, but could bring magazines and coloring books. I could bring plush slippers, a plush robe (with no strings or belt) and bright socks, which were a favorite There is a wall phone that can be used, so a list of phone numbers was helpful, although she didn’t call anyone. Mostly your daughter will be bored as electronics are restricted to a TV on the wall.
2 Likes
@Windyhill63, I am so glad that you were able to get your daughter to be admitted. Reading your posts brought me to tears 
. She is lucky to have you and it is “fortunate” that she has insight and wants help. It sounds like you have gotten some good advice from the folks on this forum. I hope that she gets the help she deserves. Take care of yourself too.
2 Likes
All this started on Saturday night close to midnight when I overheard my mi daughter talking to her sister and crying… she was saying that she felt like she is dying everyday, that she feels like she is suffocating…I tell my wife and we go up and ask her if we need to take her in… an idea that she usually fought… this time she said yes, that she couldn’t keep up like this and she needed help now. My other daughter stayed with a friend while we were in the hospital with my older daughter.
I have no regrets on leaving here at the hospital, as hard as it was to do because I know it is the best place for her right now. We have already talked to the social worker before she checked into the psych ward. And the first person we met there was the head nurse who is wonderful! She meets with the psychiatrist this morning. The head nurse says we can call her anytime…
I know there were several factors contributing to her mood when we left:
-
She was still in the hospital gown from the first hospital and was hoping to be able to change right away.
-
Not being able to have her stuff toys… the reason is because there had been past situations where patients smuggled in drugs or weapons in them… so it is for safety… but we did tell the nurse that she needed something to be able to snuggle with at night…and that it could potentially be a deal breaker as to if her stay would be successful…they will let her have a soft blanket that they will provide for her.
-
I am sure the lack of sleep contributed to her emotional state at that time
-
The possibility of going to involuntary admission if the doctor determines she needs to scared her when she understood what that could mean… this was hightened by her mistrust of doctors. I told her she should do everything that they tell her to do and that may help reduce the chance of her going to involuntary…
Now her distrust of the medical field tends to get better if they are very nice and understanding… this seems to be the case so far… the social worker was very nice…and so is the head nurse… hopefully the psychiatrist will be too.
She did sign the hipaa release.
1 Like
This is the car after we hit the deer on the way to the hospital 