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SD 16 checked herself into a mental facility

Shieldmaiden's picture

Submitted by Shieldmaiden on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 10:56am

I got the news last night from DH. SD18 has been at BMs for the last week, and BM texted DH that she decided to check herself into an inpatient mental facility. She was having panic attacks every night. I can only assume this is anxiety about having to go back to her part time job next week, and also just generally untreated bipolar disorder. DH was very anxious and tried to call the facility, but it was after hours so the phone just rang. I told him she will be ok, and to just take a step back and let the psychiatrist do his/her job. This was his daughter's choice, after all. 

I don't know how many times I have warned DH that this might happen, and to get her some help. I am glad it was SD18's choice and not the police responding to a domestic dispute with her and BM, which happened with her older sister, and ended up with her older sister being put on an involuntary 72 hour mental health hold due to threatening suicide.  Honestly, I am so relieved. So....f***ing.... relieved. 

I hope that SD18 can finally get evaluated and get some medication for her illness. Maybe then she can handle life a little better, and not be so angry all the time. I remember when she was little, she was such a cool kid. I thought she and I would be very close. She doesn't have the capability to be close to anyone right now, and that is sad. 

Comments

Noway2b1's picture

Submitted by Noway2b1 on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 9:40pm

That seriously takes courage. She ought to be commended for that. Hopefully she will get the meds-coping skills she needs to learn while there. 

Shieldmaiden's picture

Submitted by Shieldmaiden on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 11:36am

Agreed! It took some courage to do that. I hope she gets the help she needs, since she stops talking to anyone about how she is feeling when she gets upset. She just shuts down and gets angry. Maybe someone outside the family can get through to her in a way that we can't.

Thumper's picture

Submitted by Thumper on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 1:34pm

I am so sorry your family is going through this. Happy to read your sd has taken steps to be treated. That is huge, really huge.

((hugs))

Shieldmaiden's picture

Submitted by Shieldmaiden on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 5:04pm

Thank you for your kindess. I am proud of her. I did not honestly think she would be able to do it, so that tells me that she must have been in a lot of mental pain and distress. I hope this is the beginning of a better life for her, and less stress for us. 

Exjuliemccoy's picture

Submitted by Exjuliemccoy on Fri, 07/01/2022 - 6:38pm

This is a good thing. Her parents were not helping the situation, so I hope she can get the help she needs from the professionals.

Shieldmaiden's picture

Submitted by Shieldmaiden on Sat, 07/02/2022 - 10:49am

So, apparently we did not get the real story from BM. BM told us that SD18 checked herself into a mental facility. SD18 is out 24 hours later, saying that she told BM she felt weird ( panic attack) and she wanted BM to drive her to the hospital. BM drove to a mental health/drug rehab facility ( they do both) and checked her in. DH is going to call SD18 and try to find out who is telling the truth. 

SD18 says she thought she could leave anytime, but the facility nurse wanted her to stay for 45 days. The doctor overruled her and said she could leave, as their psych evaluation showed she "was fine, and not a danger to herself or others." Hmmm....This all sounds very off. Why would they release her after 24 hours after she told them she is agoraphobic, depressed, and unable to hold a job for more than a week due to social anxiety?  

SD's takeaway from this experience is "it was the most stressful experience of my life and I don't want to go back." Great. So NOTHING has changed, except that now she is afraid of getting more help. Good job, BM. I hope BM enjoys her daughters company, because SD is not living with us, she is going to be living with her mom because her mom is creating this mess.

Noway2b1's picture

Submitted by Noway2b1 on Sat, 07/02/2022 - 12:42pm

Well that certainly changes things. That said, mandatory mental health intervention is waaaaaay less than desired. A family member had a literal psychotic break down after a series of very stressful events (a death of someone close to them and eviction due to property being sold) and was wandering around with no shoes and clearly in a mental state for 3 days, after the police were finally callled about his strange behavior, they pretty much called several family members until they found one (me) who would drive 45 miles and pick him up. The entire time I kept thinking "why wouldn't they just take him to xyz facility?" Later when family member had gotten their bearings I asked them that question and he said "I thought they would as well but the cop said they were full and unless you're threatening to harm yourself or the public they try to just get family to come get you"  this kinda blew me away. 

DPW's picture

Submitted by DPW on Sat, 07/02/2022 - 1:41pm

"Why would they release her after 24 hours after she told them she is agoraphobic, depressed, and unable to hold a job for more than a week due to social anxiety?"
 

Have you been in a mental health facility lately? The patients are suffering from far greater things than SD hence why she probably was released. There are so many beds available. She's an outpatient kind of case, in my opinion, but that's going to take work from your DH...

I don't really get why you're so mad at BM? She did more for SD than your DH. Not BM's fault SD was released.

Noway2b1's picture

Submitted by Noway2b1 on Sat, 07/02/2022 - 2:37pm

Reasons/explanation that's bugging her. I agree that there are soooo many that need those beds it's a tough call on who needs them. 

Shieldmaiden's picture

Submitted by Shieldmaiden on Sat, 07/02/2022 - 6:11pm

No, I have not been to a mental facility lately. I thought they were there to help people who needed help. I didn't realize they were triage-only for the worst of the worst. Its too bad that they made such a negative impact on her. Now she won't ask for help again. 

As for BM, maybe you didn't see that part in my post? I wrote that BM lied to us about what happened. I wouldn't mind if she said "Hey, I am taking SD to a mental institution, you ok with that? " But her daughter asked her to go the hospital, and apparently BM wanted to spend time with her new boyfriend at the bar, so she dumped her daughter off at a mental institution. Not exactly mother of the year, but even a broken clock gets the time right once a day. BM has a history of doing what is convenient for her, not what is right for her daughters.