I have been sectioned.

[lazyhazydaisy]

I have just got access to the internet. I am much less petrified than I was at first but definitely 0 out of ten. I have a tribunal and if that fails I think I will be here until July. I feel as though I am living in a nightmare. I have never felt so alone.

I didn't get the fuller picture until 1-4 March, when I finally received the full copy of the GP notes.

I think sometimes when you feel you lack any control you tend to focus on things that might seem less important to other people - it's a natural response and a way of trying to regain some control.

What I couldn't understand was that I only saw the GP (who's surgery I had just joined) twice. And I only joined the surgery because I needed a course of anti-biotics. Hence my confusion. As soon as I am out I will be making an appointment with one of the other doctors there to ensure that I can feel safe asking for simple medical help without this untold horror. I have been here three months now.

They know that I have not taken any anti-pyschotic drugs since 10 February. They just write, 'refused' in the drug records since Saturday night. Under the Mental Health Act, a patient under section does not have the right to refuse treatment.

On the confusing side, if I have gone from 800mg quetiapine - anti-pyschotic - to 0 (it will be five weeks by Friday, when I see my Psychiatrist, if I do, because I saw his understudy today, so that might be my lot for the week), I should be high as a kite. I am so much happier off the drugs.

On the bright side, I have had a smear test, an MRI scan, a bone density test/thing, all my bloods examined for everything and have successfully avoided any jigsaws, bracelet making or colouring in.

Good old NHS

Well, you know what I mean. Anything physical and they're not so bad!

Bit concerned to hear about your sudden cessation of anti-psychotics though. Well or ill, it isn't the best idea to stop them suddenly - grading down is probably the safest way to go?

Hi Daisy...this has been a very interesting thread thank you for sharing your experiences through your eyes:)

Have you asked the Psychiatrist why you were sectioned?
Which section is it? As normally they would be offering you meds in other forms (injection) but I got a sneaky feeling they want you drug free to 'wait and see'.
What was your original diagnosis and when was your last illness...some people if they go years without an episode become safe to reduce the drugs slowly to see if they are now symptom free....but this is usually people who have only had 1-2 episodes.
If I were you and because it appears your insight into why you were sectioned is a puzzle to you I would ask for an early intervention plan to be drawn up....all involved and mainly you have a plan were when you start ie not sleeping or something else...this could be an indicator your condition is worsening and a visit to the psychiatrist booked to sort meds out or extra support at home to monitor if needed.
This then cuts down on the need for sectioning and everyone esp you Daisy is happy remain at home and well.
It sounds like you are doing well if their is not a need to medicate at present, and fab they are doing all these tests to rule out other conditions too.
Keep posting this is fab!

I know, Springy, but I haven't taken them for so long that I don't think that gradual titration is an issue. I have been focussing on 'presenting' as calm, calm, calm (successfully, according to the Nursing Notes, all of which now get delivered to me).

I completely agree with good old NHS on the physical side. I am also going to take Champix to give up smoking. In the beginning there was talk of 'paranoia'. Erm, excuse me. Being dragged out of one's house, in heavily ratcheted handcuffs, accompanied by several policeman (who were rough) and that is not paranoia, that is appropriate horror and trauma.

One comment from the twunt first registrar who wrote the four 'differential diagnoses' in the first week, said I had 'persecutory thoughts' about the NHS.

This could simply not be further from the truth. Without going into details, one of my dc spent 2 weeks in hospital at two months and not only was his life (without a shadow of a doubt) saved by his prompt diagnosis, emergency operation and dedicated aftercare, but one of my siblings spent two months in ICU a few years ago, and then months of inpatient and outpatient aftercare, and without the NHS we would definitely have lost her. I am a fanatically grateful fan of the physical side of the NHS.

I am deliberately not being over-optimistic, but keeping a low profile. They have completely dropped (consults notes)

1. Paranoid schizophrenia
2. Persistent delusional disorder
3. Paranoid personality disorder

so all we have left is bi-polar, which, according to notes of the last month, has been controlled by Quetiapine, 'thought disorder' and 'phonecalls to a professional'.

I saw one of my lawyers, both of whom are completely behind me, beyond the fact that they are paid to be so, this week. He is writing to the Psychiatrist to say that he has seen no change in me since he lost me in December. Quietly optimistic.

I am absolutely livid with the police. With apologies to Viva, and I hope she understands, I will never trust them again. I will leave that until I get home. If someone was genuinely mentally ill then I cannot think of any thing worse for them to suddenly face.

There are plenty of people here, and plenty more stories that I have heard from the staff of far, far worse treatment by the police.

The nurses here all have undergone a week of training in 'Prevention and Management of Violent Aggression' (PMVA), which is a completely effective means of restraint that does not involve handcuffs or any harm to the 'patient'. They have demonstrated it on me, at my request, and there was no way I would possibly have got out of it. The nurses do not understand why the police are either not trained in this, or do not use it in situations dealing with people who are 'mentally ill' or otherwise clearly not dangerous or armed etc. I will look into this when I am out.

Thanks, Springy, and everyone else. I hope to be going home soon, at least to check the post, collect things, etc. Will keep you posted.

erm if they have dropped all those diagnoses why are you still in there?

She says the bipolar dx is outstanding madmouse.

springy with respect that is not in itself reason enough for sectioning.

Daisy what did your dh say to the GP?
Does dh visit you often? Did he say what he said to GP etc
This doesn't add up as Madmouse saying also....you should not be on a 6 month section if they are assessing you? They are just going through a diagnosist manual and discarding each one as they go along!?
Can you ask solicitor to get ind psych assessment for diagnosis or to at least compare against NHS diagnosis. They should know by know you been there couple months.

seaofyou I'm not saying that the sectioning is wrong...

I am though...should be on section 2 if they don't know the diagnosis....unless they thought it was schizophrenia but on this inpatient stay of observation and meds they realise they have misdiagnosed. It is unclear why someone would be sectioned, Daisy wasn't even asked to go Informally? Unless their his history of violence and absconding when trying to section in past. I am as puzzled as Daisy about this tbh. I am aware though Daisy if you are unwell you may not have insight if you were at risk ie not sleeping or eating etc did you have any symptoms, thoughts, feeling low etc before admission?

Sea, I will try and answer. I do not know exactly what dp said to the GP (who, just to reiterate, I had only met twice, thinking that I was consulting him for anti-biotics), but my lawyer is requesting copies of letters, details of phone calls so this should become clearer. I can't believe him because he has not been truthful in many aspects of this affair. The dates of his contact with my GP will be interesting when we find them out.

(I can't see these letters because they are from a third party, dp, and it is part of the law. My lawyer can tell me what they say).

My lawyer has written to my psychiatrist saying that he feels, as do many of the nursing staff that

'this is a case in which the therapeutic benefits of inpatient treatment could be argued to have diminished to the point where Daisy's ongoing detention is disproportionate to either the risks that she presents in the community (!) or the benefits to be gained from a longer period of hospitalisation'

I am on Section 3. Considering I have had no 'treatment' in the form of medication since 10 Feb, except diazepam, my advocate, who I saw this afternoon, said that she thinks that my detention is not legal, and that I should bring this up with the lawyer next week.

To my relief, the nursing staff are being remarkably relaxed about my 'refusal' to take Quetiapine each night at 10pm.

Are you gone 3 months into sec 3?

Well the meds doesn't seem needed at present!

They can reduce and stop meds to start new ones on Sec 3.
I am not surprised they are relaxed you are not showing any symptoms....the longer you stay drug free the better to see if or what symptoms return?

What symptoms did you used to get when I'll before?
The plus side is that the longer you stay in hospital under observation the better idea they will have to what exactly it is you have so it can be treated!

You are a medical mystery Daisy and a lovely lady :)

At £1000 a day I am a very expensive lady. Poor taxpayers.

Daisy, unless there are risks not highlighted here, I think it is very likely on the basis of what you have written here that your section will be rescinded before your tribunal is heard.

You said the nurses were documenting that you "refused" your medication - saying you cannot refuse medication on Sec 3. Not quite true. It is recorded as "R" because that's the only way of recording it on the card - unless it's missed for another reason such as you are away from the ward when it's due etc. And it would only be forcibly given unless it is seen as essential to the recovery of the patient - and that would not happen straight away either.

Inhibernation, I am not really daring to hope too much. It has been, and still is, the most awful and traumatic experience of my life, and I don't even know how I can rebuild my life if and when I come out of the other side.

Eventually, I hope, I will know all of the facts.

It is the case that a patient under Section 3 does not have the right to refuse treatment, but I think that if they were going to (lawfully) forcibly inject me then they would have done it by now.

I am not sure what you mean by 'rescind', but I am just focussing on staying low profile, listening to my language tapes and not getting my hopes up.

Thanks.

after 3 months it has to be reassessed even though 6 months long...like a half way reassessment if I remember!

You will rebuild your life. You will be overjoyed to be free, for a start; plus you've got a lot of people on your side with this. I can't see you letting this go tbh. All in good time though. I suppose one thing you've learned is to patiently wait - not a bad skill, not one any of us would sign up for given the choice.

Is it an NHS facility? Only most are so pressed for beds that there would have to be a REALLY good rationale for detaining you for a lengthy period (in terms of nature and degree of your illness).

It is true that when on a Sec 3 medication can be given without the patient's consent. But a refusal in terms of notes is the same whether a patient is informal, or any other section - just the course of action is different. Probably seems pedantic in the scheme of things.........sorry.

I am really sorry to hear of the horrors you are having to experience. FWIW I think you can rebuild your life even when the memory of this awful experience is indelibly etched in your mind. How you move forward from this will depend on your personality, your coping ability and the support you get. Will you be having any community follow up when you get out of hospital? Is that even something you want?

Having no 'community follow up' will be a condition of me leaving.
My entire neighbourhood has seen a police van and two police cars and and an ambulance outside my house for over four hours. My house has been obviously damaged when the police broke the door, in spite of the social worker's report saying that they 'secured the property' and oversaw the installation of a new lock. Er, no. In spite of at least 12 people being in my small house I was handcuffed, with the handcuffs ratcheted so tightly that they drew blood, and the bruising is noted in the admission notes. The hospital staff refused to take photographs of the injuries.

My neighbours, gathered by then, saw me dragged in the clothes that I was wearing, completely barefoot, manhandled into a policevan, shoved into the tiny 'cell' (I wouldn't expect you to know this, unless you are in the police force) and driven to this place.

I do not know how to come to terms with it. I do not think that I can go back there. I am not trying to tar all police with the same brush but they were brutal. In a way that I would expect in an undeveloped country.

They took my sick dog away; she has been in kennels ever since and I was only allowed to visit her when she was rushed to the vet and I thought that she was going to have to be put to sleep.

My 'named nurse', who I talk to fairly regularly, says that I should never have been bought in and should be discharged immediately but I don't feel as if I have a life or a home to return to. She was telling me last night about how the police treated a woman suffering from post natal pueral (I know what I mean but can't remember the name; really, really bad pnd) much worse than me. I will definitely always try to do something about the police treatment.

It is an NHS 'treatment centre'.

I have read my GP's notes and I have seen him exactly twice in my life, first in August and second in September. I then saw a psychiatric nurse who did not want to see me again. Then this.

Happy Mother's Day.

I must say, like you daisy, that I just don't understand this. I wonder if it is the force where you live? it's post-peural psychosis (I think) and it's severe. I am appalled by what you are saying happened - I can't get my head around it at all. And it didn't even happen to me!

That posted before I was ready. I know so little about this but what org does Marjorie Wallace head up? Is it SANE? All these orgs I should think would give you some insight into what has happened and some kind of recourse. From what you are saying, you aren't the only one to have been subjected to this very frightening treatment - perhaps some of you can get together and get a campaign going? I appreciate you may not be in the frame of mind for that now but it is a way to channel the horror and trauma of what happened...

I can see (hear!) you telling your story on eg Womens Hour. I just want this story, and others like it, out there in the public domain.

Do you own your house or is it rented? Do you know your neighbours? Things may not go the way you're thinking at the moment. When you get back you will have the chance to smooth your feathers and work out where you're going next, what's going to happen next.

Where are the kids btw? Who has them (and where)?