HTT are handing me over

[EnpoTree]

Woop! Just got a call asking if I wanted to be visited today (er, no, ta) and telling me that they're about to call CMHT to hand me over to them. Finally getting off this daily checking up soon I hope

And I'm sure I remember a psychiatrist metaphorically patting me on the head and sayig that they hardly ever forced anyone into hospital.

I don't think I've ever been on a ward where informal admissions outnumber those detained under section. I've seen how easy it is for people to agree to an admission only for their status to change once they are actually there - it's harder to section someone in the community I think.

You'd be amazed. It's not an everyday occurrence but it's fairly regular.

Hm. Maybe people just said they were voluntary, or I'm misremembering. I tend to block out most of that TBH. One place was an adolescent unit with only one sectioned patient, who was moved after a while to somewhere more suitable - basically they don't need the section so much as your parents/the social can drag you back. One was a general adult ward that I don't remember at all to be fair. And the third one, now I come to think of it most people on a section were in the cage, so I didn't have much to do with them.

The cage wasn't as bad as it sounds...

Basically the ICU was entirely enclosed by the main ward, and the only place ICU and outer ring could meet was in the garden, where ICU pts were in a part if the garden entirely enclosed in a - well, a massive cage. People in the outer ward used to poke contraband through the wire to them.

Actually that is quite bad. But at least there was garden for everyone.

Was quite funny in a horrifying way to hear people yell, "don't put me in the cage!"

Fucking arseholes.

Is there still a lot of heroin and cannabis on the wards?

my ex psychiatrist (the WELL HOT ONE) sectioned my daughter (offspring #2) once as an adolescent and she was in a secure unit and I'm pretty sure there were no voluntary patients there

then I went on (a very short) holiday with a friend (who happened to be a psychiatrist) and for about five years my own sister believed that I'd gone off with the chap who'd sectioned my daughter, having met him under those circumstances!

(visiting was so restricted at that place that me fucking off on holiday wasn't as bad as it sounds, plus she was in there or other places for about a year and it was the second year of being-in-hospitals for her :()

Yeah, my adolescent unit wasn't strictly secure. Once you got off the ward and into the school part, all you had to do was hit the emergency alarm button by the airlock and FUCKING RUN. Most psychiatric nurses can't catch you cause of all the fags. Actually have fond memories of one nurse who got us all to sit round with rolling machines rolling her daily fag stockpile for her

So sorry to hear your daughter has been in hospitals for so long.

Your sister must have been a bit at what she thought was going on!

she's doing well now, cruising through law school and working hard at two jobs

but it wasn't easy

I did have a forensic psychiatry assessment (no idea why) at an adolescent secure unit once and to be fair it seemed much nicer. Calmer. Better facilities.

Wow, law school? That's really impressive.

You must be really proud of her.

she was here for a while, it was really fucking horrible

Going home, talk later.

The place I was at I won't name as I've said bad things about it and don't fancy being threatened with a lawsuit. But it's changed its name now.

and running club for me! hooray

I served my own time at law school so they can threaten me if they like (would not have clue how to defend self but am sure I know someone who could)

Ha

I can't believe I'm talking to these high-flying people with amazing achievements and fancy degrees and serious mental illness and I'm permanently signed off work with ESA and DLA for mild depression/anxiety, and no qualifications past GCSE (which I frankly totally fucked up)

I do quite love it when someone says something about non-graduates in my real life in front of me. I get quite scathing

I know that sounds really self-pitying, buy IDGAF really - I'm just in awe at people who achieve this stuff

I took some of my exams in hospital, almost literally, as in allowed leave to go and sit them and then back in the hospital.