Have you visited A&E when suicidal?

[Downtownmonkeyi]

What help you were offered?

I have accompanied someone who had attempted suicide through an overdose. They were discharged and GP written to, and they were told to go to GP for further help. But this was after immediate medical crisis so not sure what they do before.

Are you ok?

Yes, I am fine atm. Just wondering if things get worse.

I saw the on duty psychiatrist, who didn't admit me to the psychiatric (as I'd hope she would), but sent me home instead. With no back up.

Where are you OP? There are some psychiatric A&Es

Here the main hospital has 24hour mental health service.

Sounds bad rambunctious. Not even the crisis team?

First 2 times I got diazepam and told to go to my gp asap (it sounds shit but it wasn't, I had calmed down enough and felt more hopeful, I'm sure they only sent me away because they could see that)

3rd time the psychiatrist came from the special whatever they call it team and I got urgently referred to the cmht (I was new to the area). And she made sure I was alright before I went home. Again I actually was. I wasn't actively trying to kill myself right there in a&e or something.

This was all in a week. One of the nurses recognised me twice, it was embarrassing. But everyone was nice. I had to be tricked into going the third time because I was adamant no doctor would want to see me. But they did

If it helps, this was all Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield. And I think the 24hr on call mental people thing is Birmingham wide. So if you're from round here you'll definitely be alright, I promise

Oh and they gave me all the phone numbers and everything but I've always found those rubbish.

I am under cmht but my psychiatric nurse is off this week.

I went in an ambulance as had been picked up unconscious but as A&E was so busy they took me to the out of hours GP service. They saw me straight away as the paramedics realised I would leave if not! She was good and would have called the crisis team but told me I would have a long wait and it was better to see them in the morning. As she had a good chat to me and calmed me down a bit anyway I went home and saw the GP in the morning who referred me to CMHT. Took another 2 months and 2 hospitalisations thro suicide attempts before I finally saw them but that is another story ..

I guess they would just tell me to contact cmht. Well, at least I am not that bad yet.

A and E often:
Assess a patient
Provide immediate physical treatment if needed
Refer a patient to the 24 hours crisis team who see someone short term when their needs are more than a gp or a nice a week CMHT meeting
Contact a patient's CMHT and insist their duty worker sees them if usual worker on holiday/ill if it is not urgent
Provide medication if needed straight away ( eg diazepam) and can ensure a medication review is done by usual team if needed

Never received any help at all.

I know all hospital trusts are different but I see so many posts on the MH thread urging people to go to A & E when they are in crisis. The only time I have been I was definitely suicidal and had seen an OOH GP who sent me to A & E and I was triaged by an A & E doctor and told to wait for the crisis team. I waited for 3 hours and by that time my anxiety had lessened so by the time I saw them I was feeling much calmer. They wouldn't let my DP or friend who was with me come into the room. They didn't introduce themselves and were only really interested in suicide risk, which I suppose is fair enough. They sent me home with 2 x2mg diazepam and said I could collect more the following day (this was Sat before Easter Sunday) and they would give me enough to last till Tues when GP surgery open.

My depression worsened considerably and GP and said he would refer me to CMHT (he was lovely and prescribed more diazepam) and called back later in the day to see how I was. He phoned the next morning to say the consultant psychiatrist was visiting me that afternoon, and he assessed me and admitted me on a voluntary basis to hospital.

To be honest I don't think A & E are very helpful and I'm not sure if the crisis team (usually a doctor and CPN) can admit a patient but I may be wrong.

I did notice recently when waiting to see the psychiatrist in out patients that the CQC had a notice up saying that many people had complained about how they were treated in A & E and there was now a MH liaison nurse available.

What is 2mg diazepam supposed to do? I've never been given tablets smaller than 5mg

Tbh, I wasn't offered any help. I was basically assessed by a doctor and then sent on my merry way again with instructions to just go to the GP.

When my sister was taken to A&E when she was suicidal she actually left before she could be seen to. Nobody noticed and nobody checked up on her afterwards. She was okay in the end and didn't hurt herself after she left but I worry about people who do in that situation.

I went after taking an overdose of sleeping tablets. The doctor was lovely, but told me there was no help he could get me that night that was suitable. He made me cry, because he was so lovely about it. I went to the doctors myself a few weeks later, but no one ever chased it up.

My friend took an overdose and was admitted to a ward and a psychiatrist (I think) sent to see her. They put her on anti depressants and kept her in for a few days.

I hope your ok op, what would you like to happen if you went to a&e? Is it worth talking to your doctor?

I went after an overdose. I was in pretty bad shape to be fair, I had to speak to the on-duty psychiatrist before they could discharge me the next day. I had a visit from my local crisis team a day or two later and they gave me their contact number as I was considered a high risk so had to be monitored. I was given a in-community counselor for 6 months.

I called cmht and was seen by psychiatrist next day. During the weekend I was seen by HTT. Yesterday I saw my cpn. I feel calmer after my medication was increased. But I still feel rather unwell.

I have been admitted three times to the hospital after I have presented myself in a&e with cuts. That was over ten years ago and I don't cut myself anymore.

I will probably see my friend. I am signed off from work and feel bored at home alone.

Maybe things were different ten years ago. I wasn't even suicidal when I was admitted.