pregnant relative trying to commit suicide - what do I do?

[urgenthelpneeded]

Please help, my bi-polar SIL is 24 weeks pg, and already tried to commit suicide earlier in the pregnancy, by overdosing, but convinced the doctors at that stage that she did it accidentally.

Few days ago she tried to hang herself, and yesterday pretended to overdose again, but using vitamins. (of course the o/d of vitamins was harmful to the baby, how much damage we don't know obviously)

WHAT DO WE DO?

She has a 3 year old boy and social services have been called, and they have told my brother that they will not talk to him but only to my SIL. But due to my SIL bi-polar disorder she is good at making up stories. My brother is concerned that they may try to take the three year old, if she makes up stories.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Urgent I'm sorry to hear that your sil is feeling like this. It must be a terrible worry for your db, you and the family.

I know how difficult it is when the person at risk won't accept help but I think your db is doing the right thing in trying to force his wife to get treatment. My db committed suicide in November and he was very resistant to intervention by the Mental Health Services - I was worried about him but I didn't really know that he was suicidal but in retrospect I wish I had voiced my concerns and pushed for him to be treated but held back as I knew he would never forgive me for it. I would rather he was still here hating me and I suppose if he had still carried out his intention to kill himself, I would at least feel I had tried everything rather than the terrible guilt that I feel now.

Winetime sorry for your loss.

Your brother has the right as nearest relative to formally request an assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983. If the receptionist is being arsey difficult then he needs to be Very Assertive and tell the receptionist that he knows his legal rights and he should insist on taking his/her name in order to make an official complaint.

If your brother is still struggling to make contact with a GP tonight and feels he needs to, then he needs to speak to the duty social worker (Emergency Duty Team) and stress if he feels that she is at imminent risk of taking her life/harming herself.

I often find that if people are very unhelpful, specifically asking their names may help them to become a little more cooperative.

(I am a mental health nurse btw)

Sorry for any confusion on my above post.

The first line was for WineTime

The rest was for the OP.

SO sorry it it seemed insensitive or confusing.

Winetime - so sorry to hear about your db but please don't blame yourself. Hindsight is always a wonderful thing.

Urgent - how are things? Did db get help today?

winetimeisfinetime - so sorry to hear about your db, hindsite is so easy to use, but it is hard in a situation like you experienced.

Ladylush - thank you for all your help, it was useful to be able to pass on all the information. I have not heard from my brother today, he is difficult to get hold of sometimes, but I am assuming that things are ok at least.

My brother apparently was not only told by the receptionist that he could not see the gp but also the practice manager. My brother was very upset, especially difficult as he had his 3 year old son with him at the time. But I told him to go again and make them see that they are not obeying the law.

I am hoping that I will hear soon from my brother as it is very worrying for me to be waiting with no news. I just hope that: no news is good news?

What a terrible situation, Urgenthelpneeded. I have an idea how you feel as my own mother is in a mental hospital at the moment for suicidal depression. She agreed to go this time but has in the past been sectioned and forced to go into hospital for her own safety.

Is your brother at least getting some help watching his wife from friends or neighbours? One person can't watch another 24 hours a day. Is the 3 year old staying somewhere else? Not so much that his mother might harm him as that your brother should not have to make the choice between leaving a 3 year old alone in the bath and leaving a suicidal person alone in the kitchen with the knives.

Urgent - glad to be of help. If you need any more advice I am on the antenatal board (due Sept thread) - just in case this thread disappears from my list. I'm a CPN and used to be a ward nurse so know a fair bit about the system. It must be very hard for you to be left in the dark, but you have done what you can to help your brother. I hope he gets in touch with you soon.

139 - sorry to hear about your mother I hope she gets better soon.

I agree with you when you say that Urgent's db needs help supervising his wife. I was hoping he would only need to watch her overnight and that she would be assessed/admitted the following day. Imo from what she described, that is what should have happened.

sorry l39 not 139

ladylush - thank you. I hoped the OP would be back to say what happened here...
I do have a question about my own mum's care which maybe someone can answer but I will start a new thread for that.