Help! Hospitalization/mental hold?

[ArtsyHeartsy]

My sister is having a breakdown, and I can't help her because I live far away. She can't breathe well (she's having a lot of panic attacks) or eat... She's just crying and wanting to sleep everything away all day. From what I can tell it's pretty severe....and she is not functioning at all. She's called 911 twice in the last week because she's home alone during the day and has these really bad panic attacks where she thinks she is dying.

She keeps asking me if she should go to the hospital. She wants to be put on mental hold. I'm scared for her because she's going to school and I'm afraid this will mess with her future forever...but I want her to get help now. I don't know if she can make it through the weekend without getting very, very sick. She has appt with a counselor on Monday. I think she needs more an sooner.

would it be right for her to go to the ER and would this be on her record forever when she is trying to get a job teaching? She's had a LOT of trauma in her life and I can see why this is happening, I don't want her treatment to ruin the rest of her life though.

What do you think? Any help would really be appreciated.

[lovbeingamommy]

I've had a similar problem after my ds was born...they called it ppd, but I think it was more severe anxiety due to my OCD. I finally couldn't take it and wasn't able to sleep for several days. I went to the ER and was transferred from there to a behavioral health hospital where I stayed for 5 days. This was in 2005 and since then I've been on medication, Zoloft, fairly regularly, and it's under control. I've also been a teacher for almost the past 20 years. I know many teachers that are on ssri's or some other type of anxiety medication, many millions of people are for that matter. Never, ever have a heard of this causing a problem for a teacher. Mental disorders are a disease just like a broken leg. Your can cure it or control it most of the time. I seriously doubt this would disqualify someone from having a teaching job.

[jjawm]

Your sister's medical record is protected and private. No one who is hiring has any reason to know, and legally she shouldn't be discriminated about if they did. Not legally, at least.

I'm not sure what you mean by a mental hold. Hospitals usually only take people in if they're a risk to themselves (suicidal, with a plan), or homicidal. I've known hosptials to turn people away if they're not dangerous enough. Sad, but true.

I wish her luck. It sounds like she's really hurting. If she is suicidal at all, I'd encourage her to go to the ER, and be very upfront and honest about it. Hospitalization will mean quick access to a psychiatrist to get on some meds, and get herself stabalized.

Good luck!

[ArtsyHeartsy]

Thank you for the information and support. I have been talking to her all day and she has been trying to keep herself calm. She's definitely on a scary path but I think she can hold out till Monday, if she starts having a full-on attack tomorrow I will try to get her to go to the hospital. I'm happy to know that she can get the help she needs without worrying about her fugure career.

Thanks again!

[Learning_Mum]

Sounds like me when my husband left. I visited the GP and he prescribed me some Lorazepam. That stuff was a god-send! Took away the anxiety and actually made me feel almost positive! Also helps to sleep. I would suggest she go see a doctor to see if she can get anything prescribed for the short-term.

[milliegirl]

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[VisionaryMom]

As someone else said, psych hospitals really are only for people who are suicidal or homocidal. Most regular ERs cannot hold patients in those categories. For people with other psych problems, they can prescribe some meds to get you through the crisis, but they won't typically hold you (insurance will not pay). Still if she's having panic attacks that bad, then something to help with the anxiety/sleep may work. Panic attacks are scary, and I think (from the few I've had) that the feeling of dying makes the panic worse, and it's just a vicious cycle.

As for future employment, it really depends. There are jobs those of us with mental illness are excluded from getting, but I don't know about teaching in particular. I would say, though, that she probably has a temporary problem from trauma rather than a chronic mental illness, and people typically are more forgiving of those types of situations.

[Purple Cat]

I think the only thing that potentially gets knotty for future employment is a court-ordered commitment and/or involuntary commitment. Those generally don't get brought into play unless a psychiatrist says you are a dangerous to yourself or others and you refuse to admit yourself voluntarily.

I've been through a lot of trauma and had lots of problems with panic attacks, etc. I would be leery of just "going to a hospital." I would try to find out the different reputations, etc. She could try to get herself admitted for a "respite" and find herself more traumatized, etc., while another program might be perfect. A partial hospitalization program (like a day program) might be better for getting through a crisis. Those tend to involve more things like groups where you set short-term goals, have group therapy, do art therapy, etc. I think lots of inpatient units tend to be more safe zones for suicidal or psychotic people to adjust meds or keep them from endangering themselves. But a lot depends on teh particular hospital.

I hope this helps. I feel for your sister. I've certainly been there engulfed by trauma and not knowing how I would make it through the next 5 minutes.

[harrietsmama]

Originally Posted by Purple Cat

I think the only thing that potentially gets knotty for future employment is a court-ordered commitment and/or involuntary commitment. Those generally don't get brought into play unless a psychiatrist says you are a dangerous to yourself or others and you refuse to admit yourself voluntarily.

I've been through a lot of trauma and had lots of problems with panic attacks, etc. I would be leery of just "going to a hospital." I would try to find out the different reputations, etc. She could try to get herself admitted for a "respite" and find herself more traumatized, etc., while another program might be perfect. A partial hospitalization program (like a day program) might be better for getting through a crisis. Those tend to involve more things like groups where you set short-term goals, have group therapy, do art therapy, etc. I think lots of inpatient units tend to be more safe zones for suicidal or psychotic people to adjust meds or keep them from endangering themselves. But a lot depends on teh particular hospital.

I hope this helps. I feel for your sister. I've certainly been there engulfed by trauma and not knowing how I would make it through the next 5 minutes.

ITA, she would likely get better help at a day program unless she is a danger to herself. That being said, she could probably go to an urgent care place before Monday to get some meds started, a counselor can't generally do anything immediate about meds and it sounds highly likely that she needs them right now, at least to get her symptoms under control.
The day program I attended helped quite a bit. It's like going to school to study how to cope with stress and feelings. The inpatient is *boring* and it can be frustrating or even a downer when you are high functioning but at the same time, it is worth it when you need the safety of course.
about her career, HIPAA protects her. IT is totally her choice whether to share this info.