Crazy as a Left Handed Computer

Don’t get sectioned in the first place, seek help from friends and family before you’re in a crisis. Don’t frighten your friends or family by discussing suicidal thoughts, it’ll only get you sectioned when they take you to the emergency department at the hospital. If you do arrive at the hospital, do talk but explain its more likely you’ll hurt yourself after admission than if not admitted in the first place, and that’s statistically proven. Don’t frighten doctors with unusual beliefs; they’ll think you’re psychotic or manic. If you’re taken in by the police just cooperate completely and don’t resist or remain locked in a house, they’ll smash a door to gain entry and manhandle you, and it’s expensive to fix the door and bruises hurt.

If you are sectioned under the mental health act its best to know the rules and regulations, if you don’t seek professional help from a lawyer, as it’s free when you’re sectioned and they can arrange to take statements for setting up a tribunal under the mental health act ASAP, and they’ll also put pressure on the doctors and hospital administration. Don’t expect the lawyer to know what’s happening concerning a tribunal, phone them yourself to confirm everything. Do read up on the mental health act and use their computer for doing so, most can allow you access with supervision, and you can print off what you need to brush up on. Do take the medication, whatever it is, because if you don’t they keep you in longer. Do ask to see a BNF or access it through their computer system, to read up on the drugs when you have side effects, because you will, and the only way of getting them changed is know the facts. Do talk to the doctors and nurse in ward round and ask lots of questions, it shows you’re on the ball. Try and keep your emotions under control, but don’t be afraid to speak up. And lastly I hope you get out swiftly, as such institutions will drive you mad.

Being sectioned or hospitalised can be a scary experience for anyone, especially your first time. I felt black mailed because I was told I could go in as an informal patient, but then when I asked to leave after 24 hours they had me assessed for a section. Now when I go in to hospital I just ask at ward round if I am ready to go home, not that I want to go home.

Sometimes they section me to get me into the general or psychiatric hospital in the first place. I have noticed too that it is not a good idea to lock myself into my house, as I too have had my door broken down. Admittedly this has saved my life, but at the time was not what I wanted. Saying what is really on my mind is not always a good idea really, as they think I am psychotic or having delusional thoughts.