I didn’t mention one really interesting thing that happened to me while hospitalized: You see, I had just a week before gone in for an initial consultation with Dr. Abrams about getting ECT (electro convulsive therapy) and I needed to get medical clearance from my primary care physician to undergo ECT. Well, I made the suicide attempt before I got medical clearance but who should show up in the psych ward on my behalf? Dr. Abrams! He saw my name on the intake list and came up to see me - he went all out to get me scheduled to start ECT as soon as possible. So, you could think he’s an ambulance chaser, that’s certainly been my question - but he did go to great lengths, (according to the other doctors) to get me on the rotation for ECT.
Interesting development today - long story short: I’ve talked to the disability people twice, my psychiatrist three times and my Human Resources person once. Big drama on my case: apparently, trying to kill yourself isn’t a big problem according to the disability people. They still need more and more data. These conversations were just the one’s that happened today.
Hey Zago, I’m glad to hear you’re keepin’ on keepin’ on and taking care of business. Keep working on the things that work for you, and I’m certain things will continue to look up (heck, that’s just a matter of the Law of Averages 
).
I’m no expert, but from everything I hear about applying for Disability, it’s definitely through-the-looking-glass level bureaucracy. Catch-22 type stuff. If you go in expecting it to be sensible and reasonably appropriate to circumstances, you will be disappointed. It’s just a matter of following the paperwork trail.
I’m told that it’s all but automatic that everyone gets denied the first time they apply; it’s expected that you apply a second time (it might be advisable to get some help from an attorney at that point) before you can expect results.
I had another thought, since it looks like you’re going to be doing ECT. It might help a lot if you can lean on the friends/and or family that you mentioned to help with some of the various paperwork and scheduling; they can help make sure things don’t get lost in the muddle while you’re dealing with the effects of treatment.
I actually already finished ECT and I can say that it’s really important to have people around to help you out during it. I had severe memory loss/confusion to the point that my family were quite disturbed. It was short lived though and I have regained my memory and am thinking clearly now.
I won the battle against bureaucracy! The checks in the mail!
Did you hear about the 65 yr old lady, who wanted to kill herself with a gun, so she asked her doctor where, precisely, was the heart located. He told her it was 2 inches below her left nipple.
She shot herself in her left knee
This is a warning for you…for a post extremely out of line for this topic.
Your posting privileges are now under review by the staff.
Do not post in this manner again as it goes beyond the “Don’t be a jerk” rule.
Thank you, that post was offensive. I’m actually able to have a sense of humor about the state of my mental health but under these particular circumstances I think it’s bad form to make light of such a serious issue. It’s life and death for some of us.
Don’t have time now, but I will post my own experience this evening. This thread has thus far been helpful in that it’s presented experiences different from my own.
Has anyone ever run into someone from the ward after they were released? It turns out that one of the nurses lives kitty corner from me (across the street). She’s pretty cool, treats me like a normal person and compliments me on my beautiful window box plantings. I did exchange phone numbers with two patients but we haven’t gotten in touch (fine with me).
I think my hospital stay cost upwards of $80,000. and those are just the bills I’ve gotten so far. Every couple of days I get a new bill from someone. If I’d known better (in the emergency room) I would never have agreed to be admitted to the psych ward. It was naïve on my part to think I was going to a *therapeutic place *and that my insurance would pay for all of it (they’ve paid for most).
** *thumbs up! *** 
I stayed in touch with some of the patients that I was admitted with, the ones with the postpartum depression, for a little while. But we’ve lost touch.
I’m wary of any friendships I made in the ward although there were two people I could imagine being friends with on the outside. I’m thinking of calling up one of them for coffee.