My wife’s youngest sister, who doesn’t generally have a history of depression, has been feeling sad lately. She’s a caregiver for her disabled sister, and she also just turned 38 and is unhappily single with two broken engagements in the last ten years. She is fit and attractive with a successful job and lots of friends and a big loving family but I think she feels like her life is slipping away from her.
She was recently prescribed antidepressants by her doctor - I don’t know what kind. Yesterday she went back to her doctor because she was having “bad” thoughts - I don’t know if that means she was thinking about harming herself or others or what. Apparently they asked her if she wanted to be admitted to the hospital, and she agreed somewhat naively. Withing a few hours she found herself locked into the psych ward of our local hospital, participating in craft projects and group therapy. She called my wife with some embarassment and they laughed over it. She meets with a psychologist today and we’ll find out how long she’s going to have to stay.
So here’s my question - what are the long-term ramifications of having been admitted to a psych ward of a hospital, even voluntarily? I’ve heard she can’t get life insurance now, or would never be able to buy a gun (not that she’d care). Would she be unable to get top-secret government clearance? Run a daycare?
I don’t have much to offer except that I’m pretty sure most of those things distinguish between voluntary and involuntary psych ward stays. In her case, it was voluntarily hospitalization. She wasn’t picked up as a threat to herself or others and locked up via court order.
OP, why do you describe her as being “naive” to agree she needed hospital treatment? Would it be naive if for example she had some chest pain and agreed to be admitted so tests could be run? Im really not getting that.
I doubt there were any tests run on her in the hospital. Her doctor evaluted her, asked her about the hospitalization to try to ascertain the severity of the problem, and she may not have realized the potential problems this could cause her in the future. But possibly at the time, her concern was real and not naive. There’s still a stigma attached to mental health issues that makes it difficult to make good decisions. She shouldn’t have to worry that erring on the side of caution would infringe her rights in the future.
Regrettably, in my past life I have had a couple of voluntary hospitalizations of this type. It hasn’t come up in any circumstance where I haven’t brought it up. I’m glad I’m stable now (and for about 12 years!)
Obviously treatment for depression is dfferent than heart conditon. It seems to me that if her treatment team felt she needed medical intervention, then that is a good thing she is receiving that care. My question is why would it be naive to agree to medical care?
I agree with the other posters that those kind of concerns such as owning a gun, etc apply to involuntary commitment.
In general unnecessary medical care shoud be avoided (IMHO). I don’t know if she was naive in this case, but it only takes a form filled out the wrong way to make this dog her for the rest of her life. Still, as I said, her concerns at the time may have been real even if she felt differently a little while later, and erring on the side of caution shoudn’t have to be a problem in this case, it’s just that it might because mental health issues have a stigma attached to them.
If her treatment team felt it was needed, it doesnt sound like it was unnecessary. especially with the bad thoughts the op said she reported to her doctor
As far as i know and have heard, i agree with other posters here that voluntary hospitalization is kept confidential, it wont interfere with any future possible issues like wanting to own a gun or secjrity clearance…that is involuntary commitment
It doesn’t sound like they thought she needed it, that’s why they asked her if she wanted to be admitted. But there’s not enough detail here to know that. I agree with you if was actually a recommendation.
I meant naive in the sense that she didn’t realize what the doctor was offering when he asked if she wanted to be admitted into the hospital. Next thing she knows, they took her purse, her phone, and the cord from her sweatpants and put her behind locked doors and into group therapy, craft projects and baking brownies. I think she feels like it is overkill and she just wanted to talk to a psychologist. I’m not trying to minimize her condition.
Thanks for the comments everyone. We want to support her. It kind of sucks that now my wife is the only one left to care for their disabled sister, though – I don’t want her to end up hospitalized next.
She was recently prescribed antidepressants by her doctor - I don’t know what kind. ****Yesterday she went back to her doctor because she was having “bad” thoughts ****- I don’t know if that means she was thinking about harming herself or others or what. Apparently they asked her if she wanted to be admitted to the hospital, and she agreed [/
Oftentimes a healthcare provider will first give the option of voluntary admission, as a means of allowing the patient the ability to avoid all of the upset of being detained, it is a time consuming and more upsetting process to go thru being commited, and many professionals also feel when possible its best to give the patient the opportunity to take some ownership of their own care. When someone agrees to voluntary hospitalization, they are much more likely to participatek such as attending groups and therapy. A good rule of thumb is that if a doctor or therapist asks a person if theyre willing to be admitted, it is because they strongly believe its indicated. Otherwise, they will provide outpatient care.
Its not uncommon at all to first ask the patient if they would be willing to be hospitalizaed, and if they agree it isa win/win…if they dont agree, then they can go ahead with having them commited involuntarily.
Its reassuring that it sounds like its a quality hospital she is in, since they provide alot of therapy and adjunctive therapy. Good hospitals dont just provide the medical aspect, they also provide therapies, including art, occupatonal, music, etc. so it sounds like she is in one of the better ones
As far as long-term ramifications, who’s going to know? I spent over three months in a psych hospital as a teenager (more because my parents were crazy than because I was, but I digress…). Nobody knows unless I tell them. I have life insurance. My mom was hospitalized, and she had life insurance. My dad was hospitalized more than once while he was still a cop, so he was still carrying guns.
I’ve been asked that question at times - I always said no, even when maybe I should have said yes, but also I always knew exactly what they were asking. If you’re asked, “Do you think you should be hospitalized?” and you say, “Yes”, it can’t really be a surprise if they go ahead and take your word for it.
(And TriPolar, in my experience, they don’t ask that question because they think you don’t need it - they ask because they think maybe you do, and they’re trying to gauge how self-aware and/or out of control you are. They’re not joking around about it, either. If a person says he’s thinking of killing himself, it’s important to take them seriously.)
What I’m trying to say here it’s possible that Skammer’s sister is a little embarrassed and trying to blow this off to her family, rather than admit the severity of what she’s feeling.
I don’t know, of course. But it’s possible that she really needs this, but doesn’t want to talk about it with her family. My advice would be to just follow her lead. Let her bring it up, why she’s there, what she wants to do next, and so on. Don’t press for details about whys and whens. If she wants to talk about her therapy (she probably won’t), let her start that conversation.)
One other thing - if she’s not happy with the therapy or the meds (if any) that she’s taking, she should feel free to change them as she sees fit as long as she keeps in contact with her regular doctors while she’s making the changes. It’s important not to just go on or off anything without having an anchor to run it by first. But I fired a whole bunch of therapists before I found one that clicked. If the first thing doesn’t work, she’s entitled to keep looking.
As for long term - I think partly that depends on local laws and support. She doesn’t have to announce this on a job application unless she’s applying for the police academy or something with a security clearance. My advice would be to check with a local lawyer or mental health clinic about the laws in your state. Also, it may be worth scheduling an appointment with a doctor yourself, just to be able to ask questions about the process and what (in a non-specific way, of course) your sister-in-law is going through.
Your state might have assistance for caring for disabled people. I don’t know the specifics of what she’d need of course, but your wife’s sister might qualify for visiting care of some sort. The lawyer or health department for your area could probably tell you where to start.
I don’t think you have be admitted just having mental health issues is enough you not allowed to ever own gun or get some jobs like police ,fire,EMS,doctor ,nurse , army ,FBI or CIA .
Wait, there’s something I’m not seeing in this thread, or maybe I just missed it.
Did OP’s SIL enter the psych hospital voluntarily, at her psychiatrist’s suggestion? If so, isn’t she free to leave (with or against medical advice) at any time? Or is she committed to stay there at least as long as it takes for an evaluation (several days?), and then what thereafter?
The description of her treatment, and the general treatment as described (locked in behind locked doors, took away her purse and cell phone, " . . . meets with a psychologist today and we’ll find out how long she’s going to have to stay" – when all she was expecting was " . . . she just wanted to talk to a psychologist." That sounds like the description of a patient who is confined involuntarily.
If she doesn’t like the treatment, or the meds, or the therapy, or the group sessions, or baking brownies, can she just up and leave if she wants?
The description sounds like a standard stay in a psych ward, voluntary or not.
Even as a volunteer, you’re not free to just walk out. If you want to leave against medical advice you tell them, and they have a reasonable time (I’ve heard 12 hours) to either get a court order to keep you on an involuntary basis or let you go.
The determining factor for involuntary commitment is usually “danger to one’s self or others”. Voluntary commitment is is self-explanatory, but the length of both is usually a minimum of 72 hours followed by a “hearing” of sorts. Specific details often depends on the State.
I voluntarily went to the psych ward at my local hospital(Maine), and I was told they could keep me there for up to 72 hours without letting me leave. It was a locked ward, so I couldn’t just walk out. Thankfully, I was seen by a psychiatrist the next day, who decided to release me.