Suicidal ideation

WanderlustIre

So someone so close and important to me was diagnosed with Suicidal ideation. This came out of the blue, but from Centre field in as far as self harm was an issue when she eas younger.

It all stopped for a number of years, then changes in her life lead to stresses. While telling everyone who cared she was happier then shed ever been and seeming very happy she disappeared one night and made an attempt on her life , she was found Overdosed brought to hospital and then ran from hospital and then again repeated the attempt. She ended up back in hospital and we thought we lost her.

She put a post up about being ok with not being ok and apologising. But yesterday disclosed to me she has a peace and happiness when she thinks of when she succeeds. This has me broken and im not easily broken. She also said she knows its wrong but cant get past how loud the other side thinks of suicide.

She is admitted in to a hospital a week and they havent given her a date of release. Im scared she will succeed next time.

Anyone dealt with this how did they help the person.

Gremlinertia

Paramount is to encourage them to be completely open and honest with the healthcare team where they are. Are family involved in this currently? It's very tough so make time to look after yourself too.

WanderlustIre

Gremlinertia wrote: »

Paramount is to encourage them to be completely open and honest with the healthcare team where they are. Are family involved in this currently? It's very tough so make time to look after yourself too.

Yes we are all involved. I am at the end of my thether

Gremlinertia

Self care ok, mind yourself, at least there are a few of you involved.. Contact Aware perhaps for some professional support..

okatied

As someone who has attempted suicide and been hospitalised in the past, the family member should stay in hospital until they are no longer suicidal. Suicidal Ideations in themselves are annoying but not always damaging. When someone is having suicidal ideations and has intent, this is where the danger zone is. I was in a locked ward for 4 weeks and then discharged a further 4 weeks later. Medication saved my life. Therapy is helping me get my life back on track.

WanderlustIre

okatied wrote: »

As someone who has attempted suicide and been hospitalised in the past, the family member should stay in hospital until they are no longer suicidal. Suicidal Ideations in themselves are annoying but not always damaging. When someone is having suicidal ideations and has intent, this is where the danger zone is. I was in a locked ward for 4 weeks and then discharged a further 4 weeks later. Medication saved my life. Therapy is helping me get my life back on track.

Shed 3 attempts in 1 day. Serious attempts and shes not happy till shes succeeded. I hate her at the same time i love her. Dont know where i go hospital are useless

Gremlinertia

Hospital is useful when they have something to work with.. Not always of course.. She probably needs more time to get properly honest?.

wexie

It's tough to deal with alright. Or at least so I gather, I've never had to as I was the one in hospital

It very much depends on her situation I suppose and medication may or may not be the way out. It will be up to the MDT team in the hospital to diagnose and figure out whether or not there is actually a psychiatric illness involved or whether or not it's psychological.

Best advice I can give I suppose is for the family (and the patient if you can get them to engage) to push for involvement of as much of the team as possible, so at least a psychiatrist and a psychologist but perhaps also a CBT practitioner etc. etc. However until things have stabilised a bit that might not be appropriate. For the moment (from the sound of it at least) it's all about crisis control, once that's settled then therapy/coping skills etc. etc. will need to be looked at.

Depending on what hospital they are in this may not be easy unfortunately. In my experience of public psychiatric hospitals (assuming that's what we are talking about) they are hugely under resourced. (or at least, one of the ones I saw, I think part of St. Pats is public as well but I could be wrong in that)

If there is any option at all to go privately I would certainly go that way. Ironically enough though some private (or at least one) psychiatric hospital won't take actively suicidal patients.

Best of luck both to you and the family as the family member who is in hospital. It's a ****ty situation.

And, perhaps an important thing to remember is that they are not trying to hurt or punish the family. It's not a rational mind that makes these decisions or has these thoughts.

WanderlustIre

wexie wrote: »

It's tough to deal with alright. Or at least so I gather, I've never had to as I was the one in hospital

It very much depends on her situation I suppose and medication may or may not be the way out. It will be up to the MDT team in the hospital to diagnose and figure out whether or not there is actually a psychiatric illness involved or whether or not it's psychological.

Best advice I can give I suppose is for the family (and the patient if you can get them to engage) to push for involvement of as much of the team as possible, so at least a psychiatrist and a psychologist but perhaps also a CBT practitioner etc. etc. However until things have stabilised a bit that might not be appropriate. For the moment (from the sound of it at least) it's all about crisis control, once that's settled then therapy/coping skills etc. etc. will need to be looked at.

Depending on what hospital they are in this may not be easy unfortunately. In my experience of public psychiatric hospitals (assuming that's what we are talking about) they are hugely under resourced. (or at least, one of the ones I saw, I think part of St. Pats is public as well but I could be wrong in that)

If there is any option at all to go privately I would certainly go that way. Ironically enough though some private (or at least one) psychiatric hospital won't take actively suicidal patients.

Best of luck both to you and the family as the family member who is in hospital. It's a ****ty situation.

And, perhaps an important thing to remember is that they are not trying to hurt or punish the family. It's not a rational mind that makes these decisions or has these thoughts.

Thank you. Needed to read your post.

wexie

WanderlustIre wrote: »

Thank you. Needed to read your post.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions if you want. It's a tough situation to be in but it's important to know that this can get better and also that it's really very unlikely you could have done anything to prevent this from happening.

I'm by no means an expert on mental health or the hospitals but I've seen more of both than the average person and certainly more than I'd like to admit

Graces7

wexie wrote: »

Don't hesitate to ask any questions if you want. It's a tough situation to be in but it's important to know that this can get better and also that it's really very unlikely you could have done anything to prevent this from happening.

I'm by no means an expert on mental health or the hospitals but I've seen more of both than the average person and certainly more than I'd like to admit

Reading your post, deeply thankful things in hospitals have so greatly improved since my own involvement when there were the huge warehouses they called mental hospitals .