Mental health diagnosis

[Beautifulsky]

I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar since 2021. That's when I experienced my first "mental crisis." I was placed under a 51/50 hold and also a 52/50 hold by police and at the psychiatric hospital where I was asked basic questions from a social worker. These laws were introduced to me for the first time then and I learned how the police department plays a part in patients being admitted into the medical system. The police were called on me for being a concern in the public since I was talking to myself...a concerned stranger called the police on me for them to check on my welfare. (Why they didn't leave me alone instead of cause me more harm, I don't know why they did that). Well, apparently, it's the law for others to get you involved in a psychiatric hold when you're forced, against your will, to be taken to the psychiatric hospital. I was taken by paramedics to the psychiatric hospital for experiencing psychosis related to my condition. The whole system (police, hospital, family) is against you when you're in a mental crisis. Your will is overthrown by the fairness and goodness from others and their concern for you and your own health and the welfare of others. I was traumatized at the psychiatric hospital. It was the worst experience of my life. All I understood was abuse and neglect from doctors and medical staff while there. To put it short: never go there for treatment. If you're experiencing a mental crisis, seek other therapy where you're in control, where you're in power, and where you can decide for yourself what you want to take: whether medication or not, or who you want as a therapist or doctor. When you're in an intensive outpatient, you lose your will to choose for yourself. It's only what a doctor thinks of you, even when he/she doesn't know anything about you.

After going through the medical system, going in an out of the psychiatric hospitals, what I can tell you is that I'm tired of being sick while on medication. These medical professionals don't have the answer. They can't cure me. When I Google search, "is there a cure for schizophrenia," the answer is "there is no known cure." These psychiatrists at the psychiatric hospital believe in just shoving medication down your throat and they get the power to either allow you to stay at a hospital or leave. It's abuse of power. It's inhumane. I felt like I was treated like an animal and not like a human being in charge of my own care. The psychiatrist told me: you have "schizophrenia" and here "take this medication."---Take this medication indefinitely until you die and there's not much we can study about schizophrenia besides the symptoms since we don't know the cause of schizophrenia. What kind of care and treatment is that? Where's the hope? Where's the cure? Where's the truth to this disease? So I stay as a sick patient while my doctor and pharmacist make money off me for the years I have left to live...lucky for them, they get paid steadily and a lot which doesn't make sense to me as a patient. What did they do to deserve the prestige of being a doctor in this position and what message does that send me when you're not providing me with the best care? So you get paid for labeling me, and putting a stigma against me as a "disabled" person now, meanwhile you get paid for studying a disease you know little about and don't know how to cure with modern medicine? It's phony and dangerous.

Do any of you agree with me? I have struggled with the idea that as a minority too, getting the best healthcare in this medical system here in the U.S. is very minimal. I can't count on my psychiatrist to do what is right for me without him looking out for his own employment and pay and not on finding me the answers to this disease. It's disgusting. The system is built for the benefit of the doctors, not the patients who must pay the final bill and live with the poor health condition until they pass away. Does anyone else suffer from Schizophrenia? Do you think we need to reform these laws about psychiatric care and how patients are admitted? What about other options to medical care in the case of a mental crisis? I'm ashamed of having been a patient in the psychiatric hospitals I went to.

[Joemama55]

That's terrible, so sorry this happened to you. I never knew about these new laws. I agree, Dr's don't have the answer for any of these psych conditions. I've had depression, and bipolar; they just throw drugs at you , no one know if they'll work - they didn't for me. I've been hospitalized many times, has good counselors & bad - some of these people need more help than we do! Had shock treatments - very scary. Anyway, keep writing here, so you'll know you're not alone - there's millions with psych problems.

[Beautifulsky in reply to Joemama55]

Thank you for reading my post and for commenting. It helps to know someone else can understand. Also, we need others to advocate for better healthcare and better laws. I hope this brings awareness. Hopefully more people become aware of how it's like for us/those living with mental health illnesses--that it's not easy and we need better care. It takes courage and strength to keep going and to reach out and to vocalize your situation. Thank you again and take care.

[Joemama55 in reply to Beautifulsky]

Yes, it's in the media more and more, and that's a beginning. I enjoy reading your post = it brings awareness as to how we are being mistreated at the worst time in our life. Wish I could do more, but I;m barely functional on two hours of sleep every night, nothing helps this. Keep writing as you'll never know who your helping, especially if they are too down to respond .....