The American mental health system is fucked

[hauntyoueveryday]

This is my personal story, but ik everyone else's s is different. I had a suicide attempt about two months ago in january which landed me in the intensive care unit then eventually an inpatient mental health care facility. When I say this facility did not care about me at all, I am making a huge understatement. When I was admitted, I was manic and not showing any symptoms of depression. The psychologist I was working with there told me she knew I wasn't depressed, but on the day I was discharged (not even a week later), major depressive disorder was put on the paper. I was not put on any medication or given any sort of help my entire time there, and neither me or my family was given a copy of the safety plan I had to make, which I still dont have. I was treated like a criminal my entire time there and the staff even randomly took away all art materials and games for "safety issues" and also went through all of our therapy journals or whatever they were unannounced and tore out the pages. I was openly told by one of the nurses that they were judging me. All they did was give me an MRI and an EKG, and when nothing came up, I was free to go. They just wanted me to get through my stay as quick as possible to make room for the next person so that they can get money. After finally receiving my bipolar diagnosis from another evaluation, it took them almost a month to get me on medication for god knows what reason. The system is genuinely just bullshit and does not help anyone, but treats mentally ill people as ATMs to get free money from. Let me know your thoughts

 

[NotSoEnchanted]

I'm sorry this was your experience. You truly deserved better. Unfortunately until facilities start prioritizing people over profit, nothing is going to change for many of us. You're spot on when you say the system treats mentally ill people as atms. I had a similar experience last month, in which the facility clearly just cared about profit. I only met with my therapist for a grand total of 3 sessions, for less than 15 minutes as a whole. It was a joke and left me feeling worse off. It sucks because that was my last attempt to get 'help' and I instead was left feeling even more angry at the world, albeit it was righteous anger.

 

[whywere]

I line in the U.S. and 100% agree with you.

I have been in the psychic ward more than once and the first time, my insurance paid out over $57,000 (USD) plus my co-pay afterwards.

It is a money-making machine.

Help me? NO, all I wanted to do is get the HELL out of there. Poor food, uncaring staff and ZERO help.

Walter

 

[Dreamwalker]

You are absolutely correct, and I'm so sorry you went through that. My one visit to the ICU told me everything I needed to know about mental health care in the West, and probably around the globe on account of the whole global Capitalism thing. You are garbage that needs to be sorted out, drugged up, and made functional enough to try to be crammed back into the machine as a cog.

I genuinely feel it's meant to scare you into not seeking help so you either shape up and start being a good, productive, normative little wage slave, or CTB. Those are your options as far as the system is concerned, and it shows. Even rich people essentially just pay to go to a resort with extra steps to try to solve fundamental personal/environmental issues that no amount of money can address.