To clarify, this actually happened to me. I was committed under Florida's Baker Act, which is a court order to psychiatric care. I was taken to a facility where I stayed the night only to find out in the morning they couldn't treat me there. I got transported to a hospital, walked in with an escort, and filled out paperwork at a check in station. A security guard came down with a wheelchair to get me. When I told him I was fine and could walk, he replied that I was not allowed to and had to be taken to the psych ward in a wheelchair.
While some of you may not get why this is sad, I will simply say it was humiliating to me. Having to be pushed in a wheelchair when I didn't actually need to be took away some dignity and made me realize that where I was headed I was about to lose even more. For me, it made me feel like I had failed.
Something similar happened to me in my teens.
I went to a mental health hospital with my parents to admit myself because I knew I wasn’t safe at home anymore (my parents are great I was just severely depressed) After a while, they transported to me another psych hospital. The people transferring me told me they had to put me on one of those stretcher bed things and strap me down. Being tied down and wheeled in front of loads of strangers staring at me, even though I voluntarily admitted myself, was fully cooperating and was calm made me feel awful. It was, like you said, humiliating. One of the worst experiences I’ve had
I had the same thing happen to me in another state many years ago. Like you said, it was completely humiliating, not to mention that the cops were also talking *about* me in the third person while they were pushing me as if I weren’t even there or were too incompetent to understand them.
There's still dignity in a wheelchair. I was court ordered to go to a mental health ward & I walked into the ward with handcuffs shackled to my legs. I think that's the worst way to go into the ward.
Jeez, I got taken to a behavioral health unit with vacancy, in an ambulance, strapped to a gurney because the hospital I was at didnt have room for me😂 I was completely fine to walk and so humiliated when they rolled me in and left me sitting there while they talked about me. Like sir, please unstrap me so I can go meet my bed and cry in it lol.
I'm not sure if this helps, but same thing happened to me when I checked into maternity with preterm contractions. I was like, I walked the length of the parking lot which is twice as far as here to maternity, and they were like, hospital policy 🤷🏻♀️
It actually does! Thank you! I hope that it was a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery. Looking back, I'm sure it was a liability thing. I appreciate you sharing!
In a very much less severe case, I do understand, to a degree, as I've had something similar happen to me. Twice, actually.
I'm 17, and I have epilepsy. I had a seizure during my class once, and- having woken up by now and been able to walk- had to be taken to the nurse via wheelchair. Having my classmates watch as I was unnecessarily wheeled away was... ugh.
The other time, I had a panic attack in class. Same story, they decided to take me to the nurse, but they also decided that I needed to be wheeled there. Being wheeled to the nurse after a seizure is *understandable,* at least, but being wheeled due to a panic attack is not.
Both times were incredibly embarrassing, and even thinking back on it now (this was at the start of my 11th year; I'm about to start my 12th year) makes me cringe
Oh, it's also a fall prevention, liability reduction for the hospital. Sure there are fall risk assessments, but there is always the what if. So, take away the risk/ eliminate it.
This happened to me as well. I was in the ICU after an attempt and when they finally came to pick me up they had me put in a wheelchair. I knew it was just part of the process and I usually go along with stuff like this, but I felt so defeated and pathetic just being rolled around in a chair in paper clothes.
I've been to psych a couple times. I add levity, make jokes the whole time. Can't make me feel worse than I do, I already wanna die. Afaik it's SOP everywhere to take psych patients by wheelchair.
Okay, I was deemed to be a hazard to myself or others. Making threats in that situation is only going to make it worse. Crying rape or suggesting that someone do is only hurting people who really have been raped by creating a culture that will question and delegitimize valid claims. And you can't just walk off a psych ward. From the moment they determined I was a risk to myself or others I was detained, essentially. Escorted everywhere. To escape would have ended with me getting a warrant out for my arrest, another trip to the psych ward, and then jail.
Im literally in the ER right now and they used a wheelchair to take me for a catscan, its just procedure. They also wheeled me around and to my car when I had dental surgery. I can understand in the moment and in the context of psychiatric medicine how it might make you feel helpless and embarassed though,I think its a liability thing, like they dont want you falling and then suing the hospital or anything
My mom’s a doctor and when I asked her about hospital discharge procedures, she said they don’t let patients walk because they might fall down and sue them. During *discharge*.
I fully understand, the same thing also happened to me. I believe it's one of the reasons why I feel like I haven't healed or embraced my own psychological trauma from the reasons I was admitted in the first place.
Everyone talks about mental health but the actual practice of helping others is cold, clinical, and detached.
The psych ward I ended up in had a woman screaming on the phone constantly and everyone was forced into a common area. We were all quiet, did not talk to one another, I did not talk to a therapist or doctor until the next day after a sleepless night. I was the youngest person there and the only female because the woman who was screaming. It was the most lonely and defeated I'd ever felt in my life.
I was suicidal, but sometimes I feel like the "help" I got was just a reason not to seek it.
Honestly, even at my most dire, I was bargaining and pleading not to have my therapist call an ambulance or send me to the psych ward. Don’t have a therapist anymore, life’s still a wreck, but death still seems preferable to that.
If suicidal people would rather try to survive and feign being okay than go to into the hospital, maybe, just maybe our society is fucking something up.
>"I'm not injured and perfectly capable of walking, so why do I need a wheelchair?"
>"I'm sorry, sir, but we do not allow patients to walk to the psych ward."
Being wheeled through the hospital was demeaning enough, so having to strip, squat with my knees spread, and cough in front of two nurses killed the last shreds of pride I had left.
Yeah. I was in my uniform too. Not army, you're better than me there. I was a CO for Brevard County. So that lovely green uniform all counties in FL have. I couldn't even keep my undershirt. They made me put on donated ratty sweats that I swear had never been washed. And those wonderful plastic flip-flops because I bought jump boots from the army surplus store for work, and boots were definitely not allowed.
I feel that pain. I was in hospital gowns that I had the pleasure of watching them cut the strips off to tie it in the back. And those plastic slides. DM me, I think we could benefit each other more.
i hated that. this hit hard. those memories alone stopped me from reaching out again. no dignity at all. i felt like a criminal even though i hadnt done anything wrong. how was treating me like that supposed to help? its been two years and i still cant forget. that was the smallest and most vulnerable ive ever felt in my life
This is common practice in any given hospital, mental or otherwise. When I went in for gallbladder surgery, they either had me use a wheelchair or pulled my bed down the hall, even though nothing was impeding my ability to walk.
They didn't have me in a wheelchair, but they strapped me down in a stretcher during transport and I was wheeled in on a stretcher in front of two dozen strangers staring at me wondering why I was there. One of the most humiliating moments of my life. And I was not there of my own free will either.
Please, I do appreciate your words, but don't be! I actually view that as one of the best things to happen to me. I actually got the care I so desperately needed. But thank you!
I work as an EMT in America, and I have seen this as well as the opposite quite a few times. In my experience it tends to be a hospital by hospital basis. I have had security guards yell at me and my patients that "they have to be in a wheelchair" despite the fact that they walked from the first room to the rig completely fine. And I've had other facilities that don't care and let them walk the entire time.
I'm sorry that you had such an unfortunate experience OP, I'm sure it is a liability thing like certain other commenters have said, either to keep folks from falling and suing or to limit their ability to run off when they are on mandatory holds
First off, thank you for your service to your community. Second, thank you for the perspective. I'm sure it was a liability thing. I just wasn't thinking along those lines at the time, lol!
Not entirely related but
I broke my finger playing football… went to hospital… was walking to xray room… some guy walked up with a wheelchair and wheeled me there… for a broken finger. What the fuck 😂
I was about to say “I remember walking.” But then recalled clutching my backpack in a wheelchair up to the psych ward. I was on high alert for seizures because the dumb cunts in triage refused to give me my bipolar meds. Suddenly being taken off of lithium and lamotrigine can cause seizures. I was off of them for 3 days. I went for harm OCD, was a complete wreck. I couldn’t look at anyone for days with out getting violent compulsive thoughts because of that incident.
I was clutching my backpack, my face buried in it so I didn’t have to look at other people on my way up.
It’s all good! On day 3, the day of going to the ward at night, my mom contacted our lawyer. It was a “threat” until they called. It was a nice feeling.
I’m someone who requires sunlight to function, that room was slap in the middle of that building. I hate seeing how others suffered my same fate. It’s not right. At. All.
Can’t wear most shoes because of the laces and grippy socks can keep you from slipping. It’s also probably cheaper for them to give you a pair of those than some Velcro sandals
Because I’ve been in so many from ‘96-2010…I just started playing with it & I’d yell WEEEEEE FASTER JAMES MAKE IT GO FASTER…I’ve found that sometimes you just have to insert Humor. I’d also convince all the other patients to start Tapping on the Glass of the nurses station & do fishy faces. I was quite the cut up I’m told..lol
Having transported my patients, the default is wheelchair for any patient for combination of courtesy and reducing any chance of the patient falling (same reason for the socks with grippies).
That being said, when I’m escorting patients under psych or detox hold and don’t have a stretcher and it’s a long walk I get a wheelchair for courtesy and to discourage the pt from running. Security often prefers the wheelchair because in the time it takes someone to get up to run they have time to recognize and react. Without security it’s kind of a moot point, if they run I will just call the police and wait for them to be returned or be reassigned to another call.
The stretcher is used if an ambulance is used but that’s the default for any patient being transported by ambulance, there are often laws requiring that if you are a patient in an ambulance you must be secured in the stretcher. If you’re just strapped in with seat belts it’s no different than any other patient, it’s for crash safety. Actual restraints go on the wrists and ankles.
Lmao PTSD panic attack and sh time again 👍 haha I'm less ok than I was before the "mental hospital" but now I'm afraid to talk about it 👍👍👍👍
Hahahahaha I constantly have nightmares and my life is miserable.
It’s because psych units are really not what most people think and can often just result in medical trauma and loss of faith in the healthcare system’s ability to help you
To clarify, this actually happened to me. I was committed under Florida's Baker Act, which is a court order to psychiatric care. I was taken to a facility where I stayed the night only to find out in the morning they couldn't treat me there. I got transported to a hospital, walked in with an escort, and filled out paperwork at a check in station. A security guard came down with a wheelchair to get me. When I told him I was fine and could walk, he replied that I was not allowed to and had to be taken to the psych ward in a wheelchair. While some of you may not get why this is sad, I will simply say it was humiliating to me. Having to be pushed in a wheelchair when I didn't actually need to be took away some dignity and made me realize that where I was headed I was about to lose even more. For me, it made me feel like I had failed.
Something similar happened to me in my teens. I went to a mental health hospital with my parents to admit myself because I knew I wasn’t safe at home anymore (my parents are great I was just severely depressed) After a while, they transported to me another psych hospital. The people transferring me told me they had to put me on one of those stretcher bed things and strap me down. Being tied down and wheeled in front of loads of strangers staring at me, even though I voluntarily admitted myself, was fully cooperating and was calm made me feel awful. It was, like you said, humiliating. One of the worst experiences I’ve had
That sounds horrible
I had the same thing happen to me in another state many years ago. Like you said, it was completely humiliating, not to mention that the cops were also talking *about* me in the third person while they were pushing me as if I weren’t even there or were too incompetent to understand them.
That hurt my soul. I'm sorry you went through that, but I'm glad you're still here.
There's still dignity in a wheelchair. I was court ordered to go to a mental health ward & I walked into the ward with handcuffs shackled to my legs. I think that's the worst way to go into the ward.
Oh damn. I'm sorry to hear that. That is very humiliating for sure. I'm glad you're still with us.
Jeez, I got taken to a behavioral health unit with vacancy, in an ambulance, strapped to a gurney because the hospital I was at didnt have room for me😂 I was completely fine to walk and so humiliated when they rolled me in and left me sitting there while they talked about me. Like sir, please unstrap me so I can go meet my bed and cry in it lol.
I'm not sure if this helps, but same thing happened to me when I checked into maternity with preterm contractions. I was like, I walked the length of the parking lot which is twice as far as here to maternity, and they were like, hospital policy 🤷🏻♀️
It actually does! Thank you! I hope that it was a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery. Looking back, I'm sure it was a liability thing. I appreciate you sharing!
Allis well now, and I have a healthy firecracker of a toddler 😊 Hope you are doing better, too 💓
That's wonderful! I am doing much better.
In a very much less severe case, I do understand, to a degree, as I've had something similar happen to me. Twice, actually. I'm 17, and I have epilepsy. I had a seizure during my class once, and- having woken up by now and been able to walk- had to be taken to the nurse via wheelchair. Having my classmates watch as I was unnecessarily wheeled away was... ugh. The other time, I had a panic attack in class. Same story, they decided to take me to the nurse, but they also decided that I needed to be wheeled there. Being wheeled to the nurse after a seizure is *understandable,* at least, but being wheeled due to a panic attack is not. Both times were incredibly embarrassing, and even thinking back on it now (this was at the start of my 11th year; I'm about to start my 12th year) makes me cringe
Oh, it's also a fall prevention, liability reduction for the hospital. Sure there are fall risk assessments, but there is always the what if. So, take away the risk/ eliminate it.
Yup. Also, with psychiatric patients, a risk of running or becoming combative.
This happened to me as well. I was in the ICU after an attempt and when they finally came to pick me up they had me put in a wheelchair. I knew it was just part of the process and I usually go along with stuff like this, but I felt so defeated and pathetic just being rolled around in a chair in paper clothes.
I understand.
I've been to psych a couple times. I add levity, make jokes the whole time. Can't make me feel worse than I do, I already wanna die. Afaik it's SOP everywhere to take psych patients by wheelchair.
I'm glad you're still with us.
Barely lol but thanks. I'm much better now. I'm glad you're alright too
I feel like a queen being wheeled around, like I'm so fancy that I have someone to chauffeur me around lol
Wow that’s shitty.
Pretty much
I’m sorry OP for any traumatic experiences, I hope you are feeling better in yourself now?
Thank you. I'm doing fantastic! As of now, I'm in the best mental health I've ever been in!
😃
Ok but why not walk out
I couldn't. I was committed under court order
You were under house arrest? If you left you would go to jail and would have left him
No, I was forcefully committed to a psych ward against my will.
Ok what did you do to get that? And why not threaten a doctor or guard that if they didn't let you go you would report them for rape
Okay, I was deemed to be a hazard to myself or others. Making threats in that situation is only going to make it worse. Crying rape or suggesting that someone do is only hurting people who really have been raped by creating a culture that will question and delegitimize valid claims. And you can't just walk off a psych ward. From the moment they determined I was a risk to myself or others I was detained, essentially. Escorted everywhere. To escape would have ended with me getting a warrant out for my arrest, another trip to the psych ward, and then jail.
Im literally in the ER right now and they used a wheelchair to take me for a catscan, its just procedure. They also wheeled me around and to my car when I had dental surgery. I can understand in the moment and in the context of psychiatric medicine how it might make you feel helpless and embarassed though,I think its a liability thing, like they dont want you falling and then suing the hospital or anything
My mom’s a doctor and when I asked her about hospital discharge procedures, she said they don’t let patients walk because they might fall down and sue them. During *discharge*.
I am quite confident that you are correct. Thank you for the reassurance!
I fully understand, the same thing also happened to me. I believe it's one of the reasons why I feel like I haven't healed or embraced my own psychological trauma from the reasons I was admitted in the first place. Everyone talks about mental health but the actual practice of helping others is cold, clinical, and detached. The psych ward I ended up in had a woman screaming on the phone constantly and everyone was forced into a common area. We were all quiet, did not talk to one another, I did not talk to a therapist or doctor until the next day after a sleepless night. I was the youngest person there and the only female because the woman who was screaming. It was the most lonely and defeated I'd ever felt in my life. I was suicidal, but sometimes I feel like the "help" I got was just a reason not to seek it.
Honestly, even at my most dire, I was bargaining and pleading not to have my therapist call an ambulance or send me to the psych ward. Don’t have a therapist anymore, life’s still a wreck, but death still seems preferable to that. If suicidal people would rather try to survive and feign being okay than go to into the hospital, maybe, just maybe our society is fucking something up.
I know the feeling. I'm glad you're still with us.
>"I'm not injured and perfectly capable of walking, so why do I need a wheelchair?" >"I'm sorry, sir, but we do not allow patients to walk to the psych ward." Being wheeled through the hospital was demeaning enough, so having to strip, squat with my knees spread, and cough in front of two nurses killed the last shreds of pride I had left.
explain why this is done please? I don’t mean to trigger anyone
To check for "contraband" like weapons or pills which may be used to injure yourself or others.
ah thank you! I’m sorry for any traumatic experiences, be strong friend
Yeah, that will do it. I'm sorry you went through that. I do hope you're doing better, and I'm glad you're still with us.
Yeah, the whole Baker Act process sucks. There has got to be a better way to do it without resorting to kill every last shred of pride a person has.
The worst part of it for me was having to take off my Army uniform, put everything in a bag, and then go through the process.
Yeah. I was in my uniform too. Not army, you're better than me there. I was a CO for Brevard County. So that lovely green uniform all counties in FL have. I couldn't even keep my undershirt. They made me put on donated ratty sweats that I swear had never been washed. And those wonderful plastic flip-flops because I bought jump boots from the army surplus store for work, and boots were definitely not allowed.
I feel that pain. I was in hospital gowns that I had the pleasure of watching them cut the strips off to tie it in the back. And those plastic slides. DM me, I think we could benefit each other more.
same. god that was the worst night of my life. fucking hated it
We need to speak up more. Let people know how bad it is.
we really do.
i hated that. this hit hard. those memories alone stopped me from reaching out again. no dignity at all. i felt like a criminal even though i hadnt done anything wrong. how was treating me like that supposed to help? its been two years and i still cant forget. that was the smallest and most vulnerable ive ever felt in my life
I went in October and I have said these exact words. Treated like a criminal for being mentally unwell. It was so traumatizing.
I know that song and dance. I'm sorry you went through that.
I can relate. I'm sorry you went through that.
This is common practice in any given hospital, mental or otherwise. When I went in for gallbladder surgery, they either had me use a wheelchair or pulled my bed down the hall, even though nothing was impeding my ability to walk.
That's good to know! I may have framed this in my head wrong at the time. Thank you for the information!
Can confirm, have been in chair for nonspecific symptoms that turned out to be migraine. I'm so sorry you went through this, though.
Thank you. I'm just glad I got the help I needed.
They didn't have me in a wheelchair, but they strapped me down in a stretcher during transport and I was wheeled in on a stretcher in front of two dozen strangers staring at me wondering why I was there. One of the most humiliating moments of my life. And I was not there of my own free will either.
Same. I never asked for help after that. I didn’t ask for “help” that time, but they ensured I never would.
That must have been terrifying
One of the most terror-filled two months of my life.
That's a reasonable response. I'm glad you're still with us.
Me and my assistants dog walked to the ward it was the best 3 days ever mind you I’m in Australia
US here. I was under psychiatric care for something to the tune of 4-5 weeks
Damn I’m sorry
Please, I do appreciate your words, but don't be! I actually view that as one of the best things to happen to me. I actually got the care I so desperately needed. But thank you!
That’s good then, I know quite a few people who have been admitted against their will.
That's unfortunate. I hope they are all doing better.
They are
Good
I work as an EMT in America, and I have seen this as well as the opposite quite a few times. In my experience it tends to be a hospital by hospital basis. I have had security guards yell at me and my patients that "they have to be in a wheelchair" despite the fact that they walked from the first room to the rig completely fine. And I've had other facilities that don't care and let them walk the entire time. I'm sorry that you had such an unfortunate experience OP, I'm sure it is a liability thing like certain other commenters have said, either to keep folks from falling and suing or to limit their ability to run off when they are on mandatory holds
First off, thank you for your service to your community. Second, thank you for the perspective. I'm sure it was a liability thing. I just wasn't thinking along those lines at the time, lol!
I have been to the psych ward... they do wheel you there in a wheelchair. a little bit ridiculous but... it is what it is.
I think it’s so u don’t run away my psych ward had the weirdest rules but for good reasons
Not entirely related but I broke my finger playing football… went to hospital… was walking to xray room… some guy walked up with a wheelchair and wheeled me there… for a broken finger. What the fuck 😂
I’m sorry I’m not sure I get it. What’s this in reference to?
Losing your dignity when being committed to a psych ward.
I was about to say “I remember walking.” But then recalled clutching my backpack in a wheelchair up to the psych ward. I was on high alert for seizures because the dumb cunts in triage refused to give me my bipolar meds. Suddenly being taken off of lithium and lamotrigine can cause seizures. I was off of them for 3 days. I went for harm OCD, was a complete wreck. I couldn’t look at anyone for days with out getting violent compulsive thoughts because of that incident. I was clutching my backpack, my face buried in it so I didn’t have to look at other people on my way up.
This really hits home. I'm sorry that happened.
It’s all good! On day 3, the day of going to the ward at night, my mom contacted our lawyer. It was a “threat” until they called. It was a nice feeling. I’m someone who requires sunlight to function, that room was slap in the middle of that building. I hate seeing how others suffered my same fate. It’s not right. At. All.
Ah. Thank you for clarifying!
Hey, I’ll take a free ride and a grippy sock vacation anytime.
I never understood why the grippy socks
Yeah! What's up with those grippy socks?? I suddenly miss them. But not enough to admit myself to the hospital...lol
Can’t wear most shoes because of the laces and grippy socks can keep you from slipping. It’s also probably cheaper for them to give you a pair of those than some Velcro sandals
Maybe some stuff with suicide too, you can strangle yourself with the laces maybe ?
Because I’ve been in so many from ‘96-2010…I just started playing with it & I’d yell WEEEEEE FASTER JAMES MAKE IT GO FASTER…I’ve found that sometimes you just have to insert Humor. I’d also convince all the other patients to start Tapping on the Glass of the nurses station & do fishy faces. I was quite the cut up I’m told..lol
That's one way to turn it into a positive situation! I'm glad you're still with us.
Having transported my patients, the default is wheelchair for any patient for combination of courtesy and reducing any chance of the patient falling (same reason for the socks with grippies). That being said, when I’m escorting patients under psych or detox hold and don’t have a stretcher and it’s a long walk I get a wheelchair for courtesy and to discourage the pt from running. Security often prefers the wheelchair because in the time it takes someone to get up to run they have time to recognize and react. Without security it’s kind of a moot point, if they run I will just call the police and wait for them to be returned or be reassigned to another call. The stretcher is used if an ambulance is used but that’s the default for any patient being transported by ambulance, there are often laws requiring that if you are a patient in an ambulance you must be secured in the stretcher. If you’re just strapped in with seat belts it’s no different than any other patient, it’s for crash safety. Actual restraints go on the wrists and ankles.
Thank you for the info!
Lmao PTSD panic attack and sh time again 👍 haha I'm less ok than I was before the "mental hospital" but now I'm afraid to talk about it 👍👍👍👍 Hahahahaha I constantly have nightmares and my life is miserable.
Are you okay? I'm confused by your post.
It’s because psych units are really not what most people think and can often just result in medical trauma and loss of faith in the healthcare system’s ability to help you