Desperately Need Help

Post Reply New Topic

My adult autistic daughter was confined to a psychiatric unit one month ago for suicidal ideation and self-harm, caused by the stress of her senior year at college.
The psychiatrist and nurses admit they know nothing about autism. They also don't really believe she's autistic because she doesn't "look" autistic. (She's been diagnosed 3 times, starting at age 3). She hates it in the unit--she is scared most of the time, she is hungry most of the time, she is sleep deprived--and the staff are unsympathetic/hostile.
During the time she's been on the unit, she has become less rather than more compliant (good for her!). Unfortunately she is also self-injuring more and more, and the psychiatrist and staff claim she's doing it to get attention. After she scratched herself last night, they took away everything we had given her to help her cope--a little stuffed animal, pictures of her own dog at home, etc. So now she's completely in despair, and we're worried that she may try to harm a staff member (she never hurts anyone normally, but she's in tremendous emotional and physical pain) and then she'll never get out.
We desperately need something to make it clear to the staff on this unit that THEY and the physical layout of the unit (no natural light at all, fluorescents everywhere, etc.) are causing her distress and self-harm, and that she won't get better as long as she's there (we have been begging for a transfer to the hospital where her own psychiatrist--someone she trusts--works, but they won't do it). Your personal stories would help, but if anyone out there knows of research on this subject, it would be even better.

We have a lawyer, for the involuntry commitment to a state hospital hearing, which is coming up in three days. Should we get another one, to threaten a lawsuit?

To have someone as your advocate.

Take the story to the press.

I want to hear more about "they won't do it." If there is another hospital qualified and willing to take your daughter, the first hospital really has no say in the matter. If the hospital where your daughter's psychiatrist works has no adequate psych ward, for instance no isolation rooms for self-harm patients, the present hospital might be legally liable if they discharged to an inadequate facility.

You need to discuss your desire for a transfer with the present hospital and if you get a "no," move up the chain of command all the way to medical director (kind of the top dog).

It's possible the present hospital is hanging on to your daughter to milk her insurance and once it's used up, they'll decide they can then release her. This is unethical, but it happens all the time. This is where a lawyer comes in, but I would try assertively moving up the chain of command first.

Make sure you are visiting your daughter and discussing her wishes so that you can act on her behalf.

Good luck. It sounds awful, but your family can get through this.

Once a person has been committed involuntarily, control of their lives pretty much is at the discretion of the treating psychiatrist in the facility. There is some court oversight, but mostly the judges order what the facility psychiatrist recommends.

If the person has health insurance, and the facility may keep the patient until the insurance runs out.

In my state, the laws are draconian.

You need a lawyer who knows commitment law and you need to fight hard.

I am very sorry if this is a stupid question. I'm from the UK and our system is completely different.

What would happen if you stop paying your daughters insurance. Would the insurance company stop paying the

hospital and they release her?

You're right about that psychiatrist knowing nothing, what do they reach them if they are so unqualified to work with people with autism?

What gives them the right to take her comfort objects away?

I feel for you, and hope your lawyer can do something to end this.

Your lawyer may need to go directly to the hospital's legal head and deal with the issue there. She needs to be released ASAP. The suicidal ideation can be dealt with but she has to get out of that environment. She will not be able to heal from her issues there at all.