Tragic Stories From The Psychiatric Hospital

********************

Not Enough Mental Health Support

********************

In healthcare, there's no universal solution because everyone has their own unique medical history, body type, and mental state. Personalized care is crucial since treatments affect each person differently due to differences in genes, lifestyle, and other health conditions. Healthcare providers need to craft treatment plans that cater to these individual needs.

Nurses play a key role in giving personalized care. They watch patients closely to catch any changes early, spotting problems or bad reactions before they become serious. Their ability to notice the small stuff is super important, especially in busy spots like hospitals.

Good communication is a must because nurses often serve as the main link between patients and the healthcare team. They share important info about patient conditions and speak up for what patients need, helping to get a better understanding of patient health.

Technology boosts nurses' ability to keep track of patient health with tools like electronic health records and monitoring systems. This gives them real-time access to vital signs and health info, allowing for quicker responses.

In the end, personalized treatment is super important because human health is complex. With their observation skills, communication abilities, and tech tools, nurses make sure each patient gets the care they need, leading to better patient satisfaction and health outcomes.

***********************

My First Experience in the Psychiatric Unit

***********************

I was in nursing school, and we were doing our mental health clinical at the psychiatric unit in one of our huge hospitals. The other students and I were hanging out in this small office next to the med room, working on our care plans. Suddenly, we heard chaos outside. We noticed something was up just by watching the med nurse. We stepped out of the office and saw a patient yelling because no one was answering her phone calls—she was trying to reach her sister. The med tech, who was an LPN, was told by the male RN to give the patient a shot to calm her down. But we learned to always try the least invasive option first, and a shot is pretty invasive. The LPN managed to calm the patient down, and she took some pills instead and then walked away. When the RN found out, he went BALLISTIC because the LPN didn’t follow his orders, even though she did the right thing. He was literally throwing stuff and knocking things off desks.

That was my first experience with the psych unit. I've been in similar situations when I was the med tech at the psych hospital where I worked. It's really heartbreaking to see.

That same day, I saw an electroshock treatment. There was this girl who seemed completely out of it. She just wandered up and down the hallways, back and forth, like a ghost. She didn’t talk or react to anyone, just kept pacing. They did the treatment in a hospital room, hooking her up to some leads. It wasn’t anything wild, just a small jolt, and they did it about three times. I never found out what happened to her or if it actually helped.

***********************

Barbaric

********************

After finishing nursing school, I jumped into a job at a local psych facility, eager to make a real impact in mental health care. I loved getting to know the patients and being there for them when things got tough, but I quickly got frustrated with the old-school ways they were stuck on. Even though mental health care has come a long way, the place still relied on outdated methods. Sure, they weren't doing lobotomies anymore, but they were still using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which made me uneasy. It's supposed to be safer now, but I couldn't help but wonder if it was really necessary or effective, especially considering its psychological effects on patients. Plus, the gloomy, sterile vibe of the psych units seemed to make patients feel even worse, it made me feel icky and I was working there. I thought that simple touches, like colorful art, comfy spaces, maybe a music room or a quiet room when things got crazy and they needed to get away, could really help create a more healing environment and highlight how important a supportive setting is for recovery. They vetoed those ideas.

********************

********************

The team in the psychiatric unit plays a vital role in taking care of patients, offering both medical help and emotional support. But when there aren't enough staff members, it can lead to burnout and stress, which affects how patients are cared for. By providing more training, support, and encouraging a team-based approach, we can build a sense of community and boost the quality of care. Regular team meetings and peer support can help reduce caregiver stress and keep the focus on patients.

My experience at the psychiatric facility was meaningful, but it also highlighted some big management and environmental challenges. Tackling these issues could make the environment more supportive for both patients and staff. To improve mental health care, we need a system that values everyone's well-being, creating a nurturing atmosphere. I'm motivated to keep pushing for mental health care that's compassionate, creative, and respectful.

***********************

Too Many Prescribed Meds

********************

I was there the day she arrived. She walked in like anyone else—chatting normally and eating by herself—everything seemed fine. But the next day, I came to work and saw her stumbling around, bumping into stuff, and sometimes having trouble eating. I watched her all day and saw it was getting worse. I told the doctor running the detox area what was going on. All he did was cut her dose in half.

The next day, she was still the same, actually even worse. I decided not to give her any more medication because I didn't feel right about it, knowing it was making her mental and physical state worse. As the day went on, I noticed she was starting to perk up a bit, chatting more, and even began feeding herself a little.

The next day, I showed up and heard that she had taken a fall overnight and ended up going to the ER. Thankfully, the ER is right next door, so we can get patients there and back pretty fast. She was in a wheelchair at this point. Once again I did not give her the medication and she started perking up a bit more. It was just mumbles anymore, I could actually hear words from her. When I left for the day, she was still in the wheelchair but she had ate lunch on her own.

The next day, I returned and she was right back to where she started. Clearly, the other nurses didn't see things the same way I did, so they gave her the medication during their shift.

Half way through my shift she falls and smacks her head on the shower ledge. At this point she is pretty out of it. She was going to the bathroom and couldn’t hold herself up anymore and just fell sideways. It took me and another girl to get her up and situated before getting her back in her wheelchair. Let me tell you, that was a VERY difficult task. I sat with her while we waited about 30 minutes for the ambulance. She was mumbling, she was hungry. I got her a snack. She wasnt able to get the food on her fork and put it in her mouth. I had to help guide her hand for her. She was drooling, and some things she said, I couldn’t even understand.

I never found out what happened to her, because after that day, they didn't let me work in the detox area anymore.

Even though I dealt with some tough fallout for stopping the medication, I'd do it again to keep the patient safe. This whole experience really showed me that healthcare providers have to make choices that prioritize patients, and the system should support ethical care. It made me realize just how important attentive and compassionate treatment is for recovery and why we need better support in healthcare.

***********************

Stalker

********************

At the same time I was dealing with that situation, another one occured. A male resident had a crush on a girl resident who wasn't interested. Even though she made it clear she wasn't into him, he kept bothering her, making things tense.

I was getting ready for the next round of meds when this girl came up to me, crying. There were about 10 people in a group therapy session with one of the mental health counselors. They did activities like this every day, sometimes even with a music therapist. Anyway, this guy was sitting across from her, and she told me he hadn't stopped staring at her since he sat down. He was still watching her through the window, and it was making me uncomfortable too.

Two female patients came over and helped me calm her down, then they took her to her room and closed the door. You know, they're not supposed to go into rooms of the opposite sex. I watched him walk back and forth in front of her door for hours until it was time for me to head home. There wasn't much I could do. I told the doctor—the same one I mentioned earlier—and he said he'd handle it and move him to a different unit.

I come back the next morning, and he is still in the unit, with her. I heard from his roommate and those two women from the day before that this guy managed to tear off his shower curtain and hide it somewhere. They're not even supposed to be able to do that because it's a safety hazard, but somehow he pulled it off, and he's still around. Meanwhile, this girl is still freaked out.

I never knew what happened with that either, because that was when they switched me to the new unit.

***********************

People trying to detox from alcohol and opioids have a tough road ahead because addiction takes a serious toll on both the body and mind. The cycle of addiction can lead to health problems, emotional struggles, and feeling isolated. Plus, if someone has mental health issues like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, it's even harder to get the right treatment, especially when these issues are mixed with substance use disorders. A well-rounded approach is really important here.

Inside the facility, things were pretty stressful because of outdated security like old locks and keys. Keys could easily end up with patients, which just added to the tension. Not having electronic files made things more complicated, too. Patient info was kept in binders at the nurse's station, which wasn't great for keeping things confidential and could lead to misunderstandings. Especially since the patients had access to that area.

With damage to equipment happening often and a tense vibe all around, staff had a lot on their plates trying to keep up with patient care and safety. There were only three staff members per floor, and doctors weren't around much, so the team often felt overwhelmed. Security was pretty minimal, with just one unarmed guard for the whole place, which didn't help the situation.

During emergencies, when a code was activated, staff had to rush from other areas, leaving some patients without supervision. If multiple codes happened at once, it just made things more chaotic and stressful. Putting disruptive patients in solitary confinement was a short-term and demanding solution that added to staff stress. The constant demands and lack of breaks left everyone physically and emotionally drained, making it hard to stay hopeful for positive changes.

***********************

More Than Meets The Eye

***********************

A young woman in her early 20s, who seemed small and unassuming at first, turned out to have an intense and unsettling vibe, with sharp eyes that showed she understood more than you'd think. Despite her size, she shocked us by trying to choke two coworkers and another patient. It took three of us to pry her arms from around that girls neck, showing us just how strong she really was and how wrong our assumptions were.

Even though we're trained to deal with unpredictable or violent people because of trauma, mental health issues, or substance abuse, real-life situations were way more intense than anything in training. The difference between what we learned in the classroom and the actual chaos made it clear that instincts and quick thinking were way more important than any scripted responses.

I'm pretty detail-oriented and cautious, so I really had to trust my gut in this tough situation, trying to find the right balance between staying safe and taking risks. Our open nurses' station was all about teamwork, but it left us pretty exposed. It had to openings on each side, no doors. And the desk was right under the counter that the patients talked to us from. They had access to all the stuff on our desk.

This girl tried to use our vital signs machine like it was some kind of weapon. We jumped in just in time, and things got really crazy. Her strength was unreal, and the adrenaline had me on edge. I was behind her, and she grabbed my arm, holding it tight. I couldn't get free, and it felt like she might actually break my fingers because she was bending them back. I ended up pinching the back of her arm, which was the only way to get her to let go before she broke my fingers. We were told we shouldn’t do that because it might hurt the patient, but seriously, what was I supposed to do—just sit there and try to pry my arm out of her super strong grip while she was trying to break my fingers? There was a ton of chaos happening in front of her too. It was wild.

Once everything calmed down, she spun around and lunged at me like she was going to choke me. But I was prepared and kept things from getting out of hand. I had to grab her arms and push her back, making it clear that I was in control and she wasn't going to lay a hand on me again.

Even though she tried to choke a patient in a busy hallway, went after three employees, and attempted to break my fingers, nothing happened to her right away. It really made us question how effective our safety protocols and aggressive behavior management were at the facility. They eventually put her in solitary confinement, where she did some pretty wild stuff, like making eye contact with the guard and then going poo right on the floor. You could tell from her eyes that she knew exactly what she was doing. After seeing it enough times, you can spot the difference. She should have been in jail, but they didn’t see it that way. We could only keep her in there for short periods. We had to get doctors' orders, so sometimes we had to wait if we couldn’t reach the doctor.

***********************

HIV Positively Evil

********************

In the midst of the chaos caused by this patient, another woman added to the stress in the same unit. She had HIV and was acting out by cutting herself and spreading her blood around, which freaked everyone out because of the health risks. Even though HIV doesn't survive long outside the body, what she was doing was still really dangerous and kept everyone on edge, making it hard to focus on other patients who needed help.

My job was to give out meds, so I had to be really careful about safety and make sure I knew exactly what each patient needed. I worked in this small, "secure" room where I could pass meds through a half-open door, keeping a bit of a barrier between me and the patients. I could close the top part of the door if needed. I was in charge of the narcotics in there too, which was easily accessible if the patients decided to over power me.

The only electronic system we had for meds was pretty lousy.

One intense moment happened when the woman with HIV came up to me with a cut on her hand that she did herself, asking for a bandage, trying to shove her finger in my face. Without thinking, I handed her an alcohol wipe and a bandage, stepped back, and told her to do it herself. I wasn’t supposed to do that, I was supposed to do it for her. But she was trying to put her bloody finger on my face, why would I allow that? This really highlighted the tricky balance between taking care of patients and looking out for myself in such a stressful place.

Her constant taunts and aggressive behavior really got to me, making her the most unsettling patient I'd ever dealt with. Even though I tried to hide my fear, she could tell that I was scared of her. She would come up to the window while I was working on something and start asking me why I was scared of her. The ongoing tension made it clear how crucial teamwork and communication are in managing patient care and keeping everyone safe in such a tough environment. That was something they didn’t have there.

***********************

None More Frightening

********************

The ward was full of creepy patients, but those two girls stood out as especially unsettling. Their presence made the place feel spooky, casting a shadow over everything. You could see deep trauma in their eyes, almost like you could touch the sadness.

HIV girl, had long, messy hair and an intense stare. She spoke in puzzling riddles that left the staff both confused and uneasy. Her whispers seemed to hint at dark secrets, lingering in the air even after she stopped talking.

Strong girl had this eerie calmness about her. She often sat quietly, tracing invisible patterns on the floor. Her stillness felt dangerous, creating a tense vibe that everyone instinctively avoided.

These girls really spooked everyone, with their unpredictable antics keeping the staff on their toes. Their eerie laughter echoed down the halls, leaving a weird vibe in the air. There were just 3 unarmed staff members for every unit with over 10 patients.

But, they never did anything about it. Nor did they ever do a debriefing after any bad situation that happened, and there were plenty more.

********************

A New Unit

********************

I eventually got moved to the Covid unit during the pandemic. It wasn't as scary as I first thought, but we still had to be super careful, wearing all the protective gear, which often made me anxious, feeling suffocated. Even with an upset stomach, I went to work that day because we were short-staffed, popping meds to keep my symptoms in check, or so I was hoping.

During this particular shift, the mental health counselor was doing her 15-minute rounds to keep patients safe. I was the only nurse, and she was the only mental health counselor. As stated above, we were short staffed. These rounds were crucial, and missing them could cost us our jobs. With cameras watching, we couldn't slip up. Nurses, like me, often had to cover for the counselor, adding to our stress.

That morning, she found a patient who'd been neglected, and he was in bad shape, poop all over. Walking into the room to clean him up made me feel immediately sick because of the smell and my own queasiness prior. The night shift had ignored him, showing a lack of responsibility. I immediately ran to the bathroom and threw up. I tried to go back to the room to clean him up, but it made me have that “need to throw up” feeling again. Feeling overwhelmed, I called my supervisor and told her I was too sick to go on. At first, she wouldn't let me leave, because we were so low staffed, but she eventually found someone to take over, then sent me home. I had told her immediately about the patient lying in his feces for who knows how long. She was not happy about the fact that I wasn’t able to clean him up, even though I told her it was because I was throwing up.

A few days later, I got “fired” for “neglecting the patient”, even though it was the night shift's fault, and my boss wouldn’t let me leave due to being sick, she made me sit there for a couple hours before letting me leave. I thought at this point I had COVID, but it was too early to confirm. I found out it was because I had COVID.

I felt like the accusation was totally unfair, and I was just done with the lousy working conditions. When she called to “fire me”, I quit. I figured out that the facility's problems were all about bad management and care practices. I wanted to work somewhere I could actually make a difference in patient care without compromising my own well-being.

***********************

***********************

I've talked about bullies before on another blog. There was this middle school bully who really left a mark on me. I can still picture our fistfight at the bus loop, a spot usually buzzing with students and the smell of diesel. She was this gorgeous girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, which made her super popular and in control. She used her looks to put others down, including me, making middle school even tougher by playing on my insecurities. It felt like her bullying was a team effort because she got her friends involved too.

Jump ahead to when I was working at the psych hospital, and I came across her name in the patient records. Her birthdate showed she was my age, which brought back a ton of memories and emotions I hadn't anticipated. When I saw her, I didn’t recognize her right away; it was obvious time had changed us both. As I helped her move to another unit, she mentioned she recognized me instantly. That stirred up a mix of vulnerability and professionalism in me. I respected her privacy and didn’t ask why she was there.

Looking back on that meeting, I realized just how complex people can be and how their hidden struggles can influence their actions. Often, the folks who seem the harshest have their own battles. By the end of our brief chat, I felt empathy for her, understanding that her past behavior might have stemmed from her own unresolved pain. It was kind of ironic that the girl who once made my life tough was now dealing with her own challenges. This experience reminded me of the importance of compassion and how life can shift our perspectives, revealing the complexity and interconnectedness of our relationships, even those formed during tough times.

***********************

It’s not Over

********************

My stories give you a peek into the tangled world of mental health care, which touches so many lives. Over the years, mental health care has been misunderstood, stigmatized, and sometimes downright cruel, with people often getting mistreated instead of the help they really need. This rocky history has shaped how society views mental health, keeping the stigma alive today. The haunting memories of things like lobotomies and terrible asylum conditions have left people feeling scared instead of empathetic.

To tackle mental health issues, we need to get to the heart of the matter, which often boils down to a lack of love and acceptance. Modern-day stress, societal pressures, and social media can make people feel isolated. By promoting empathy, kindness, and inclusivity, we can push the Mental Health Movement forward. It calls for a big shift in how we support and understand mental health challenges.

Fixing our mental health system means making mental well-being a top priority for everyone. This involves educational programs to spread awareness, encouraging open talks about feelings, and creating safe spaces where people can share their experiences without being judged. These programs should be available in schools, workplaces, and communities, no matter your age or financial situation. We need to put money into local resources, expand telehealth options, and train professionals who understand different cultures. Treating mental health with the same importance as physical health can build a more supportive environment. Policy changes to boost funding and research are crucial too.

In the end, improving our mental health system starts with us. By committing to love, support, and acceptance, we can break down the barriers to getting help. This means listening to those who are struggling, acknowledging what they're going through, and fighting against stigma. Together, we can make mental health a priority, helping everyone to thrive. By celebrating vulnerability and encouraging open conversations, we build a society where asking for help is seen as a strength, leading to better mental health outcomes for everyone.