Horrible Psych Hospital Experience

After being in a psych hospital twice, I feel like I've had some very interesting experiences. Prior to May 2012, I had never been in one. This all changed when I had severe suicide ideation and was involuntarily committed. It wasn't a bad facility, but it really didn't help me.

As a result, I ended up back in the hospital in June (a different one this time). What a nightmare. They prescribed me Wellbutrin (150mg), but I wasn't sure if I wanted to take it (I was intending to start taking Dexedrine again for my ADHD, so I thought it would be pointless to take Wellbutrin. It did nothing for me in the past). I declined for a few days, and the doctor ended up increasing it to 300mg. I told the nurse that I decided I would be okay taking it but wanted the doctor to reduce it to 150. I didn't want to start on such a high dose, and the XL tablet can't be split in half. The staff refused to do this, so I refused the medication. I found out one afternoon that the doctor had put in a request to take me to court for medication noncompliance.

They never even bothered to tell me, and I wasn't given a copy of the paperwork. I went the following morning, and the judge didn't listen to a word that I said. It was awful. Because I had lost, the hospital now had permission to give me an injection. I called my PDoc, and he told me not to worry, since Wellbutrin isn't injectable. Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple.

The following morning, I called my mom at 10 AM. At 10:05 one of the Psych Techs told me that I had to get off the phone, because my "15 minutes was up." I calmly said that it hadn't been 15 minutes, but she persisted. I got annoyed, but I didn't do anything crazy (scream, throw a fit, etc.) I just said, "You obviously don't know how to count, because it's only been 5 minutes." I know that I wasn't exactly nice, but like I said, I didn't act violently or do anything ridiculous.

About 15 minutes later, the medication nurse said they had new medicine for me...Prolixin and Cogentin. I told them there was no way that I was taking that medication. I have ADHD...the last thing I want to take is an Antipsychotic which will make my concentration even worse. I could understand if I had bipolar disorder or suffered from schizophrenia, but thankfully, I don't have either illness. Later that night, the nurse said "you know we're going to give you an injection."

Sure enough, they came in my room to inject me. I thought this was crazy. I remember almost being in tears. I kept saying, please don't inject me. Please. I don't want to take this medication. They held me down and did it anyway. I know they're just following the doctor's orders, but it's so demoralizing.

I believe I got the injection around 8:15 PM, and I fell asleep shortly thereafter. It knocked me totally out, and I couldn't even wake up for vitals at 6:00 AM the following morning. After getting out of bed, I felt so sick. I had this horrible uneasiness and awful fatigue. I can't describe it at all, but it was one of the worst feelings that I've ever felt. They locked my door, so I couldn't even go in my room to lay down. I literally put a blanket in front of my door and tried to rest on the floor. Instead of feeling better, I almost felt traumatized and on the verge of suicide. If someone handed me a gun at that moment, I would have killed myself.

I saw my doctor a short time afterward and begged her to discharge me. I told her that I was fine and was not a suicide risk. I was so afraid of getting injected again, that I exaggerated about how I felt. She kept saying that they gave me the antipsychotic, because I was too rigid with my thinking.

After finally getting the staff to unlock my door (I said that I needed to shower), I slept almost the entire day. Thankfully, they didn't bother me. I was awoken by the social worker who informed me that I would be leaving the following morning. I had never been so happy in my life.

When I got up the next day, I was in a decent mood. I went down for breakfast, and while waiting to enter the cafeteria, I felt strange. I didn't know what was happening, but my toes and joints seemed to be pulling in strange directions. I didn't think anything of it until I was eating and my head started twisting to the side. I must have looked ridiculous and got up to walk to the trash area. My body was in so much pain and so contorted. One of the patients on my floor saw me and immediately asked if I was okay. I was so embarrassed, but fortunately, he got the staff who took me back to the unit. The nurse said immediately that it was EPS/dystonia and was a reaction to the Antipsychotic injection. I got a 50mg injection of benadryl in each arm, and thankfully, it subsided shortly thereafter.

Needless to say, this was such a terrible experience. I hope that I am never in a position where I have to go back to the hospital, but if I were, I wonder if it would be better to just end my life. It was just an awful experience and something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I'm afraid to ever be in one of these places again. I actually feel like it traumatized me more than anything.

I'm not even that bad of a person. I minded my own business, didn't bother anyone, and tried to think about everything that was bothering me.

Is this a normal experience? Is this what usually happens? I appreciate any input!

Hi chris87,

I'm really sorry to hear about your experience in the hospital and how they forced you to take treatment like that. There are others who have had similar experiences and I hope you're able to find some support from them. I'm going to move your post to the Anti-Psych forum where you're more likely to get responses from others who have gone through the same thing.

chris87 wrote:Sure enough, they came in my room to inject me. I thought this was crazy. I remember almost being in tears. I kept saying, please don't inject me. Please. I don't want to take this medication. They held me down and did it anyway. I know they're just following the doctor's orders, but it's so demoralizing.

Congratulations, you have been psych-raped.

"Just following orders" The Nazis said that also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_Trial , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_torture

You wrote that post so well, be sure to write a http://www.ripoffreport.com for both that doctor and that hospital to warn others. Also put it on http://www.scambook.com .

If people did this, the truth of these places would be known.

Your in the right place, we get it.

Copy_Cat wrote:Congratulations, you have been psych-raped.

"Just following orders" The Nazis said that also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_Trials , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctors%27_Trial , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_torture

You wrote that post so well, be sure to write a http://www.ripoffreport.com for both that doctor and that hospital to warn others. Also put it on http://www.scambook.com .

If people did this, the truth of these places would be known.

Your in the right place, we get it.

Thanks for commenting. I will definitely put a post on ripoffreport. I actually drafted something last week, but my browser froze right in the middle (causing me to lose what I had written). I probably should write it in MS Word first. I have never heard of scambook. I will put a post there as well. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate your support.

chris87 wrote:Thanks for commenting. I will definitely put a post on ripoffreport. I actually drafted something last week, but my browser froze right in the middle (causing me to lose what I had written). I probably should write it in MS Word first. I have never heard of scambook. I will put a post there as well. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate your support.

Good, those reports should come up first page google results for the offending doctor and hospital.

I found the link to the "just doing my job" thing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_ ... inciple_IV

Don't put that in your ripoff scam reports, sounds too crazy, even if its true.

I was threatened with "injectable form" myself when I was in the hospital and refused to take the pill lobotamy after getting sick from there pills in the first place. I pointed out that some time in the future I will be outside the locked doors and away from any panic buttons out there on the street with you, so sticking that needle full of nerve toxins in me is a real bad idea if you think about it... When I was scared out of my scull by that threat, I made threats right back at them out of fear.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know right from wrong and what those people do is wrong.

Dexadrine is part of my story, be careful with that stuff. In most cases its reactions psychiatric drugs or wihdrawal from them that bring people into the hospital in the first place but they are such experts at "blame the victim" its amazing.

It can be argued that antipsychotics increase the risk of suicide. This study found that antipsychotics increase the risk of suicide by 20 times, http://www.drugs.com/forum/latest-drug-related-news/antipsychotics-increase-suicide-risk-20-times-33941.html. Not long ago I was being injected without consent and I did have suicidal thoughts. The reason was that the drugs made me feel lousy and I could see no way of getting off the injection. I began to think do I really want to live like that.

I don't think that your experience is unusual. They have the power to forcibly medicate you and that is what they do. I think it's wrong because in my opinion antipsychotics are nothing more than a chemical cosh.

edgnbd wrote:It can be argued that antipsychotics increase the risk of suicide. This study found that antipsychotics increase the risk of suicide by 20 times, http://www.drugs.com/forum/latest-drug-related-news/antipsychotics-increase-suicide-risk-20-times-33941.html. Not long ago I was being injected without consent and I did have suicidal thoughts. The reason was that the drugs made me feel lousy and I could see no way of getting off the injection. I began to think do I really want to live like that.

I don't think that your experience is unusual. They have the power to forcibly medicate you and that is what they do. I think it's wrong because in my opinion antipsychotics are nothing more than a chemical cosh.

Your post resonates with my own experience. When they gave me the injection that night, I felt totally broken. It wasn't even anything to do with the medication at that point. I just felt so alone and violated, and I started to wonder if I'd make it out of the hospital alive. When I woke up the next morning, I literally couldn't get out of bed. I remember calling my mom and telling her that I would call back later, because I felt so sick. I never managed to follow through, as I was literally bed-ridden. They might as well have killed me.

My mom actually called the social worker and doctor and literally screamed like a maniac. I'm surprised they didn't try to get her committed. We laugh about it now, but at the time, it was frightening. I know that my parents were furious, especially because I have never had any psychotic episodes or been diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. There was really no reason for them to inject me, other than the fact that they "could." It seems like more of a power issue than anything else, as if they want you to remember that "they are in control."

I hope that, if I ever have children, I am never in a position where they need inpatient psychiatric treatment. I would be so sick with worry, that I would probably be hospitalized myself.

chris87 wrote: When they gave me the injection that night, I felt totally broken. It wasn't even anything to do with the medication at that point. I just felt so alone and violated, and I started to wonder if I'd make it out of the hospital alive.

Effects and aftermath of psych-pharma-rape can include both physical trauma and psychological trauma. However, physical force is not necessarily used in psych-pharma-rape, and physical injuries are not always a consequence. Deaths associated with psych-pharma-rape are known to occur, though the prevalence of fatalities varies considerably across the world. For psych-pharma-rape victims the more common consequences of psychiatric violence are those related to reproductive health, mental health, and social wellbeing.

The experience of being psych-pharma-raped can lead to suicidal behavior.

The term victim blaming refers to holding the victim of a crime to be responsible for that crime, either in whole or in part. In the context of psych-pharma rape, it refers to the attitude that certain victim behaviors (such as knowing the shrink is wrong and asking questions) may have encouraged the assault. In extreme cases, victims are said to have "asked for it" simply by not behaving in a submissive manner or sucking up to staff.


This post could be alot longer, all I did was add "psych-pharma" to the text of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_an ... th_of_rape

Here is another complaint site http://www.pissedconsumer.com/

Once you are admitted to hospital and the psychiatrist orders that you must take the medication, my experience is that they will use physical force to administer the drugs if necessary, and that can result in physical injury.

A couple of years ago I was unjustly sectioned. Initially I wasn't placed on any meds and I behaved in a completely normal manner. After about five days the psychiatrist ordered that I had to take medication as he had determined that I did have a mental illness. I refused and their response was for three male nurses of heavy build to restrain me and inject me with an antipsychotic. I resisted in a non violent manner, but in the process of restraint my back gave out. I felt it go suddenly and collapsed to the floor. I was lucky as the injury to my back could have been far more serious. As it was I was in pain for a number of days. In reality it was a physical assault resulting in actual bodily harm being caused. As I have come to realise though, as a victim of the mental health system I am dehumanized and so I had no recourse to the law.

The situation demonstrated to me the nonsensical nature of the mental health system. It was only a short time before this episode that I was observed for forty eight hours in another hospital whilst not on medication, seen by five different psychiatrists, and then told that I had nothing wrong with me. I presented in the same way in both hospitals.

I was sectioned about a year ago and spent some time in hospital. Half of my "visit" I was in a drug induced coma because my psychosis was so sever.

Being in hospital is not fun. I do not want to see the insides of another in this manner.

Even the crazies wondered why I was permanently out of it.

The mental health act is awesome for keeping crazies in a job, but suck for allowing them to be locked up and drugged...

-- Thu Aug 09, 2012 6:50 pm --

I was sectioned about a year ago and spent some time in hospital. Half of my "visit" I was in a drug induced coma because my psychosis was so sever.

Being in hospital is not fun. I do not want to see the insides of another in this manner.

Even the crazies wondered why I was permanently out of it.

The mental health act is awesome for keeping crazies in a job, but suck for allowing them to be locked up and drugged...