ULPT Request: How to break out/escape a psych ward in the u.s.

[-]

agentlouisiana1@reddit

this is just going to be the rosenhan experiment though

[-]

shewee@reddit

If you tell them what they want to hear they can let you out early.

[-]

Just accept you are screwed for at least 72 hours, you are on a 51/50. The best way to get out? First day, be incorrigible and don’t do anything as directed. Don’t take meds, don’t eat, even make art on the walls with your food if you feel like it. First night, throw a fit and try to escape the doors. The bar will be triggered but it will not open the doors. Guards, orderlies, and nurses will come and give you shots in your ass of drugs, they might tie you down (if they are a really bad hospital) and you will sleep well. The second day, act extremely embarrassed. Take all the medication they offer and eat the food they give you, no matter how terrible it is. Participate in group. Second night, apologize to night staff for your actions the night before, explain that sometimes you get a little crazy and you just need a shot. Be overly apologetic and embarrassed.

As you approach the 72 hour mark, they are going to give you a ‘choice’- stay there voluntarily, or be put on a 52/50 - a two week hold. Choose voluntary. It says to them you are ‘sane’ enough to see you need help and you want it.

Keep taking meds (unless a serious adverse reaction occurs) & by law you should be seeing a doctor everyday, but places take it by having the doc come while you are asleep and just read the notes and they look at you asleep. If you have medical concerns, ask to see the medical doctor, but other than that, just be a ‘good citizen’; help nurses set up for group, and strike it as well. Help with cleaning up meals, ask if you can have some materials to draw or write - they like to see you working through stuff and being a ‘productive member of society’. Then, around day 5 or 6, tell them you feel like you can handle your situation now, and feel ready to go home. This usually works for me (bipolar with psychotic features, I used to be 51/50ed by my father when he was mad at me, and nurses never believed that he would do that, so I came up with this method.)

I’ve only seen people get out early that had lawyers on the outside fighting for them, and they usually had much more money than the average joe.

I hope your stay is short

[-]

OneSchmeanBean@reddit (OP)

Well, I'm absolutely not going to take any meds from them whatsoever, so i guess I'll need a non-conventional way of getting out. If you politely refuse meds, body checks, or any other sort of physical invasion, will they still force it on you? Like if I act calm and just keep saying "no thank you" will they still sedate me and force it?

[-]

AppearanceNo9763@reddit

Even though many of our rights are being taken in the US we still very much have the right to refuse medical treatment. Just know that yes you do have the right to not take the meds but chances are the longer you do that the longer your stay will be. They will not sedate you unless you behave in a way that makes them think you are a threat to yourself or others.

[-]

saintgeorgette@reddit

Sedation usually depends on your actions. Be very careful not to even go near doors or pass the lines around things like the nurses station, if there are any. If they put you on a 52/50, a two week hold, in CA, my state, you get an automatic hearing before a judge who determines if you need to stay there or if you can go home. They usually need the beds, so if you stay out of trouble and don’t bother anyone, idk, it may work. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to deny a body check, that’s a huge thing with them. You can tell them you are a Christian scientist or a Scientologist, that taking psych meds is against your personal code, that’s the only time I’ve ever heard of a person being free of all meds before (they were Christian scientist and had some sort of equal rights lawyer working for them and were out in four days).

What may help you is getting an appointment with a therapist for when you are out, while you are still in there. Tell them you refuse drugs but are open to one-on-one counseling. Really, they should offer that in the first place.

[-]

OneSchmeanBean@reddit (OP)

Well fuck... I'm not in a facility right now but things really seems to be heading that way. But if they really take 100% of your autonomy away, then I think it's probably best I just make myself un-findable before they try to put me anywhere. Thanks for the advice though I appreciate it

[-]

saintgeorgette@reddit

I’m sorry to ask, but what happened? Why are they placing you on a hold? (I’m sorry to ask but everyone on the ward will ask you, too, at least in my experience)

[-]

OneSchmeanBean@reddit (OP)

I just don't plan on being around much longer. I don't get why everyone is so intent on stopping me. I'm an adult, I have no psychotic symptoms, and I'm completely lucid. Anyone with decision making capacity is allowed to refuse life-saving medical treatment, not sure why that's only for people with physical diseases :/

[-]

saintgeorgette@reddit

I agree with you, I don’t know why human euthanasia is limited to those who are projected to die within three months, and only in certain states. What may help you once you get on the ward is coming up with a ‘safety plan’. For when you go home. Basically, just write on a piece of paper ‘when I feel _, I will call_, and we will talk about _____ until I don’t feel that way anymore. If it doesn’t go away, I will call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room and tell them I need psychiatric help.’ That’s the basics of a ‘safety plan’. Just tell them you will get help before you do anything bad.

But before you end your entire existence, write a list of things that make you happy, and go do them. Talk to your favorite person. Play with your pets. Get a pet. I swear to god, my dog saved my life. The fact that he loves me no matter how bad I ‘screw up’, that every day when I wake up he is at the end of my bed, excited to see me awake and runs up the covers to give me kisses. Caring for something other than yourself may give you purpose. And imagine how your family and friends and coworkers and neighbors will feel, knowing your actions. I guarantee many of them will think ‘they should have told me. I would have helped in any way I could.’ People love you. People care for you. Please, don’t do this. Life is a gift. Don’t chuck it out with the garbage.

And I’m not just giving empty platitudes. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve tried to kill myself. My arms and legs and torso are scarred from cutting and burning myself. My stomach and intestines are as scarred as my arms are from overdoses I’ve taken. I put myself in a 23 day coma once from an overdose. I died twice then. I’ve died a total of three times, but for some reason I’ve always come back. Go get an older cat from the pound. Cats require hardly any care - feed, water, and a warm place to be and sleep, and they are happy to hunt any mice or lizards or other pests around your property, and leave it for you to find on your pillow. God knows every cat I’ve had has done that.

Please, think about how your death would hurt those around you. Life isn’t very long. Do it for them, if not for yourself. I bet you are a very interesting, lovable person.

Private message me if you need help. Please. I love you as a fellow human, and I don’t want you to feel this way.

[-]

sierrabravo1984@reddit

Only way out is sleeping with nurse Ratched.

[-]

DuckRubberDuck@reddit

Idk how they do it in the US, but in my country if you escape, the police will be searching for you, are you sure that’s what you want?

[-]

Emotional_Star_7502@reddit

It depends why the person is in the psych ward. If they were essentially a criminal, and placed in there as a diversion to sentencing, police will actively search for the person. If you are non-criminal, they will actively search for maybe an hour-check the general area, known places you may frequent, contact relatives etc. beyond that, you get put into a “missing person” database and will be located the next time a police officer comes across you. Exception if there is a circumstance of immediate peril-like they are diabetic or something.

[-]

DuckRubberDuck@reddit

Yeah it’s probably the same here. If you’re not a criminal the search isn’t as serious, but they will probable make a statement saying if you see a person resembling this and this, please call the police

I think

If it’s a forensic patient, they will go all in though as you said.

[-]

Commercial_Main1734@reddit

After your 5150 hold is over leave AMA. That’s what I did last time and threatened to involve my lawyer (didn’t have one).

[-]

meddit_rod@reddit

First, is the US, if you escape then the insurance company won't pay, so you'll be responsible for your 24/7 care bill for however long.

Second, many auto-locking doors use electromagnets instead of latches. Power goes out, so does the lock.

[-]

MermaidSapphire@reddit

Just be chill bbg.

[-]

OneSchmeanBean@reddit (OP)

ohhh shit you right

[-]