Self mutilation and hospitals?!
Question: If you are admitted to the hospital for overdosing on medication and alcohol, and they saw bruises and cuts that the person inflicted on themselves, what course of action would the nurses/doctors take?
thanks
Answers: If you are admitted to the hospital for overdosing on medication and alcohol, and they saw bruises and cuts that the person inflicted on themselves, what course of action would the nurses/doctors take?
thanks
When I was taken into hospital after an OD early last year my legs and arms had self inflicted cuts on them. They got the oncall psych to come out and talk to me, then when I was released they sent the crisis/home treatment team out to make sure I was OK whilst I waited for a referral to the community mental health team to go through. In severe cases, where they self injury is very extreme they might look at that in combination with the OD and keep you in for assesment, they did this to a girl I knew but her cuts were very very bad and needed stitches and she had a history of hurting herself like that and not getting the cuts seen to properly, so it was quite different.
Most hospitals will have a psychiatrist come in for a consult and based on there findings they could mandate you be admited (willfilly or unwillingly) or simply recommend that you follow up with a psychiatrist. But BY ALL MEANS if you need to go to the hospital go now and deal with that later.
A good ER will call for a psyche consult before you are released.