BPD Vs The Mental Health System

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@Just_Listen wrote:

Psych wards are set up all wrong. There is only so much psychiatrists can do, with a strong focus on medication. BPD in its own, doesn't respond to medication. So the attitude is, we can't do anything.

I was telling my dr and nurse I was suicidal, if I left I wasn't safe. They record this as "Goal seeking suicide threats." Basically saying, she's using it to get her own way." My own way? What is my goal? What do they think I want?

If they bother to ask and you say to keep me safe, you're not believed.

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All of what you have written rings true for me too - so thanks for saying it. I have also seen the attitude of medication being the only option. So unhelpful.

I have also been accused of threatening suicide - like it is them that I am threatening. I don't do it for fun or to annoy them. I am not doing it to get my own way. Like you I am trying to get help.

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@Just_Listen wrote:

We need crisis intervention! Support us through it, support us to get to a place where we feel safe enough to seek or continue with outside support.

(Which isn't exactly hard... listen, empathise, validate. Don't need a degree for that)

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Yes - it is the listening, empathising & validating that we need. When I do get that it really helps. Often it is followed by a small amount of medication to help me get a good night sleep & then I am ok again till the next crisis.

This whole thread is very sad, I can’t say I am surprised though as nearly all of those things have happened to me as well. It really is ridiculous and I cannot understand why they assume you are trying to hurt yourself for attention there are much easier ways to get attention also why on earth would you want the attention of such rude and spiteful professionals it never made sense to me. Either way now I am so scared of the hospitals and public teams that I can’t even walk past the buildings. Sorry you all had such bad experiences.

Eden: So sorry your negative experiences have led you to fear the very people & places that should help you.

I recently had some very negative experiences in public mental health too. My fear and distrust extends to the ambulance and police who take me to hospital if I say I have suicidal thoughts. They are so sick of what they say is me being manipulative and attention seeking that they treat me horribly.

Recently I had some negative news and had got so stressed over it that I passed out. I called an ambulance, but police came instead. The police came into my bedroom where I was passed out on my bed & grabbed me to handcuff me and dragged me to their car. I was feeling very dizzy and unwell and asked to sit down, but was refused. The ambulance officer watched from the other side of the road and did not even come close enough to talk with me. I was not allowed to take any belongings with me or lock my house. I was not allowed to get dressed - I was wearing pyjamas that were falling off me & exposing my breasts. One of the officers searched me and asked if I was wearing a bra. I was taken in the police car to hospital & similarly humiliated on arriving at the hospital. I tried to get away from the police who were pushing me around. They responded by pushing me to the floor & holding me. The stress of this experience led to several suicide attempts.

It has led me to fear and avoid telling anyone about what I am thinking or how I feel, as I am scared about what might happen if the call the police or ambulance to try to get me help.

I have had helpful validating conversations with lifeline, but I am now very careful to not tell them too much, as I don't want them to need to call 000 as they are worried about my safety. The police have told me not to phone lifeline as they are sick of being asked to do welfare checks on me. They think I do it deliberately to annoy them.

Hi @Just_Listen

I'm moderating this morning I thought it might be helpful to pop in with a gentle reminder about sharing personal information in the forum space. The forums are great because they offer members an anonymous space to talk freely about personal experiences, which means we ask members not to publish any identifying information like name, address, phone number or their location. The guidelines talk about this more and you can find them here

Thanks for understanding and hope everyone has a great day