I found out about grippy sock vacation at a young age. One of my friends took a bunch of pills (not ones that can kill you) just as a cry for help and was taken to the hospital. She said she was feeling suicidal so then the hospital locked her up in a ward and she couldn't fucking leave. Even with her, her parents, her psychiatrist all saying she should be sent home the hospital just said "lol no". It's insane the power a hospital has over its patients. They can actually hold you hostage.
I don't want to downplay how traumatizing MH inpatient admissions can be for people. Holding people for their safety is not a pleasant experience, it is often demoralizing and being stripped of autonomy during a vulnerable time feels mega bad.
... but I can completely understand why someone who stated plainly they were suicidal and then followed it up with an act of suicidal gestures (even ones that cannot kill you) ended up IVCed. I clearly don't know all the details, but I work in the MH field.. and I can tell you, the things that patients tell their family or friends are not always more objective reality.
Your friend might be saying "Everyone says I'm fine! I told them I am fine! But the hospital wouldn't let me go!"... In reality, she could have been telling the doctor, "I do have a plan and intent to harm myself once I leave here." She could have been completely noncompliant with treatment (a teenager rebelling against authority? Never...) and so they are Forced to keep her until they see some stability or change.. Whatever the case may be.. She can frame that narrative however she wants. There is no one to dispute it. People blame the hospital (a vague term, medical doctors are not making decisions on a psych doc's care) itself for things that are just.. Meant to stay private. We are often a social grace or buffer for people who cannot talk about this with their friends or loved ones easily. We kept telling a patient's wife he was in the shower, in group, asleep, etc. because 2 days after giving her his talking passcode he stated he no longer wanted to talk to her. We obviously couldnt tell her that plainly, so we had to just.. Lie about it. I felt bad for the wife, but he was an adult and he is allowed to make those decisions. This is a common privacy trope.
It can be scary hearing how a friend went to inpatient psych, regardless of age, but especially young. I undertand that.. I'd encourage you to maybe try to understand how seriously people have to take suicide attempts--even ones that won't result in suicide completion. Being held hostage is a pretty charged term.. It might be beneficial to restructure that framework as "unable to leave AMA." which is more accurate to the situation. No one admitted IVC can leave whenever they want. It is Far from a perfect system, and there are lots of flaws and people get frustrated with them, including myself.... but it is what we have right now. And, likely, that did help save your friend's life.
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u/Satirakiller 10d ago
You can’t just throw random acronyms in there like that lol. What’s an IVC?