"911, what's your emergency?"

Today i decided to call the police.  Last night I called the crisis line to tell them what is going on with my new roomate.  I couldn't call her case manager because it was a friday night.

I called crisis and described to them what is going on.

me-She is in the bathroom again screaming, wailing, crying.

worker-is she suicidal

me-i don't think so but she is very very sick

worker-what can i do to help you

me-well, can you talk to her on the phone if she will agree to it?

worker-=yes

me-"Mary*  i have the crisis worker on the phone are you willing to talk to her?"

Mary* (no response)

me to worker-"no, she won't respond"

worker-"Well, there really isn't anything i can do, you cal always call the police"

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Author's note (i have been awake for one week, but last night, i slept about 6 hours.  My stomach is very very sick, I'd like to stay home but i can't take the stress)

8:15 sat a.m.

I awaken to banging, wailing screaming.  I tell Mary i need to get into the bathroom.  No response.  I wonder, am i going to have to go out back in a winter storm to piss?  Just as i am heading for the back yard she lets me in.  She is pacing, in and out of front and back door, some screaming mostly quiet, restless.  It looks like she might be having hallucinations, she is speaking in another voice that isn't her own, but she is not speaking to me.

911 what's your emergency?

me-My roomate is very sick i think she needs to go to the mental hospital to stabilize.

911-we'll send an officer right out

officer "what's going on"

me_  I reiterate what i just told you, my readers

officer-"i will speak to her"

officer comes out and tells me that he spoke to her and she is not suicidal.  He said to me "I can't title her" (funny, he doesn't have to explain, i know exactly what that means)

officer-"Are you comfortable having her stay here with you?"

me-"Are you asking ME to go to the mental hospital?"

officer-"No!"

Officer said "well the hospital is closed"

me- I said no it isn't it is 24/7!

officer-"you know i think you are right!"

officer tells me, keep your phone on Mary's case manager will either call you or come by.

(oh great, my whole day has to be about mary's neeeds)

No case manager ever called me or came by. 

A man with a gang like stocking on his head peered in our living room.  Mary begins to open the door.  I said to mary, wait a minute do you know him?

no answer

I asked Mary again, fearing who she will open the door to! 

She said in a near inaudible voice "That's my father!"

At this point i hope that her parents are taking her to the hospital, but instead, i hear a movie start up in her room.  I am completely flummoxed my stomach is sick i have no idea what is going on.  I decide to leave the house for the day.

Amazing intervention in the psych. hospital

Much of what I see in these psychiatric hospitals are plenty of techs who are incompetent, or just there to collect a paycheck and ignore the patients.

But there were a few techs and a few nurses who were stellar.

One day , 24 y.o. Nate* went into a frenzy and demanded his medicine.  I thought he might be schizophrenic but on my last day in the hospital he said that he was beaten by 2 men and brain damaged.  He speaks nonsense most of the time.  He began secreaming and cussing and then challenged the tech, James* to "put up your dukes!"  He physically went after james while cussing and screaming.  James* being one of the techs who is just their to collect a paycheck, went into the nurses station laughing.  I see nothing funny about this at all.

Then Nate went after Charles the 53 year old who looks 75, and has the mental competency of maybe a 1 year old.  Charles was terrified and ran, he continued to relive and retell the story in the coming days.

Nurse Louann* is the one who stunned me with the beautiful intervention.

She went over to Nate looked him in the eye and gently took his hands.  She asked him: "May I give you a hug?!"

He said: YES!

She embraced him for a while, and spoke calmly in his ear.

All I can say is wow; sometimes practicing peace really works!