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DiscussionLost my daughter to suicide will be 2 years ago in 2 days
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (28)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "I know I do need to be in therapy and medication it may help can't hurt..."
I asked the police officer in my home while first responders were out looking for my daughter to call me an ambulance. I went into the psych ward. They can't hold you for more than 72 hours without a psychiatrist signing off on that and I wasn't a danger to myself or anyone else so far as they could see (let me tell you, it's very easy to hide those feelings). It was THE BEST EXPERIENCE I have EVER had in any medical setting. I was heavily sedated, Ativan, and when I needed more I'd go to the nurse's station and hold out my hand but it wasn't the doctors or nurses who helped me (although I have very little memory of them doing anything when they must have done things) It was THE OTHER PATIENTS.
Remember, I was in the lock down portion of the psych ward, where doors are locked and you can't get out of the ward. The people in there were there because they were in CRISIS. They were suffering their own horrors. BUT every single patient on that floor, and to my memory I'll guess there were 10 or so? maybe more? HELPED ME every single day. They came to my room and took me with them to breakfast, lunch and dinner. They put a chair in a circle and sat around me, with me. They put me in front of the TV in the rec room, covered me with a blanket, and let me nap. I've never had care like that from anyone my entire lifetime, actually. The day I was thrown out - I did NOT WANT TO LEAVE - the Dr. told me I wasn't psychotic so I couldn't stay - the other PATIENTS hugged me, prayed with me, and encouraged me.
Don't be afraid of going into the psych ward. My daughter was there four times but she was profoundly ill. If you're basically lucid, not suffering from any serious mental illness - it is NOT A BAD PLACE. They can observe you, offer medication and if you have a bad response they can give you the antidote, and make an informed opinion about what medication to send you home with. In my case, they made arrangements with a behavioral health place in my area for a psychiatrist and a therapist. For one year, I saw two therapists a week and a psychiatrist. LET THEM HELP YOU. You're not helping yourself by refusing to cooperate.
I completely feel what you are saying. I have been in several acute mental care hospitals, in the past, and I’m often scared to express how I truly feel, for the same fear. I’m scared I’ll be committed against my will. My past experiences with mental hospitals were not good ones and I feel traumatized by them. Even with counseling, meds, and a lot of hard work, I still struggle but I use the tools I have now to give my grief, pain, sadness, and despair its space and time and it’s getting a little easier to reframe and get back to a better state of mind the next day. I also feel like I’ve been abandoned by so many because it’s easier to not deal with me and my feelings or they feel my past attempted suicide was for attention, or don’t
understand why I can’t just get over what’s happened and choose to be happy. I’ve been at the place where I truely believed it would be better for me and the people left in my life, if I ended it all but slowly I’m seeing my life does have purpose despite my grief, scars, and despair. I also, now, couldn’t fathom causing the pain and grief my death would cause to the few who do still care and love me and that keeps me going. I, also, have two grandkids, I push for them every day. They give me purpose, they love me and don’t see my brokenness the way the others do. I pour a lot into them (despite that I physically can’t pick them up or care for them) and use what I regret about the past to rewrite my future for them and do better for them. I know this is getting long but I just want you to feel an ounce of hope because even when we feel like no one cares, there is ALWAYS someone who does and I do, I care what you are going through and my heart aches for you. Our stories are not the same and by no means am I comparing them but I just want to validate that your feelings are real and grief can be debilitating. My whole life, my parents and others would tell me to lean on God but I just couldn’t hear it. For why would a God make me this way or let the things I’ve been through happen? Recently I started being able to hear God speaking to me through songs or another person and the more I listened the more I heard. Just weeks ago, I was crying so hard while heading to my parents house to take me to yet another doctors appointment because I felt all alone and like so many people had let me down or not supported me through my life and a song came on and these are the words I heard “Oh, my soul
Oh, how you worry
Oh, how you're weary, from fearing you lost control
This was the one thing, you didn't see coming
And no one would blame you, though
If you cried in private
If you tried to hide it away, so no one knows
No one will see, if you stop believing
Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There's a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
'Cause you're not alone
Here and now
You can be honest
I won't try to promise that someday it all works out
'Cause this is the valley
And even now, He is breathing on your dry bones
And there will be dancing
There will be beauty where beauty was ash and stone
This much I know
Oh, my soul
You are not alone
There's a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
I'm not strong enough, I can't take anymore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
And my shipwrecked faith will never get me to shore
(You can lay it down, you can lay it down)
Can He find me here
Can He keep me from going under
Oh, my soul
You're not alone
There's a place where fear has to face the God you know
One more day, He will make a way
Let Him show you how, you can lay this down
'Cause you're not alone
Oh, my soul, you're not alone“
I hope this song brings you the peace it gave me in that moment. Please remember, someone does always care, even we don’t feel it.