Help Self harm, hospitals, inpatient and guns

[maneose]

I guess I've been wondering this for a while but how do hospitals respond to self-harm? Like if it's pretty bad and you have to get them to sew it or staple it for you, even if you say that you aren't suicidal, do they still have to put you under that 72 hour hold? or have a psychiatrist review you to see if you are and would they have the ability to force you to go into inpatient? I'm less afraid of being in a ward but more scared of the consequences, because I've always wanted to keep my options open just in case I wanted to use a gun for ctb in the late future. Would the same consequences apply if you willingly put yourself in a ward? Also would the same apply to you if you're honest with your feelings to your psychiatrist? Could they put something on your record that would basically be the same as "don't give this person that". Sorry I'm asking a lot of questions I'm just really curious and never thought of how all this stuff intertwines.

 

[lovely956]

no matter how bad the SH is if you deny suicidal ideation they can't really do anything, in my experience worst case is you sit there for a couple hours and wait for the social workers to come and do a review. if you don't tell them anything they can't keep you there after they do the psych eval

 

[EvisceratedJester]

They can't do shit to you so long as you claim not to be suicidal. I've gone to the hospital to get an sh cut looked at before and I left the same day. In my case, they made me speak with a psychiatrist and a crisis worker for a bit and they questioned me on whether or not I was experiencing suicidal ideation. I just lied and got to leave after around noon.

 

[mehdone]

If you go to the er for self harm, you will absolutely end up getting a psych evaluation.

Here's how that can go. They decide you are a danger to yourself and try to put you on a 72 hour psych hold- now, as an adult, you can say no- it is not involuntary, I will willingly go in. That means you can check yourself out anytime you like.

Or, you convince them that you are not a danger to yourself- you get stitched up and sent home. Self injuring alone is not a valid reason to be put on a psych hold. It does take a bit of explaining, and expressing that no, this is not done because one wants to die- this is a coping mechanism, something that keeps one alive.

Regardless, at least in the US, a 72 hour hold for observation typically would not keep one from being able to purchase a gun. Your state laws may vary.