Some questions about being sectioned

[phoenixx]

Hey all, I haven't posted here for a long time. So right now, we are in lockdown so my plans of committing suicide in may/june is put on hold since I planned on travelling to a hotel in a different city to do it.

Anyway, theres a few things I have been thinking about and thought I'd come here to see if anyone could help answer my questions:


- If I failed my suicide attempt (unlikely but who knows) and was found by police or hotel staff, what would happen? Would I be taken to hospital or get sectioned? If yes, would I be sectioned in the city I was in or taken back to my own city (30mins away) and be put in hospital there?

- How does the sectioning process work?

-Would they try contacting your family if you did get sectioned? Could you ask for them not to be contacted?

I live in the UK (in Wales) by the way!

 

[Squiddy]

If you failed and were found, you would most likely be taken to the hospital. You would probably go to the nearest hospital they could find.

Not sure about there, but in the US, the sectioning process works by them asking a bunch of questions and if they deem it necessary, they admit you.

You could try to ask them not to contact your family.

 

[Walilamdzi]

You would be taken to where your GP is registered. Although they would section you somewhere else if there were no beds available there. In order to section you, usually 3 professionals have to agree that you are a danger to yourself or others, but at the moment only one professional has to determine that. It's changed due to the virus. I was recently sectioned for 3 months and it's totally awful. Months of drawn out abject misery, basically just somewhere to keep and medicate you until they decide that you are stable enough to be discharged or whatever. Psych wards are not safe places, honestly being sectioned ruined my life and it's been downhill from there. I was not well when I was admitted, and the nurses didn't intervene with other patients getting involved with me so I was sexually assaulted six times as an inpatient. I feel totally defeated and despondent since coming out and I'm actively looking for a peaceful suicide method every day.

 

[LivedAndNotLoved]

Hiya,

Fellow Welshy here

I'm basing this on my own experience, so dont take this as I know it all but I'm just saying...

If you are found by hotel staff, the police would come and section 136 you under the mental health act. Basically all this means is that you'll be taken to the nearest hospital and you would wait to see the mental health team (when I was taken in under this the team was a psychiatrist, a trainee psychiatrist and a mental health social worker) and they basically just assess you to see if you need sectioning or not.

Its really really really hard to get sectioned, you need to be very high risk of harming yourself or someone else.

Also say for arguments sake you try to ctb one weekend, then a couple of weeks later you try to do it again, you're much more likely to be sectioned. It happened to a friend of mine, although they kept him in for 3 days. But when he left he had strict conditions to stick to and they said one more attempt and they could keep him in for up to 6 months...

Hope this helps?

PM me anytime if you wanna chat :)

 

[Suez]

Hey all, I haven't posted here for a long time. So right now, we are in lockdown so my plans of committing suicide in may/june is put on hold since I planned on travelling to a hotel in a different city to do it.

Anyway, theres a few things I have been thinking about and thought I'd come here to see if anyone could help answer my questions:


- If I failed my suicide attempt (unlikely but who knows) and was found by police or hotel staff, what would happen? Would I be taken to hospital or get sectioned? If yes, would I be sectioned in the city I was in or taken back to my own city (30mins away) and be put in hospital there?

- How does the sectioning process work?

-Would they try contacting your family if you did get sectioned? Could you ask for them not to be contacted?

I live in the UK (in Wales) by the way!

Depending on the method used and what condition you are in when you were found would determine whether someone would ring a hospital or not. If you were found following a method where there is no blood and it appears that physically you are ok, obviously there would be no ambo. If you were found by someone and you didnt appear to be physically very well, even if an ambulance is called, its still up to you whether you go or not. Ambulance staff cannot make you get treatment against your will regardless of how ill you may appear, so this part of it is in your hands.
If you decide to get in an ambulance and therefore get treatment and it is obvious that you have made a suicide attempt, then Drs will call the Mental health team in to do an assessment while you are in hospital. If on assessment you are deemed to be a risk to yourself or others then they have the ability to section you. But even at that point you still have the right to go to hospital as a voluntary patient, so you dont need to be sectioned. Its only if against advice of the Drs you say that you wil not go that they can use their powers to section you. Obviously if youve already decided to get in an ambulance, that means you want help so it doesnt make sense the to not go in as a voluntary patient. Which Mental health facility you are put in will depend on a couple of factors. Each mental health unit covers specific areas and therefore dependent on where you reside that will be the unit you would normally be sectioned to. However, if this facility is full at that time, they will put you in the next nearest available unit. Sometimes it is possible to request that you go to a specific unit, but this depends on availability mostly. The sectioning process may be slightly different depending on which country you live in. I live in NZ so the info i give you may differ, but usually, if your sectioned under a treatment order, that means they can detain you up to a period of 28 days (In the first instance). I found this link however about the process which is specifc to the UK, so have a look at this. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/legal-rights/sectioning/about-sectioning/ With regards to contacting family, mostly that is up to you unless you are a minor. Hope this information helps.

 

[Slow85]

Morning
I work in mental health (Uk) and have also been sectioned numerous times due to have schizoaffective disorder.

As above if you are found conscious you 'may' be sectioned under 136 however this would depend on who attends. Paramedics would take you to hospital if you complied - some may not take you. Due to stretches and cuts and lack of training you may not receive any help / treatment at all.

If the police place you under a 136 you may be taken to a place of safety which could be a hospital or police 136 suite. Just because you are under 136 doesn't always mean you will receive a Mental health act assessment, you may be release from 136 if you are deemed well enough

Currently you only need one AMP (approved medical professional ) to place you under section If you require this . I wouldn't say it really really hard to get sectioned : this will depend on what you say. It's very easy to avoid being sectioned.

You will be taken to the closest trust to your home that had a bed. This may be on a mixed ward with people of all ages. Wards are busy , chaotic and not conducive to recovery if this is what you seek. You would be under a section 2 which would mean you could be held for 28 days. However your nearest relative is able to appeal this (I have been released on section this way ) if this runs out and they believe you still need to stay you could be placed under a section 3 which is up to 6 months.

Your family can only be contacted if you consent to this. Under section you still hold your right to confidentiality.

If you called for help and you accept help you are less likely to be sectioned. Generally speaking non cooperation means you have a higher risk of being sectioned. You may be offered a voluntary bed on a unit (rare but happens ) - I wouldn't ever take that as once you are there - the process of sectioning will be much easier

 

[phoenixx]

@Suez @LivedAndNotLoved @Walilamdzi @Squiddy @Slow85

Thank you all for commenting, you all helped with answering my questions!

I'm planning on hanging myself so hopefully, if I get it right, I will not fail. I'm just worried that something will go wrong and I will end up failing or being found and just wanted to be prepared of what could happen if I'm taken to hospital.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!