Going on unanimous recommendations, I called 911 today to request a 5150 (72 hour psychiatric hold) so that my mom can get a prescription, at the very least, before she harms herself or someone else (again). Over and over again I explained the suicide pleas, the violent assault, the attempted burglary, the paranoia, the hallucinations, the delusions.
The first brick wall I hit was the donut-brained sheriff at the court who refused entry to the paramedics. I explained that she is bipolar and needs treatment. I explained that the only time we can locate her is in court because she sleeps in her car and won't tell anyone where she is, due to paranoia. His response was an unhelpful 'she doesn't seem violent and suicidal TODAY.' He was obviously not educated on the nature of bipolar disorder. Apparently yesterday, the day before, the years before, and the sad family history of institutionalization, are not enough. His response struck me as irresponsible.
So I called the hospital who transferred me to 911 who transferred me to the local fire department who transferred me to the local police department's emergency line.
When I finally got through, I had to re-tell the horrifying evidence all over again. They sent police, but they didn't get there in time, or thought she looked sane from a distance and drove away. All I know is, no one did their job.
I think they just don't care. No one wants to get involved. (I can hardly blame them, but... Isn't that their job ??)
In this society, mentally ill individuals have to kill themselves or someone else before someone will help. But by then it's too late.
My family and I have talked a lot about this. It's unsafe for us to drive her to the hospital ourselves, and she's not going to drive herself there.
There is no hospital shuttle. No family advice hotline. No non-profit organization (without a two year waiting list.) Nothing. I guess this is what our flawed healthcare system is all about. No one is there when you need them.
No one wants to deal with mental illness. A broken leg? Sure. A sprained ankle? They'll have you patched up in no time. But you can't see or touch a chemical imbalance. It's not perceived instantaneously like a bruise or a wound. And no one wants a violent patient without insurance.
And we wonder why our city streets are filled with homeless people who talk to themselves and see things that aren't there. No one was willing to help them. Mental illness is easy to ignore.
I did my best and the system let me down. If this was anyone else, I'd let it go. But this is my mother. A little help could go a long way, and I won't sit and watch her deteriorate further. If we have to put our own lives at risk to get her to a hospital, so be it. The police don't have the balls to do it, and we're running out of options. We can't afford to wait until someone gets hurt, and I really, really, don't want to see it go down that way.
I don't expect anyone to understand our situation. Maybe it's just so taboo that no one speaks of it. But the world needs to know. Turning a blind eye to mental illness is a huge injustice. We don't ignore cancer or diabetes, so why do we ignore schizophrenia and manic depression? An illness is an illness, whether it occurs in your liver, or in your brain. ALL individuals who suffer from illness DESERVE EQUAL TREATMENT.
If you have been through a similar situation or know of anyone who has, please let me know. I'm relatively alone in this battle, and would be infinitely grateful for any sort of advice you may have.
12:35 p.m. - 2008-10-17