Has anyone ever had to go to a hospital for psychological evaluation?

[alittlebitofrandom]

My counselor suggested this to me a while back and it really scared me. After last night, I had another huge break down and I have been on my meds for two months now. I know I should have seen some improvement by now. Last night I almost contemplated driving myself to the hospital, but I ended up doing a lot better than I expected. It was nothing I ever want to relive.  I kept having thoughts of suicide.  I did end up hurting myself really bad. This morning I also had to get blood work done. I have to go somewhere special since they can’t take it from my arm. I went there and told the lady she has to take it from my hand and she told me she was going to try from my arm. Well she couldn’t find anything in my right arm so she tried my left and actually stuck the needle in. I got queasy from that. She tried my hand and couldn’t find the vain. When she pulled it out I guess my face went completely white. I started hyperventilating and proceeded to get sick. Stupid nurses. I felt like I was dying. It was soooo bad.
Well now that I got off subject, sorry, what all would they do in the evaluation? I am pretty sure my imbalance is hormonal. I just am worried because i don’t have time to take out of classes to get all of this done.

[alittlebitofrandom]

I guess I never really thought about it, but I do feel almost manic when I have my episodes.  I think it is just a huge anxiety or panic attack because I get the feeling that I can't stop shaking.  I literally have to put something in my hands to keep myself safe.  I don't get these episodes that often.  That was my first one in a month and it was the first time I hurt myself in a little over a month.  But it was really bad because I couldn't get myself to stop.  I am just so confused about everything right now.  Part of me does not want to deal with it, but the other part is ready to fight this thing.  I am going to tell my counselor and doctor everything.  I have to wait till Monday though because there are no doctors on campus during the weekend.  I would go to the hospital but I want to talk to them first.  Also, I can't drive to the town that the hospital is in because it is at least a 20 min drive, we are out in the country.  We are also have a bad snow storm this weekend so it would be best for me not to drive.
The medicine I am on is Effexor.  I have been on other meds like Prozac, Lexapro and other ADs like that but they didn't work at all.  They made me act really goofy.  The Effexor is working to a degree but I feel like I have hit a plateau in my recovery.

[Sondra1952]

I don't know what medication you're on, but I think you need to talk to someone today, not on Monday.  I've suffered from panic attacks and agorophobia for 31 years, and severe depression the last 3 years, so I've tried many antidepressants and benzos over the course of those years.  I don't tolerate antidepressants well at all, and when I was on Prozac, I thought I was seriously going to harm someone, as I was so hostile and totally out of control.  I threw a pen across the room at a temp that was helping me at work, shouted some obscenities at her, and went into my bosses office, and told him he seriously needed to call 911, as I was going to kill someone.  He called my psychiatrist, and he said "oh, she must not be tolerating it well".  Do you think???  Anyway, my point is, if you're having thoughts like that, and are recently on the meds you're on, PLEASE call whoever prescribed them, or go to the hospital.  These "head" drugs affect everyone differently, and it really isn't anything to take lightly if you're experiencing feelings like that.

In answer to your question about psych evaluations, I had admitted myself to our local mental health hospital in July '06, when this depression became so overwhelming I was no longer able to work.  I was self-pay, and at over $1000/day, I only stayed 7 days.   I wish I'd have been able to stay longer, as the in-patient counseling was wonderful.  I now have medicare effective 12/1, as I've been on disability now since April '07, and I plan on going back if medicare will pay for it.  I'm a 25 yr. klonopin user, and am in the process of weaning myself off of that, very slowly.  My main advise to you, after riding the roller coaster of these meds they so quickly prescribe for us, is to heed the warning signs if you feel "not right".  

Good luck!

Sondra

[babypooh]

I think this is something you need to MAKE time for honey.  It's your peace of mind and well being.  My best friend had a breakdown once and went to the hospital.  They evaluated her and made sure she didn't try to kill herself and suggested she enter an in-patient treatment for support, treatment, and help.  She didn't go through with it, but it's a good idea, in my opinion.  Please don't let yourself keep having thoughts of suicide.  Everyone has a purpose.  We can't give up simply because we don't know it.  Look for the help you need even if it means missing some classes. If it's going to help you live your life better and mentally stable, it shouldn't matter if you have to retake all your classes.  Good luck and please, truly consider your doctor's suggestions.

[ILADVOCATE]

If you are going through this you should reach out for support. If you have been having suicidal ideations the most important thing is to your psychiatrist and therapist. And discuss why you feel that you should go to the hospital. Then they can discuss the decision with you. And I think at this time your mother should be supportive of you. If she can't be that's unfortunate. But you should tell her what's wrong. You have a psychiatrist and therapist to rely on but she should know the full extant of what's going on. I would tell her everything. Just at a time when you are calm. And that you are seeking help.
   And you are not in anyway "messed up" for missing the depressive episodes but it could show something else is going on. During the suicidal episodes are there some feeling of euphoria or feelings of elation even at the same time as feeling horribly depressed. I experienced that until I just got on another mood stabilizer. I knew how to describe it but someone was nice enough here to give a definition of it for me which was "dysphoric mania". Even though it sounds odd, mania and depression can occur at the same time, with aspects of both. If you ever have "ups and downs" or some aspects of mania ever tell your psychiatrist because a mood stabilizer, not an anti-depressent is the correct medication for bipolar and an anti-depressent while treating the depression will worsen the mania. This site defines the term "dysphoric mania" and the rest of the site is good guide to the wide variety of forms of depression and bipolar symptoms:
http://www.depression-guide.com/dysphoric-mania.htm

[alittlebitofrandom]

I do plan to go and get my meds checked out on Monday at my heath center where they have prescribed the drugs for me.  I don't know if I should mention that maybe I need to go to the hospital to get it all checked out.  I have thought about telling this to my counselor but I feel weird saying, would you recommend that I go and get these tests done?  I almost want to even talk to my mom about it too, but I don't want her to get too worried about me.  I just told her about my meds and I don't think she understands the extent of my depression.  I think once she sees my arm in two weeks she may understand.

The weird thing about my depression, when I am having a really bad anxiety attack and get really bad suicidal thoughts, I get so scared that I try to reach out for help.  But like now, the fact that I am not in that state, I don't want it to go away.  I haven't even had it for so long that it has become comfortable for me.  A part of me likes it, which definitely shows a part of me is slightly messed up.

I was actually really surprised that the blood test did not work out.  I always go there to get my blood work done and I have never had problems.  I think the lady was just messed up.  And I have never gotten sick like that before either.  Maybe my high anxiety from the night before didn't help.  I was also anxious because she saw my arm after all the cutting I did the night before.

[ILADVOCATE]

If you are having suicidal ideations then the hospital might not be such a bad idea. If they continue I would reccomend driving there now. If they become realistic call 911. But the best thing to do is go to the hospital before they get worse and then have your medications adjusted while you are kept from doing anything that would harm yourself. Ask yourself what you want out of recovery and medication options. It could be hormonal and they could test for that but it might very well that your medications need to be titrated or changed. Look up "Depression Central" that has information on all mood disorders and medications and for information if you've tried all commonly used mood stabilizers, here's a list of medications that are approved but used off label for bipolar:
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/moodstabilizers.htm
Regardless just keep some ideas in mind and think of it as a positive thing to get medications adjusted and be in a safe place. That's how I always saw hospital visits in the past before I recovered.
   I'm sorry the bloodtest did not work out well but I would not use that place again and explain to whoever does a bloodtest the next time what accomodations you need. I know I had to get bloodtests for Clozaril every week when I was on that medication and I had a very good lab technician who would try some standard relaxation techniques such as having me count from 10 downwards or speaking to me the whole time it was done so I didn't pass out and because I wasn't tense I hardly even noticed the actual blood test and did not feel pain.