When I came home from work, she was sitting on the back porch steps, crying.
Another friend was sitting next to her, arms draped around her shaking shoulders, trying to understand the words in between her hiccuped sobs.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, even though I knew this wasn’t just a normal bout of tears. Julie (not her real name) had been crying the entire day. When I left for work she had been sobbing in the bathroom, and (I learned later) had turned on the shower to muffle the sound of her emotion from the rest of the house so no one would come and check on her. No one knew how long she had stayed like that, melted to the bathroom floor, clutching a towel to her chest, the shower running hot and humid whenever she felt she was getting too loud. It’s possible she had been there for 8 hours.
I bent down in front of her, dropping my bag and holding her cold hands in mine. “Do you want to go somewhere?” I asked, noticing how tiny her usually buoyant frame seemed. “Somewhere where you can just relax and not have to worry about anything?”
“Yes,” she whispered without hesitation.
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Site last updated: 19 May 2013
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Great, GREAT blog. Thank you.
Great article. Also, if your loved or friend is unable to go with you to the E.R., due to agitation, racing thoughts where they cannot comply with directions, or are experiencing hallucinations, whatever, that places them or you at risk on the way to the E.R. and it would be unsafe to provide transportation in an auto, simply call 911.
Great story…if only all Hospitals were like this…my home city’s hospital is certainly NOT like this at all. The ED staff treat you like you are just trying to get attention and you pretty much get left alone to fend for yourself, wneh you really need to be watched. Another town i lived in for 3 years though and also another city that i visited briefly had excellent service, both of those places had someone with you so you could explain and you really did fell safe, with everyone being kind and supportive. So i have experience both a positive hospital ED setting and a really negative ED setting.
I’ve been there. Four times admitted. Got nowhere but worse. Years later now..same damn boat. The ‘industry’ is a joke. There’s no real help.
Great. So, the ER can save your life, but you lose your job because you’ve been admitted. Then you’re worse off than before. Why can’t they just treat you as an outpatient?
I tried this in Portland. Had been crying and not eaten in 4 days and was new to the city so had no friends. 6 months i moved here from FL and tried desperately to fit in and make friends — no luck. I swallowed my pride and walked into an ER here in Portland OR. Told the lady that I really need to see the staff psychiatrist for possible depression. Advised not eating and really need and desperate to talk to sort this out. She rolled her eyes at me and gave me an 800 number to call. Called them from the parking and the lady literally read from a script. Suicide was attempted 3 days later. Never in life had I ever felt depressed until moving to Portland. Been trying to escape back to FL the past month but jobs have not been biting.