Strip search?

I wonder how often people are strip searched when hospitalized for suicidal tendencies.

A lot of my trauma in my life had to do with forcible nudity and similar such things. I think if I was ever forced into hospitalization and they tried to force me to strip I would likely snap and maybe turn violent and I am NOT a violent person but I would absolutely never ever in a million years obey someone who was telling me to strip in front of them without a fight.

I am also sure that if this were to happen to me I would take my next chance, because if that is what "help" looks like then I don't want to be helped.

I read horror stories online left and right about how people are treated in inpatient. I wonder if anyone has been hospitalized for suicidal thoughts and NOT been violated?

Extra helpful if you had an experience in Canada.

I am asking because I have come to trust my T enough to be open about my suicidal ideation, but I do wonder sometimes just how open I should be, if he springs a sudden sectioning onto me I want to know what might happen.

Also, if T feels the need to commit you, how do they force you? Would he, himself physically restrain me if I tried to run?

I am in the USA, I have been hospitalized at at least 6 different facilities. I have had only one of those where they did a skin check. The others did not. I was hospitalized for suicidal ideation. I don't know how it is in Canada. I hope if you need help you'll ask for something at least. I would say if you are fearful of doing a strip search that you discuss that with your T. Hopefully T will know which ones or can call before you go. At least you'll know that way. It will also help the T to give you the best care.

You deserve the best care!!

I'm in the USA as well, and like puzzclar, I've never been strip searched when being hospitalized. They do, however, bring me scrubs or a gown and ask me to remove all of my clothes and put on what they've given me. In once instance (out of more than 10) I do remember a hospital staff member having to be present as I changed, but she just faced the door (not me) and grabbed my clothes as I lay them on the bed and put them into a belongings bag.

As was suggested by puzzclar, please do not let this stop you from asking for help if you need it. You've come to trust your T enough to talk about your suicidal ideation, so would it be possible to trust him enough to explain that you cannot handle a strip search if inpatient treatment is recommended?

Is a skin check just arms and legs? And was it just once or over and over again?



OH! and add watching me go to the bathroom to my concerns!

I hear they sometimes watch you nonstop sometimes when you are first committed, including while you go to the bathroom? Literally I would die first. No way... I'll have nightmares just thinking about that. That is also something that kind of "happened" that is all im saying about that.

I'm in Canada, and psych hospitals/wards are no where near as bad as the horror stories you here.\

I've been IP 3 times, and never been strip searched, the most they've done is gone over my body with one of those metal scanner devices that they use at airports. But all my IP stays have been at the same place, so I'm not sure about other places.

They will however probably search your luggage if you have any for any sharps which they'll hold on to, until you're discharged.

In Canada, it's kind of hard to be committed. I don't know if your T is a psychologist or a psychiatrist, if your T is a psychologist they can't force you to to IP.

You can only be involuntarily committed with the signatures of 2 MD/s. And they will only admit you if they believe you are an immediate threat to yourself or others Suicidal ideation on it's own, is not normally enough to be hospitalized unless you were acting in other ways to harm yourself.

If your T is not an MD, and they thought you were an immediate danger to yourself, they would call 911 and the police would come. They''d interview you, and if they agreed with the T, they can take you into custody under the mental health act and take you to a hospital for evaluation, but that's kind of worse case scenario.

If you have any questions feel free to pm me

splitimage

splitimage, thank you so much that is very comforting. My t is a registered psychotherapist not an MD. So I probably don't have anything to worry about. I'm certainly not going to go in there saying I'm going to do this right here and now, so it seems unlikely to happen.

The skin check was as I undressed into scrubs and there was two people of the same gender present.

In the bathrooms, there are no cameras. That would be an invasion of privacy. If you are on a fall risk then they may have to be there. I have seen some have to be one on one but those are extreme cases. If you go voluntarily then you reduce those chances of being extreme. Extreme cases happen, usually those who are psychotic, in danger of hurting another, or medically necessary.

I hope this helps.

For me, gender doesnt matter in these situations. Male, female, either way it is a human violating me. And two people would be twice as upsetting as one person.

Example, I can cope with pelvic exams but they I need them to be professional and, idk, not personal... too much detail to fully go into here.

Anyway, I don't really care if the doc is male or female, as long as they dont do anything weird.

BUT after having a pelvic with a man I now will only allow a female to exam me. Not because the doc being a man bothered me, but because suddenly, as he was about to do the exam, a female nurse walked in. No one consulted me about this. I assume it is just their safety precautions against false accusations on either side, which I understand.

BUT having two people in there made me FAR more uncomfortable. Doesn't matter that the second person was female. Now there are two people witnessing me in a position that I want to be as private as possible.

Anyway, seems unlikely I will be hospitalized. My T is no a MD, and the most I would say in therapy is that I have been having urges lately. I would never share honest immediate intention.

And thankfully with the healthcare system here they want to spend as little as possible, so I should be safe. Thank goodness!

The hospital I used routinely does a skin check upon admission, at least it did in the past because it was a hospital that also took in chemical dependency patients so they were also checking for hidden drug paraphernalia (they've since created different units for different issues so this may have changed somewhat). Basically, there were two people (a nurse and a tech - both same gender as patient) who check for scars, bruises, wounds, etc. You are in a hospital gown and they check exposed skin first. Then, one body area at a time, keeping everything else still covered - so, they might uncover a shoulder and re-cover it; then the other shoulder and re-cover it. Yes, a very quick check of chest (but really, they were very quick about it and as respectful of privacy and dignity as possible under the circumstances), etc. In fact, they would ask in advance if I had anything they might notice so that it was as quick as possible. No, not fun, obviously awkward, but it wasn't like I had to stand there entirely naked or anything.

I was in the hospital 20 times as a teenager once as an adult. 6 different hospitals. All of those times they did skin tests and did other weird stuff like made you squat and cough. Shits crazy where I live.

I have spent several years in-hospital, unfortunately. I was in the highest security facility in my state. A quite famous hospital. Books and movies made about it. So on. Anyhoo, I had to undress in front of about 6 people and then shower and put on scrubs when I was first admitted. Not a pleasant experience. But there were some super-dangerous people on this ward where I was, so they were probably being extra cautious about people bringing potential weapons in to the hospital.

I am so sorry. That is horrific.

Thank you. I got through it. It was all new to me. Writing this book about that hospitalization is proving somewhat cathartic and possibly therapeutic, so there's always that. What doesn't, you know, makes us stronger? Or something.