serious: the hell that i just went through at Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute

[Derka 5861]

the people in there are truly suffering. is there anything we can do, at all, to hold these people accountable and affect any sort of real change? this video only scratches the surface of my latest experience inside of a “mental health facility”, here in the great state of Texas. is there anything that can be done to shut down a place like this? to hold them accountable?

link to their website:

https://www.georgetownbehavioral.com/?utm_source=localiq&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=semgeorgetownbehavioral&scid=4049611&cid=4581517&tc=CjwKCAjwqre1BhAqEiwA7g9QhjxuF0etamJUgbTgEim2czuf29x4aiaNnS8O5hGwLnctheEH-WeRLBoCkG4QAvD_BwE&rl_key=30cc5258620da0a03f94d210ff73a149&kw=39392381&pub_cr_id=614501690840&dynamic_proxy=1&primary_serv=www.georgetownbehavioral.com&device=m&network=g&targetid=kwd-309526203498&loc_physical_ms=9028263&rl_retarget=1&rl_track_landing_pages=1

Edited August 3 by Derka

[Handcruser 2805]

Man you got to break up that vid into reels.

[TwiceHorn 31088]

I'm sorry that happened to you.

I'm going to guess, though, that that is more representative of the state of mental healthcare in Texas and the US than not.

I believe there are private-pay-only psychiatric hospitals that have at least an ostensibly higher standard of care.  Places that charge on the order of 1,000/day, plus.  A rate which only the pretty wealthy can sustain and I bet they don't have enough private-pay patients to offset the low-rate "public" patients and raise the standard of care.

But, because that place accepts statutory mental health holds, for which no one but the state pays, it's scraping the bottom of the barrel for docs, nurses, and staff.

We, as a nation, abolished state hospitals and asylums for conditions like this.  But the private sector hasn't much improved on the situation.

On the other hand, being a staff member in a psych hospital has to be very challenging.  Not that this necessarily applies to you, but the people in there are fucking nuts and they can't possibly and shouldn't address every behavior and insane request from their patients. Differentiating those with legitimate complaints and requests from those making crazy and drug-seeking requests is too tall an order for them.  It takes talented, dedicated, and rare staff to deal with that and remain compassionate.

Out of curiosity, why are you prescribed benzos?  Benzos are a controversial drug as far as efficacy and tend to be prescribed only for short-term use, and then sparingly because of addictive potential and the withdrawal you mention.  I am aware that you have "been through it" psychiatrically and probably "tried everything," but long-term prescription of benzos raises my eyebrows quite a bit.  I am not a medical doctor, however.

[billfromlaketravis 11330]

Glad you’re home. I’ll leave it there. 

[Nivek 16772]

Sorry to hear that. I heard from people who worked for a mental health care facility and they commented on the apathy of the workers and their borderline cruelty. Also in Texas about 25 years ago.

[Armybrat 40648]

22 minutes ago, Nivek said:

Sorry to hear that. I heard from people who worked for a mental health care facility and they commented on the apathy of the workers and their borderline cruelty. Also in Texas about 25 years ago.

My brother worked as a night shift attendant 48 hours/week on the criminal ward at the Austin State Hospital 1959-1961.
He also did a few turns in the hospital  ward. Plus he was a full time UT student.
He has quite a few horror stories to tell about those times. 
He was not the type you describe.

[Herbie Hancock 7296]

These facilities are staffed with the same type of people that nursing homes and long term care/rehab facilities are staffed with. When you have incompetent and under qualified people working in an understaffed environment you end up with a revolving door apathetic employees. Anyone worth a damn moves onward and upward, and the ones that suck stick around because they can’t meet the standards elsewhere or are too lazy to do so.

[Pato del Muerto 52239]

And they end up resenting the patients, which affects the level of care. 

[Macklemore 2905]

The only private psychiatric hospital worth a damn in Texas is the Menninger Clinic in Houston. They don’t take insurance and you have to pay $20K a a week. We don’t give a damn about mental health in this country.

[fattyflattie 4636]

1 hour ago, Macklemore said:

$20K a a week.

… my god 

[Derka 5861]

4 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Out of curiosity, why are you prescribed benzos? 

at first i was prescribed ativan for anxiety over 20 years ago. i went to drug rehab in 2009 to safely get off my meds and start over, which lasted about a year before i developed (acquired?) myoclonic epilepsy:

aka “myoclonic jerks”. i will have the occasional jerk during the daytime, but at its worst the condition prevents me from ever falling asleep, instead leaving me feeling like i have electricity pulsing through my veins and causing painful, repeated muscle spasms throughout my body as i try to fall asleep. the worst bout i had kept me awake for 32 hours. that was in 2010 and i’ve been on benzos ever since. as you alluded to, i tend to have bad reactions to most drugs, and it’s hard to find drugs that work. that said, part of my outpatient treatment plan is to scale back and eventually get off of the ativan.

[Derka 5861]

2 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

And they end up resenting the patients, which affects the level of care. 

god this was so evident with a few of the people there. just showing up to work mad and taking it out on the patients. like i said, it’s an absolute madhouse in there, so i get it, but damn- you can’t do doordash? favor? only fans? working at these places and being part of the cycle of misery has got to be a terrible life.

[Nivek 16772]

These facilities are staffed with the same type of people that nursing homes and long term care/rehab facilities are staffed with. When you have incompetent and under qualified people working in an understaffed environment you end up with a revolving door apathetic employees. Anyone worth a damn moves onward and upward, and the ones that suck stick around because they can’t meet the standards elsewhere or are too lazy to do so.

Good point. My mom did admin work at a nursing home. She didn’t much care for the nurses and orderlies and would comment on how often the elderly were missing jewelry and watches soon after arriving.

[TwiceHorn 31088]

18 minutes ago, Derka said:

god this was so evident with a few of the people there. just showing up to work mad and taking it out on the patients. like i said, it’s an absolute madhouse in there, so i get it, but damn- you can’t do doordash? favor? only fans? working at these places and being part of the cycle of misery has got to be a terrible life.

Adding to this, I think it takes a special sort to be a good psychiatrist, psychologist, psych nurse, or even staffer, especially in the acute care setting.

I'm guessing that a lot of staff, even semi-trained staff short of full-on RNs and to include doctors, are not those type of people.  They may not be bad people or even bad doctors/nurses/caretakers, but the psych arena just doesn't suit them and they get worn out and worn down and apathetic.

Even in the area of being an amateur working with drunks and addicts on a part-time, non-professional basis can be pretty exhausting.

[Deej 76401]

"Luckily, I have cat-like speed and reflexes..."

I'm dying. 

[Texzilla588 767]

My grandmother worked at the State School outside Mexia for about 20 years as a night attendant until about 1970. She could have a short temper. She didn’t talk much about it but I can’t imagine the place which I believe was a dumping ground for all kinds of poor kids with a variety of mental problems.

For all the talk these days about mental health and recognizing it, it’s really just a dumping ground for Big Pharma and employers giving extra days off to avoid real benefits.

[Texzilla588 767]

My boss had a meeting with some investor dude. The guy is basically buying failed hospitals and turning them into plush cash only drug rehab joints focusing on folks in critical High paying jobs that cannot risk exposure. Gets anywhere $20 to 30k a month drying out pilots, doctors, politicians, biz execs, etc. Fucking shame. He also makes money with lesser joints providing court mandated and paid for drug rehab. If you’re in the middle you’re fucked.

[Bevo 13468]

As someone who treats adults with intellectual disabilities, I can tell you that it can be challenging. The caregivers get shitty pay and the work is beyond difficult. It takes a special person to do it with a passion for decades. So, most of the caregivers are short-timers who don't put in the effort. I can imagine that mental health facilities are somewhat similar. Most of the capable personnel move on to better jobs. I'm sure there are some with a passion to help the mentally ill, but I am equally sure that there are many unmotivated workers.

[Gil Bang 25843]

19 hours ago, Derka said:

the people in there are truly suffering. is there anything we can do, at all, to hold these people accountable and affect any sort of real change? this video only scratches the surface of my latest experience inside of a “mental health facility”, here in the great state of Texas. is there anything that can be done to shut down a place like this? to hold them accountable?

link to their website:

https://www.georgetownbehavioral.com/?utm_source=localiq&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=semgeorgetownbehavioral&scid=4049611&cid=4581517&tc=CjwKCAjwqre1BhAqEiwA7g9QhjxuF0etamJUgbTgEim2czuf29x4aiaNnS8O5hGwLnctheEH-WeRLBoCkG4QAvD_BwE&rl_key=30cc5258620da0a03f94d210ff73a149&kw=39392381&pub_cr_id=614501690840&dynamic_proxy=1&primary_serv=www.georgetownbehavioral.com&device=m&network=g&targetid=kwd-309526203498&loc_physical_ms=9028263&rl_retarget=1&rl_track_landing_pages=1

I doubt that this video will accomplish anything.  Reach out to a state rep, or a congressman.  You've probably got shitty versions of both, so reach out to their opponents in the next election.    

Edited August 4 by Gil Bang

[Snake Diggity 4607]

officespacethatsmessedup.gif
 

That sounds like a nightmare for everybody involved (workers, patients, loved ones of patients).

If someone at that place broke the law, contact an attorney or the police.  Making a YouTube video is extremely unlikely to make any difference.

Good luck to you.

[tx 3 putt 75959]

@Derka I hope you find the help you need and back on a path to peace 

 

[HenryJames 65852]

You had me at the first 30 seconds.

[tx 3 putt 75959]

2 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

@Derka I hope you find the help you need and back on a path to peace 

 

 

forgot to add only knowing here and what not, I've always thought you were good guy 

some demons bite more than others. 

Edited August 5 by tx 3 putt

[Muny_Tex 290]

Man I hate this.  I'm glad you are safe/secure now, but also very sorry to know you're still a ways away from fully healed recovery.  

I will always root/pray/wish for you and your mom, and hope that someday somehow someway yall can find the peace, stability, and better future you both deserve.

I know you're not suicidal right now, but still owe it to yourself to reflect (and/or write down) all the reasons you have to be alive....even if it's centered around aiming for better tomorrow. 

It often darkest before the dawn, so just stay the course, remain true to yourself, loyal to your mom, and trust that all of this eventually shall pass.

 

 

Edited August 5 by Muny_Tex

[Derka 5861]

6 minutes ago, Muny_Tex said:

It often darkest before the dawn

i read this as, “it is often derkaest before the dawn”, and i feel that the sentiment still remains.

all jokes aside i appreciate your kind words, and i plan to continue to work hard and seek happiness and fulfillment in my life. words like yours make a difference. thank you. 🤘🏼 

[TwiceHorn 31088]

10 hours ago, Derka said:

i read this as, “it is often derkaest before the dawn”, and i feel that the sentiment still remains.

all jokes aside i appreciate your kind words, and i plan to continue to work hard and seek happiness and fulfillment in my life. words like yours make a difference. thank you. 🤘🏼 

Godspeed, friendo!

[Bevo 13468]

 

Speaking with a psychiatrist, inpatient acute mental care is all about alleviating a crisis. Its goal is suicide intervention and short-term prevention. It isn't intended for any meaningful long-term treatment. That requires regular treatment from a psychiatrist/psychologist. Based on that, I figured that they would load the patient up on haldol or lithium or some such on admission.

[Blotto 23366]

On 8/3/2024 at 1:39 PM, Derka said:

i will have the occasional jerk during the daytime

[TwiceHorn 31088]

30 minutes ago, Bevo said:

 

Speaking with a psychiatrist, inpatient acute mental care is all about alleviating a crisis. Its goal is suicide intervention and short-term prevention. It isn't intended for any meaningful long-term treatment. That requires regular treatment from a psychiatrist/psychologist. Based on that, I figured that they would load the patient up on haldol or lithium or some such on admission.

Yeah, the ideal I suppose would be to stabilize the patient to include medication management.  The reality probably just means trying to keep them in a semi-safe environment for the statutory period and to hell with everything else, including doping up on anti-psychotics.

[YChang 3425]

Do you work with a regular therapist Derka? 

[Thatguy 8395]

 Big Dawg, awhile back my daughter had some struggles and we checked her into one of those facilities. The conditions were awful and they treated her like a convict. Needless to say we checked her out after a few days, we wouldn't let her go the full week. After that we got her some help and she is still seeing a therapist today. From what I've seen on the outside looking in get yourself a therapist and stay diligent with sessions.

 

[Derka 5861]

52 minutes ago, YChang said:

Do you work with a regular therapist Derka? 

yeah, i’ve been in weekly therapy since 2009. unfortunately i’ve had three amazing therapists who all eventually moved away so now i’m on my fourth one. creating that bond with your therapist over years of sharing your best, worst, lowest, most private, intimate moments with someone only to have them move away and have the rules say that you’re both cut off from contact forever sucks.  it therapy is too important for me to stop going. it’s helped me and changed my life more than any medical doctor or facility ever has.

[Deej 76401]

1 minute ago, Derka said:

 i’ve had three amazing therapists who all eventually moved away 

You should have just followed them. 

[Brisketexan 104239]

12 hours ago, Derka said:

i read this as, “it is often derkaest before the dawn”, and i feel that the sentiment still remains.

1) Derka, I hope that you end up on a viable path to recovery/management of your condition.  I'm betting that nobody around here wishes you anything but peace, and I'd love you to find it.  You have a good heart.

2) If “it is often derkaest before the dawn” doesn't become a regular Surly term, I will be very, very, very disappointed in this site and the universe in general.

[Thatguy 8395]

9 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

1) Derka, I hope that you end up on a viable path to recovery/management of your condition.  I'm betting that nobody around here wishes you anything but peace, and I'd love you to find it.  You have a good heart.

2) If “it is often derkaest before the dawn” doesn't become a regular Surly term, I will be very, very, very disappointed in this site and the universe in general.

I've talked shit with Derka since 08. I said this back on the banhammer thread, but this place wouldn't be the same without him. Sure, we all get heated and argue until we are blue in the face, but it's all love and we are like a big family.

[Deej 76401]

1 minute ago, Thatguy said:

I've talked shit with Derka since 08. I said this back on the banhammer thread, but this place wouldn't be the same without him. Sure, we all get heated and argue until we are blue in the face, but it's all love and we are like a big family.

What are the chances the facility employees he interacted with regularly post on the basketball board? 

[NorthLoop 14053]

10 minutes ago, Deej said:

What are the chances the facility employees he interacted with regularly post on the basketball board? 

Derka you gotta watch out who you posterize at the park. 

 

This 

 

Turns into this

[Derka 5861]

1 hour ago, NorthLoop said:

Derka you gotta watch out who you posterize at the park. 

 

This 

 

Turns into this

lol that’s perfect.

[Vegas64 655]

"Luckily, I have cat-like reflexes" sent me.

[mchookem 15887]

hope you're feeling better...getting temporarily permanently banned from surly ain't worth it! 🤘

 

[Vegas64 655]

17 minutes ago, Vegas64 said:

"Luckily, I have cat-like reflexes" sent me.

Should have read the whole thread first. Someone else saw it immediately as well haha.

[40acredropout 2901]

On 8/5/2024 at 1:54 PM, Derka said:

i’ve had three amazing therapists who all eventually moved away so now i’m on my fourth one.

Shaggybevo, shaggytexas, surlyhorns… what was the one I’m missing?

Kidding.  I’m sorry for what you went through… seems incredibly unfair and inhumane.  Happy to see that you seem to be doing better now though.  I hope this thread offers you some tangible evidence that there are a lot of internet strangers (assholes) who are rooting for you to find the peace and happiness that you’ve been looking for. I know it’s probably been a long and exhausting journey but anybody who has paid attention can see how far you’ve come.  Keep fighting for us, for your mom (she seems amazing and I’m glad that you have her), but most importantly- for yourself.   You deserve it.  You’re a good guy Derka.  

[chainsaw 9815]

You know what pisses me off? Derka is not even some drug addict panhandling along Manchac and Ben White aggressively catcalling people or breaking into homes. Unlike hundreds of people suffering mental illness in the Austin area, there are still people in Derka's life who are there for him and are trying to the right thing for him.

The people in Derka's life trusted Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute because his problem had gotten to a point that ordinary people cannot adequately address it. Professional help was required, and someone cared enough to try and put Derka in the hands of specially trained people with the resources to adequately address Derka's problem (whatever it was).

If Derka's to be believed, Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute abused that trust, not by accident but as a matter of routine. That is fucked up. I've got no reason to doubt Derka either. I don't think the problems with Georgetown Behavioral Health Institute would be solved by replacing one or two "bad apples," and I'm not going to touch the Nigeria stuff, but the impression I get is that the problems are going to be related to profit-seeking behavior if it's a private enterprise or accountability-dodging behavior if it's some kind of government agency that has built a culture of laziness and indifference.

I really hope the other facilities you mentioned having had experience with are better equipped to help people who are in need. I just wanted to say how much your story pissed me off and I'll keep it in mind the next time someone casually suggests that simply rounding up vagrants and placing them on involuntary psych holds will magically fix the systemic nationwide problem of mental health crises. It will not always be more "humane" than jail. (No, I'm not advocating jailing them either).

Hope you find justice, and even more I hope and I think we all hope you find a better, sustainable, and permanent solution to the problems you were dealing with before going there.

[Derka 5861]

first off thank you for that, that kind of response/empathy/commiseration means more than you know. and you really pin pointed one of the major issues that most folks don’t think about- my mom, psychiatrist, therapist, and friends all want to help me, and i want to help myself, and these are my options. there are no actual real-time solutions.

my mom is still messed up. just earlier today she was visibly upset and still apologizing to me (of course i’ve told her repeatedly that she was just trying to do what she thought would help me), but she can’t help but see how different i’ve been since i’ve come out of that place, and (at times) she’s still wrought with guilt from her decision to try and help me.

beyond that, a common refrain that i’ve hopelessly/helplessly expressed throughout the years is that, “everyone else who’s sick has a place to go when they get sick- their doctor, a pharmacy, the ER, the hospital- there is something out there that’s designed to take care of them when they get the flu, when their blood sugar drops, when they have an ibs flare up, etc. but i don’t have any such place.” there is no place for people like me to go when i haven’t gotten real sleep in over a month and now my mental illness is “flaring” as i call it. i can either try and ride it out at home/in public where i may genuinely be a threat to myself and others, or i can check myself into some place where ill be taken off my meds, mistreated, neglected, and then released in 7-10 days worse off than i was before. those are my options. 

hinestly, i take great pride in how far i’ve come, as well as the fact that i’ve never quit trying to improve myself and my life, considering what my life has been like, and the obstacles that i still face daily. i really am proud to have grown this much, and it means a lot to me when someone here mentions they’ve noticed. so thank you again for that. 🤘🏼 

Edited August 7 by Derka

[52-80 19047]

On 8/3/2024 at 6:59 PM, Macklemore said:

The only private psychiatric hospital worth a damn in Texas is the Menninger Clinic in Houston. They don’t take insurance and you have to pay $20K a a week. We don’t give a damn about mental health in this country.

a mil a year?

brb, gonna start a psychiatric hospital and charging half the rate.

[royiv 9124]

15 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

a mil a year?

brb, gonna start a psychiatric hospital and charging half the rate.

Get ready to lose your ass. Providing proper mental health care in an inpatient setting is incredibly expensive and resource heavy. That’s part of the reason it’s so shitty in this country. We treat it like a profit center for an acute episode rather than treating the patient properly and recognizing the long term benefits to society of good mental health.

[sidis 9686]

On 8/3/2024 at 11:59 AM, Macklemore said:

The only private psychiatric hospital worth a damn in Texas is the Menninger Clinic in Houston. They don’t take insurance and you have to pay $20K a a week. We don’t give a damn about mental health in this country.

ahhh, the 1981 omnibus budget reconciliation act.

what an unfortunate and shameful moment in our history.

very sorry to hear about all this, derka. here's hoping you can find a good stable rhythm in your life. keep your head up and keep plowing forward the best you can.

i had to get a suicidal in-law professional help last year and we first tried rock springs in georgetown and it was pretty horrible. got him over to sage in manor and it was a bit better but cost $24K for a few weeks. really unfortunate and that exposure to this realm is decidedly depressing in its own right.

Edited August 7 by sidis

[52-80 19047]

22 minutes ago, royiv said:

Get ready to lose your ass. Providing proper mental health care in an inpatient setting is incredibly expensive and resource heavy. That’s part of the reason it’s so shitty in this country. We treat it like a profit center for an acute episode rather than treating the patient properly and recognizing the long term benefits to society of good mental health.

if $20k/wk is threshold for acceptable care while still not-profit-yielding... whos gonna bear that cost

[royiv 9124]

Just now, 52-80 said:

if $20k/wk is threshold for acceptable care while still not-profit-yielding... whos gonna bear that cost

All of us should bear it as members of society. We waste an immense amount of money treating mental health in the wrong venue (ERs, corrections, VA safety net, policing) and with the wrong people (police, corrrections officers). We need to redirect those dollars and resources to appropriately addressing acute mental health crises and then proving supportive care to make sure that people are receiving the services they need to be successful. The societal benefits for doing this are immense.

[Derka 5861]

10 minutes ago, royiv said:

All of us should bear it as members of society. We waste an immense amount of money treating mental health in the wrong venue (ERs, corrections, VA safety net, policing) and with the wrong people (police, corrrections officers). We need to redirect those dollars and resources to appropriately addressing acute mental health crises and then proving supportive care to make sure that people are receiving the services they need to be successful. The societal benefits for doing this are immense.

couldn’t have said it better. and one of those societal benefits? a huge portion of the mentally ill population who currently (and rightfully) distrust the system and don’t want to comply with their doctors or take their meds would suddenly become willing to accept care and then in turn would gain actual knowledge, skills, and the ambition to improve themselves. before you know it we’ve got thousands upon thousands of sick people getting the help they need and becoming contributing members of their lives and society in general. wouldn’t that be something.

Edited August 7 by Derka