Psych ward question?

Question

Has anyone here worn a straitjacket in the psych ward, or for some other reason against their will? I need to conduct an interview about the use of straitjackets as restraints in hospitals, police custody, etc. Anyone have experiences they'd like to share?

Answer 1

Typically you just get heavily sedated

Answer 2

No very rarely do people get put in straight jackets these days,

i worked in a psychiatric ward and when people were out of control they were put in a room with just a mattress and no things like chairs etc. so they could not harm themselves and were checked on every 10 minutes until they were deemed not to be a harm to themselves or others.

Before psychoanalysis and psychiatric medications, mental health was largely a mystery. Doctors did not know how to treat the symptoms of disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders. As a result, doctors attempted a variety of treatments that seem cruel by modern standards.

Answer 3

I worked at a mental hospital for five years and I never saw a straitjacket like they had in the old days.

They had restraint and seclusion if somebody got really out of control.

Seclusion was when they would put the patient in a little room alone. They had a window where the staff could see what was going on.

If necessary, they could be strapped to a bed.

There were very stict time limits about how long anyone could be kept in restraint or seclusion. It could be considered abuse if we ever went past the time limits. Only the psychiatrist could order how long somebody would remain in restraints or seclusion.

They also had a kind of leather partial restraint which restricted arm movement a little.

Another thing they did was give a combative patient an injection of Prolixin (antipsychotic) or Ativan (anti anxiety). That was several years ago, so those drugs aren't used very often anymore. I'm not sure if they still do that or if they use different drugs now.  

Answer 4

Nope.  No expeience.

Answer 5

I was a voluntary admission in a mental hospital and my roommate asked to be put in a strait jacket to see if he could get out.They let him try it on and as I recall he didn't get anywhere with it...the whole thing creeped me out...

Answer 6

I've been in three mental hospitals, in all three restraints were used too often to the point of being cruel.  I've been in "glove" restraints many times.  (They're like pillowy punching gloves that are strapped on you in a way that you can't get them off.  They cut off circulation and hurt.)  In countless cases the patient did not need to be in restraints, a lot of the time they just needed someone to talk them through an attack they're having or needed some time to rage and calm down in a seclusion room.  There was excessive violence used by the staff.  

These were all adolescent wards, by the way.  If you want to know more, email me.