Feb
06
2010
I Have A Friend Who’s Extremely Depressed And Would Like To Be “sent Away”?
Posted by: Alan in Alcohol Counseling, tags: "sent, Away", Depressed, Extremely, Friend, Have, Like, Who's, Would
It would take too long to explain her situation, but she’s in an unhealthy environment. She’s 23… her mom kicked her out, she doesn’t know her dad and she’s staying somewhere that’s bringing her down. I’m watching her slowly kill herself by numbing the pain with alcohol and drugs. She admitted to me the other day that she thinks she needs to be “sent away” but I can’t think of a place she could go. She doesn’t have any money, so she can’t pay for hospitilization. Does anyone know of a place for people like her to go and get help? Like… a home where they’ll counsel you. I don’t know… I’m just so worried about her and I don’t know where to turn.
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February 6th, 2010 at 3:45 am
Contact your county health department. There are programs that can help. It might take a little time to get into one, but they are there.
February 6th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Take her into the ER and talk to one of the nurses. Explain her situation, they should be able to help you. Good luck, and I wish her well.
February 6th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Yes there is help. She has to be REALLY serious about it because she is going to have to wait on it. I work in an ER and see people like like this constantly. If they are SERIOUS they can get help. Do you think she is serious or just telling you what you want to hear? Going to the ER should be a last resort, because she will be treated the worst. It takes FOREVER. Try calling any inpatient psychiatric or substance abuse facility. They would be your best bet to hook her up with help and get her started. She has to understand that it took her years to probably get this screwed up so no answers will come instantly. If she is not serious about getting help the people in these facilities are trained to figure this out and she will be turned away. There is a very limited number of beds for people with resources much less someone with no money. So the facilities who take care of people with no money or insurance aren’t about to waste their time on someone who isn’t ready for help. If she is ready for help then no amount of waiting or red tape should matter. She should be willing to wait. Good luck.
February 6th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Yes! Are you in the US? Try your county health department. If not in the US, go to the local unit of government or a hospital emergency room. The point is that there is help available for those who cannot pay.
Please tell her that this pain can be temporary if you and she can figure out how to get her the help she needs. Right now she needs the help you can giv eher by finding it for her. Whether it is medication, counseling, relief from the bad environment, or all three, she certainly needs a change. The alcohol and drugs are self-medication. If she has said that to you, it is a cry for help, and it’s wonderful of you to respond.
If you cannot find it by calling your local unit of government, ask at a church or school so they can help you find the right connection. Again in the US, many localities have 211 service, which is like 911 but for this type of situation. You might try dialing 211 on your phone and see if that gets you anywhere.
Good luck to you both. There IS help out there!
February 6th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
If you contact Nami(National alliance for the mentally ill) they can give you local resources that she can use. There is a web site Nami.org and that can give you local contacts..it should be in your area as it is a national organization.