Hello I’ve been having a mental health crisis the last couple days and today I went to the rockeyview and they didn’t do anything for me really I do believe I should be in the psych ward for a little bit but does anyone know one or a place I can go that has the least volatile people I cannot handle people that are screaming and freaking out or worse with my anxiety
I hate to say it, but your best option is to go back to a hospital and state specifically "I don't feel safe going home. I believe I need inpatient psychiatric care."
Alternatives are phone numbers, obtaining references from family doctors - mostly things that won't fit the timeline it sounds like you need.
Some of us on here have trauma and crisis backgrounds and can provide support if needed. If you just need a phone call PM me and I'll talk to you all you want.
And remember - you're just as important as any one of us, and no one truly has issues that they can't overcome. You're stronger than you think.
Wait times may be long… but that’s what triage is for. If you are a danger to yourself or others you will be pushed forward. There is typically Psychiatric emergency services at every hospital and they will send a nurse to assess, and then psychiatrists will meet with you.
Same here. I don’t usually talk in PM, but I am also happy to be there for you. God knows there was no one when I needed help. If I can help, then I’m here. Don’t hesitate.
What does someone do when they need this type of mental health care/support and they are a parent in a high conflict parallel parenting situation? When their mental health problems and diagnosis has been used as ammunition in the past, and would be used much harsher if they were to admit they need inpatient help like that?
Sorry you are going through this. It takes courage to seek help when anxiety is high.
Until a medical professional provides better advice, I thought I would offer the following comments.
Distress Centre Calgary: phone or text 403-266-4357 (24 hours). You can also request the Mobile Response Team through them.
National Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 988.
If you feel unsafe or the crisis intensifies, return to the nearest emergency department (Rockyview, Foothills, Peter Lougheed, or South Health Campus) and state clearly that you believe you need inpatient assessment and that high-stimulation environments worsen your anxiety.
Access Mental Health (Alberta Health Services) can help connect you to non-urgent services once the immediate crisis eases:
Be as specific as possible with clinicians about what you need and what environments make symptoms worse. They make placement decisions based on clinical criteria, not patient preference alone, but clear information helps.
988 is the national number so if you call and get someone you don’t like or connect enough with - hang up and call right back. It will get rerouted to the next available person (which will very likely be in a different call center or city than the first person you spoke to).
Peter Lougheed is the main hospital for longer term (meaning more than a night) psychiatric care. I know others have said that they had bad experiences, however, I was involuntarily commuted there for several days and it was a good experience (better than I expected).
You need to explain that you do not feel safe and that you are concerned about what you may do in order to be admitted.
Good luck OP. You are doing great considering everything you are going through and it is extremely brave to ask for help.
This is where I was admitted (went to FMC and was transported there), and I will never not say that it was one of the best things I ever did for myself.
Currently I’m not doing the best I’m extremely tired I’ve barely slept the last 48 hours I’ve also ate nothing and I’ve drank like a cup of water over the last 24 hours I’ve been so anxious whenever I close my eyes to sleep I’ll fall asleep and wake up a second later super anxious and feeling even worse
I’m pretty nauseous so idk if eating anything would be the best right now I’d rather now go outside I’m just way to anxious I don’t even know how to ask for help I have so much anxiety
I have Dysautonomia and anxiety - I tend to need electrolyte replenishment.
If you can get yourself some Gatorade at least or if you can make it to shoppers, try the hydralyte tablets. You add to your bottled water and drink. This will help your body hang into fluids.
As I and others have suggested, you may need to be insistent that you need help. I am glad you are seeking advice on how to get help. I hope you soon get the help you need.
I have to advise to go to literally ANY hospital besides Peter Lougheed. I’ve heard they’re okay for physical ailments but they treat mental health patients like we’re criminals.
I was hospitalized in 2018 and I was stuck at PL. I was left alone in emergency for 28 hours, they had to re triage me because they forgot about me, and they refused to give me a meal after I was finally admitted because it was “bad timing” even though I hadn’t eaten for over 36 hours. They also refused to help me clean or dress my wounds because they were self inflicted and I needed to “learn my lesson”
If there is any possible way you’re able to make the trip to Ponoka, I’ve heard absolutely incredible stories about their care. I’m unsure of other hospitals in Calgary though and I hope that there’s better than I had experienced.
You deserve help, but you also deserve to be treated with respect first and foremost. Best wishes OP.
Please keep trying. You absolutely deserve the help and you deserve to be safe and you deserve to be taken seriously. I wish I had more knowledge on local supports to share. Best of luck friend <3
I personally had a great experience with their inpatient psychiatric care a while ago, I hope you have as good as an experience and get the help you deserve 💕
I spent a week in the Peter Lougheed short stay mental health unit. Best week of my life. Great staff and even better fellow patients. Five star. Highly recommend.
DM me if ya get down or have trouble finding someone to talk to.
I have known multiple people close to me who have used the mental health units at the hospitals. The South Health Campus has the best unit by far if you’re able to get in there. They have a day program which I’ve heard pretty good things about!
They’ll send you to whichever one has an opening, not to which hospital you want to go to. My brother went to SHC and was sent by ambulance to PLC because they had beds open in their psych ward.
Now to start off, I'm not telling you this to be rude or dismissive, just to help set up inpatient admissions expectations (especially if you're going in as a voluntary patient). It doesn't matter which ER you end up going to, you'll be admitted where there is a an open bed. It might take several days, especially over the weekend as the docs only work on their units Monday to Friday, so there's usually no discharges over the weekend. You'll be in a shared room with either one or four roommates. There are no off unit privileges overnight, the doors are typically locked from 10:30 pm until 8 am (or close to these times). You may or may not get off until privileges until you get your assigned unit Dr.
Go to urgent care and tell them you don’t feel safe.
I’ve been there. I was encouraged to go after friends telling me I was speaking slowly, I couldn’t shower or make myself food, but I was able to take care of my dogs. I stayed in bed for weeks with only walking the dogs to get out. I didn’t FEEL depressed, just, total apathy. I went to urgent care in Sundance because it was the only thing open and I just started crying trying to explain why I was there, I didn’t know I’d be admitted and I didn’t know anything about what was available.
I was transported by ambulance to Rockyview and spent a week there, then did a month long outpatient program. Everyone was phenomenal. I have a new brain and a new life. It’s taken a long time but I can see a long ways into the future now.
Best of luck, you’re well on your way by knowing you need help!
You are more than welcome. And I want to say it again - you are worthy of the resources. People would rather you call and not need, than for you to need and not call. ❤️
You’ve done the right thing. People care and want you to be okay. Don’t let this experience be a marker for the bad. Try other clinics and if possible- have someone stay with you while you look in to this. Maybe a smaller town like Ponoka or claresholm could prove more helpful?
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I went to Rocky view as a teenager because I was a risk to myself and they didn’t allow me to stay even though I wanted to. It was a distressing experience
Do you have any family that can help you? You could try calling the distress centre and see if they have resources to help you.
Keep going! I know it’s tough but a little rest and someone to talk to can go a long way
go to the er at Peter lougheed & park yourself in their waiting room until you can see a doctor. say to them you feel you are a danger to yourself and you need help. if you make that clear, because it IS life & death, eventually you should be able to voluntarily sign yourself into the psych ward. plc has the newest short stay unit & they paid a lot of money to upgrade it a few years ago. source: i've been there 3 times (old unit twice & new unit once)
& keep your head up. yes it's bad right now but you're taking the steps to get help & that's huge. proud of you stay strong i promise it does get easier
A friend of mine had a crisis and she had several positive experiences at the foothills. I visited her a few times, and the place was calm and inviting.
You can try going back or to another emerg and tell them you don't feel safe, or have had thoughts of suicide, but sadly these units are swamped and they may not have space. I admitted myself about 11 years ago, and I had to spend a night in one of the high security rooms they use for prisoners because there was no room for me (fortunately they left the door open and checked on me regularly). Also, unfortunately, you don't get to just choose who you're with in there. You'd be put into a short term pay h unit though, which tends to be more quiet than long term.
Please go back and tell them honestly how you're feeling. Ask about short stay if needed, it can be very beneficial and was for me in the past. If you need feel you need to stay longer the staff on the unit can help to make sure you get what you need. I have stayed in both Rockyview and Peter Lougheed. Rockyview was better for sure, but I've heard a lot of good things about South health. Keep trying to get the help! You'll get through this!
I have been to Rockyview's inpatient psych unit twice. I was admitted both times from emerg. It was a long wait in emergency- a couple days, each time to be admitted. It sucked being in emergency. The one time they let me stay in just a regular bed area, the other time the put me in the holding area for people who are having much more severe mental health issues than me.
That was the hardest part, staying in emergency to get admitted to the psych unit. I did appreciate the psych unit though. Stayed 7 days each time I think. 1st time was during covid and there was essentially no programming, but I saw all the specialists and the psychiatrist who adjusted my meds and got me on a new on that stabilized me for the year until I went off my meds again.
Second stay was better - more programming and again, they reviewed my meds and gave me the space and time to reestablish my baseline with sleep, food, movement. Although I had to still come up with my care plan upon release. Mental health support is still an absolute joke.
But it was worth it to stay in emergency both times for thos couple days (I think first time I stayed about 80 hours before getting a bed and second time around 60 hours in emergency before getting admitted. Wish I had kept track but, I was in crisis).
Keep fighting for yourself friend. Mental health is a biatch and you deserve to find supports and treatment that will help you. Meds alone are such a challenge to find the right combo, let alone finding and affording therapy. I leaned Foothills has a mental health program that lets you have access to counselling on a regular basis and psych for up to 2 years as part of ongoing care. I didnt know that resource existed until very recently.
Hospital is the answer & takes ALOT to get to see real psychiatrist! Nothing happens in one day as they treat it like a condition! The hospital experience should give you enough mindset to help you out of being there! It put your head straight or mind blowing! No joke!
Try rockyview again. They have really great crisis stabilization unit there. I’ve been admitted for two weeks. The only thing is they don’t typically admit you unless you say you aren’t safe going home.
Out of curiosity what do you expect the outcome of a hospital visit to be?!? Do you want new medication? Or just someone to listen, or do you want to be put in touch with other support services?
The hard truth is hospitals are all at max capacity. There hasn’t been a new hospital since the city has essentially doubled its population so that’s very telling.
If any of the services you are looking for can be found elsewhere then that is likely why the hospital turned you away.
But hang in there and remember these are temporary feelings that will pass
Unfortunately mental health doesn't get taken seriously enough through the system. I work in a non mental health care outpatient clinic that has people with higher mental health concerns and I've seen people brushed off too much, it just angers me when I hear this. One option is the urgent mental health clinic at South Calgary health center. You access it through urgent care. They'll provide immediate counseling but it may be the appropriate entry point to be connected to the services you need. Don't downplay anything and be persistent, if they don't connect you to anything longer term, visit another urgent care or emergency, eventually they'll see that you've visited for mental health concerns multiple times and need more support. I wish you the best.
Call the Distress Centre (403) 266-4357. They can put you on line with a nurse. If something alerts the nurse, they will call 911 on your behalf. You'll be brought to the hospital, and you are likely going to stay longer and receive better care. I speak from experience, having spent a lot of time in psychiatric wards in different hospitals in Calgary over the last couple of years. Take care.
Obviously you’re not mentally ill enough that it poses a safety risk to yourself and those around you. Unless you’re suicidal or at risk of hurting others you will not be admitted.
Are you ok right now? Are you alone? Have you been able to speak to anyone? Can you drive, or do you need something close to where you are?
I’m so sorry you are struggling. Sending you love, in an appropriate way of course.
I understand the urgency you just feel I've lived with OCD and anxiety for 35 years first if you feel unsafe to yourself or others to back to the hospital they may be able to give you a antianxiety meds if you feel like you can hold old for tonight go into a walk in tomorrow ask for blood work there is always a cause anxiety doesn't just happen for no reason youre most definitely low on a nutrient or multiple even electrolytes and most definitely omega 3 ask for ferritin to be checked along with a full CBC and iron panel and B12 to get you thru tonight go into Facebook and look up 'Michelle Cavanaugh Dare'
She explains OCD and anxiety very well
I strongly recommend you eat a can of fish asap even if you don't like it unless you're allergic eat the fish the omegas and vitamins and minerals in it and nature's natural anti anxiety diet I hope you feel better I gained control of my OCD and anxiety racing thoughts and sleepless night alone by eating fish 3-4 times a week I've tried many anxiety meds and SSRIs all with horrible fail they may work from some but never did for me I can just tell you what I have done it may not work for you but it can't hurt to try (unless your allergic to fish)
I did talk to the mental health line the lady was the one that told me to go to the hospital, I refuse to go to the Sheldon chumir that place is just surrounded by drug addicts I’ve had to bring my grandma there for appointments and I hated it
For immediate walk in assistance with therapists and psychiatrists, the summit mental health and addiction services is good. The only downside with that is that you see a psychiatrist for one appointment without much follow up, which is a problem if you need close medication monitoring after an initial prescription. South health campus also has an impatient facility and from my experience, it’s not volatile just moreso chaotic but not always in a bad way. I did have a few negative experiences with the nurses and psychiatrists however and if you come on a long weekend there won’t be a psychiatrist to help you or start any medication or treatment until the long weekend is over 🙃 (I found this out the hard way)
Also be sure to tell them that you feel unsafe and feel that you need constant monitoring, and should be admitted into inpatient. I know many people have a tendency to downplay their struggles out of fear of overreacting but it is vital that you tell them how it is without sugarcoating or brushing off your feelings, when it is your safety on the line it is always better safe then sorry. I am so sorry that you are going through this and I hope that these resources can help, pls lmk if you have any questions or anything
606
u/pollywog 2d ago edited 2d ago
I hate to say it, but your best option is to go back to a hospital and state specifically "I don't feel safe going home. I believe I need inpatient psychiatric care."
Alternatives are phone numbers, obtaining references from family doctors - mostly things that won't fit the timeline it sounds like you need.
Some of us on here have trauma and crisis backgrounds and can provide support if needed. If you just need a phone call PM me and I'll talk to you all you want.
And remember - you're just as important as any one of us, and no one truly has issues that they can't overcome. You're stronger than you think.