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nyx_moonlight_ t1_jahvo2i wrote

Reply to comment by NJP220 in New Hampshire ordered to phase out practice of keeping psychiatric patients in emergency rooms by greenhousecrtv

Went thru this, can confirm. That long distance trip from Portsmouth ER/pod was disturbing. I was a suicide risk so I had to be bound in the stretcher and then in the back of the ambulance alone in the dark. I had been in the holding area for days which had been highly stressful - a tight space with nothing to do but watch the TV in your room, no windows, you share one bathroom, a lot of the other people are screaming and throwing things. After finally getting loaded up in the back of the ambulance, I asked if they could play music from the front to soothe me, they said I wouldn't hear it. I sang to myself to ease my anxiety. By the time I got to the treatment center in Derry, I was throwing up from stress and empty stomach. New Hampshire is TRASH for mental health.

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NJP220 t1_jahxhwd wrote

As far as the music in the ambulance, unfortunately a lot of the trucks don't have great speaker setups. Ambulances have completely custom bodies usually and music isn't a priority in their design. That being said, the service I work for has speakers in the back and we try to provide music to our psychiatric patients whenever we can. We also have provided a laptop with Netflix open before. Anything to make the process easier and less stressful for all involved.

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nyx_moonlight_ t1_jaib917 wrote

That is amazing! I sang to myself the whole time in the Pod and so forth. I almost didn't get help because I didn't want to be without my phone and music. You don't know how much that is appreciated 💖

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reptilianhook t1_jakq43m wrote

Out of curiosity when was this? We would absolutely never transport an interfacility psych pt bound nowadays outside of very extreme circumstances, and being a "suicide risk" would certainly not be one (most of my psych transfers would qualify lol). I understand that this sort of thing was more common in the past, however.

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