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Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

nytimes.com

81–90 of 339 posts

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#82
post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're joking, but this is actually so true that you might be committing a crime by suggesting it.

> this is actually so true that you might be committing a crime by suggesting it Perhaps where you live. The legal system I live under has strong protections for freedom of speech that ensure that such a statement cannot be criminalized.

You must live in Twitterstan.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#83
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm terrified of growing old in this country. Have kids, raise them right, and you’ll be fine. It’s worked out pretty well for a couple thousand years.

Kids do not choose to be born. We can't expect them to serve us when we get old. They owe us nothing. We forced them into this world.

It's an investment, not guaranteed to pay off.

It's kind of funny, my wife's mom abused her horribly and is now upset my wife and I won't take care of her. Treat your investments better lady.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suicide is offensive to society and many individuals on a deep level, especially of people who do not have a "good reason" (such as a terminal illness). While it may have progressed beyond being a criminal act, it is still taboo enough for alternative and equally good avenues to exist for society to deal with it, in this case, police and physicians empowered by law with the "duty of care" concept. This is of course b…

Step 1) fabricate an SMS Step 2) call police Step 3) enjoy Wow so easy to take down your political enemies huh

In Soviet Russia, government officials would remove someone, and then claim suicide. In America, they first claim suicide (risk), then remove them.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suicide is offensive to society and many individuals on a deep level, especially of people who do not have a "good reason" (such as a terminal illness). While it may have progressed beyond being a criminal act, it is still taboo enough for alternative and equally good avenues to exist for society to deal with it, in this case, police and physicians empowered by law with the "duty of care" concept. This is of course b…

Step 1) fabricate an SMS Step 2) call police Step 3) enjoy Wow so easy to take down your political enemies huh

This happened to a friend of mine. "Friend" of theirs who was angry they didn't have a romantic interest in him called the police claiming they were suicidal. Police came, handcuffed them, verbally abused them, and dragged them to a hospital against their will even though they were clearly fine. They were forced to stay there for ~a day and then had no means to get home, thankfully a friend was able to pick them up and drive them home from the hospital.

No consequences for the guy, of course.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#86

Phony Diagnoses not just at nursing homes, also in mental facilities. Was really surprised (better word-traumatized) that one flippant casual mention of not valuing my life in a private text message was enough to to get me detained by police in a facility for a night. "Doctor" threatened me with drugging just because I refused to answer some of their questions and instead insisted on a lawyer. Funny how freedoms can…

Yeah, I've read some incredible stories. Locking the doors behind the patient. Using some tiny remark as cause for involuntary institutionalization. It made me think american psychiatry was like american prisons where they get paid per person and are therefore incentivized to stuff as many people in the building as possible.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#87
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suicide is offensive to society and many individuals on a deep level, especially of people who do not have a "good reason" (such as a terminal illness). While it may have progressed beyond being a criminal act, it is still taboo enough for alternative and equally good avenues to exist for society to deal with it, in this case, police and physicians empowered by law with the "duty of care" concept. This is of course b…

It's one of the two things every therapist will tell you that can force them to break the confidentiality. That it can take away your freedom, get you institutionalized, remove your ability to make your own medical decisions. It's important to take ideations seriously but as someone who struggled with that at points in my life I never felt completely safe about discuss it.

It makes sense when you consider that the therapist is there to help you but only in a way that does not challenge society. You are right to not feel completely safe to discuss it, unfortunately. I'm not sure why this taboo has evolved to be so strong, though I would guess it runs very deep psychologically in peoples' fear of death and also has something to do with the potential societal implications to any culture which does not treat it as something to be dealt with with extreme prejudice.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#88
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The truth we fail to face is that, in the grueling task of caring for the elderly and all the perverse incentives to cut corners, providing holistic care is an enormous labor of love that will tend to not work well outside of family, despite all the money we throw at it.

This is far beyond that. The doctors are brazenly prioritizing "not being bothered" over the health of their patients. Over prescription of antipsychotics is still common in US psychiatric facilities, and even if not there are alternatives, like very high dosages of SSRIs or other specific medications with complacency as a side effect.

If the alternatives are a doctor who cares and a doctor who doesn't then the choice is clear.

But it is really difficult staying enthusiastic about treating someone, long term, who is never going to repay any extra efforts. Caring for the elderly/infirm is a really gruelling experience.

It seems quite likely that there physically are not enough doctors who have the mental stamina to do that. The options the average person faces if they can't care for themselves are going to be doctors who don't really care, or nothing.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#89

Antipsychotics are not something to be handed out like candy. They have serious, sometimes permanent and sometimes fatal, side effects in anyone of any age. The article notes how that class of medication increases mortality in elderly people in particular. The fact that some people were prescribed haloperidol as the first line of treatment instead of a newer, safer antipsychotics also blows my mind. I'm terrified of…

Yeah, that's frightening. Everything I read is exactly the opposite of what my education taught me to do. Antipsychotics are supposed to be the last resort in geriatric care due to obvious effects on patient quality of life and functionality. Not even sure they're approved by the american FDA for such uses. If they must be used, pretty much anything will be better than haloperidol. Reminds me of lobotomies of old. "M…

The epithet of "chemical lobotomies" for antipsychotics is an appropriate analogy not just for the physical effects but also for the potential political uses.

Re: Phony diagnoses hide high rates of drugging at nursing homes

#90

Phony Diagnoses not just at nursing homes, also in mental facilities. Was really surprised (better word-traumatized) that one flippant casual mention of not valuing my life in a private text message was enough to to get me detained by police in a facility for a night. "Doctor" threatened me with drugging just because I refused to answer some of their questions and instead insisted on a lawyer. Funny how freedoms can…

Yeah, I've read some incredible stories. Locking the doors behind the patient. Using some tiny remark as cause for involuntary institutionalization. It made me think american psychiatry was like american prisons where they get paid per person and are therefore incentivized to stuff as many people in the building as possible.

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