#988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chronic-gastro-illness-culture · 7 months ago

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Dealing with Chronic Gastro Pain

Explaining Pain Levels

The pain scale actually has standard explanations which divides pain into three categories ranging from mild for lower numbers, moderate to cover the middle numbers, and severe for numbers above seven. Even this isn’t very clear, however, because as previously stated mild or moderate pain means different things to different people. Most of us need a way to break down those categories a little further:

⚠️ Mild Pain. On the pain scale, this level of pain ranges between numbers one and three, and can be categorized as nagging or annoying. You are aware that it’s there, but it doesn’t necessarily interfere with life on a daily basis and you are able to carry on with most of the activities you enjoy. Pain at the level of 1 is barely noticeable, at level 2 it’s a little stronger and can be annoying, Level 3 pain can be distracting but you can adapt and manage despite it.

✴️ Moderate Pain. At this level, pain starts to interfere with daily life. At level 4, it’s distracting but you can ignore it when you are very interested in something else. At level 5, it’s hard to ignore and takes a lot of effort to work or mix socially with friends. With level 6 pains, you have difficulty concentrating and it stops you getting on with normal daily activities.

🚨 Severe Pain. Severe pain is that which is disabling, preventing you from performing normal activities during the day or night. At level 7, pain stops you sleeping. Either you can’t get to sleep at all or it will wake you during the night, and keeping up with social relationships is very difficult. When it intensifies to level 8, pain makes even holding a conversation extremely difficult and your physical activity is severely impaired. Pain is said to be at level 9 when it is excruciating, prevents you speaking and may even make you moan or cry out. Level 10 pain is unbearable. You will be bedridden and possibly even delirious.

[ SOURCE: https://ercare24.com/understanding-pain-levels/?amp=1 ]

When To Use The Emergency Room

🚨 Signs Of An Emergency

How quickly do you need care? If a person or unborn baby could die or be permanently disabled, it is an emergency.

Call 911 or the local emergency number to have the emergency team come to you right away if you cannot wait, such as for:

Choking

Stopped breathing

Head injury with passing out, fainting, or confusion

Injury to neck or spine, particularly if there is loss of feeling or inability to move

Electric shock or lightning strike

Severe burn

Severe chest pain or pressure

Seizure that lasted more than 1 minute or from which the person does not rapidly awaken

Go to an emergency department or call 911 or the local emergency number for help for problems such as:

Trouble breathing

Passing out, fainting

Pain in the arm or jaw

Unusual or bad headache, particularly if it started suddenly

Suddenly not able to speak, see, walk, or move

Suddenly weak or drooping on one side of the body

Dizziness or weakness that does not go away

Inhaled smoke or poisonous fumes

Sudden confusion

Heavy bleeding

Possible broken bone, loss of movement, particularly if the bone is pushing through the skin

Deep wound

Serious burn

Coughing or throwing up blood

Severe pain anywhere on the body

Severe allergic reaction with trouble breathing, swelling, hives

High fever with headache and stiff neck

High fever that does not get better with medicine

Throwing up or loose stools that does not stop

Poisoning or overdose of drug or alcohol

Seizures

If you are thinking about hurting yourself or others, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also call 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK). The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support 24/7, anytime day or night.

You can also call 911 or the local emergency number or go to the hospital emergency room. DO NOT delay.

If someone you know has attempted suicide, call 911 or the local emergency number right away. DO NOT leave the person alone, even after you have called for help.

✴️ When To Go To An Urgent Care Clinic

When you have a problem, do not wait too long to get medical care. If your problem is not life threatening or risking disability, but you are concerned and you cannot see your provider soon enough, go to an urgent care clinic.

The kinds of problems an urgent care clinic can deal with include:

Common mild illnesses, such as colds, the flu, earaches, sore throats, migraines, low-grade fevers, and limited rashes

Minor injuries, such as sprains, back pain, minor cuts and burns, minor broken bones, or minor eye injuries

⚠️ If You Are Not Sure, Talk To Someone

If you are not sure what to do, and you don't have one of the serious conditions listed above, call your provider. If the office is not open, your phone call may be forwarded to someone. Describe your symptoms to the provider who answers your call, and find out what you should do.

Your provider or health insurance company may also offer a nurse telephone advice hotline. Call this number and tell the nurse your symptoms for advice on what to do.

✅ Prepare Now

Before you have a medical problem, learn what your choices are. Check the website of your health insurance company. Put these telephone numbers in the memory of your phone:

Your provider

The closest emergency department

Nurse telephone advice line

Urgent care clinic

Walk-in clinic

[ SOURCE: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000593.htm ]

Visiting the ER for Chronic Pain

How to reduce stress and suspicion when seeking chronic pain medications.

1. Make sure that you have a regular physician who treats your chronic pain.

That’s a relationship that all chronic pain patients should establish before they ever set foot in an emergency room, Blumstein says. But many people don’t have a doctor, he says, “and it looks really bad from a doctor’s point of view when a patient comes in and says, ‘Oh, I have this terrible chronic pain,’ and the doctor says, ‘Who’s taking care of this terrible chronic pain?’ and the patient says, ‘Oh, I don’t have a doctor.’”

“Before you get into a situation where there’s an exacerbation of your condition, make sure you have a regular doctor treating you,” he says.

2. Show that you’ve tried to contact your regular doctor before you go to the ER.

If you’ve been in pain for five days and have not alerted your doctor, the ER staff will question how bad your pain really is, Blumstein says. Even if the pain struck just that day, make an effort to contact your regular doctor first, he suggests.

ER staff will be more sympathetic to patients who have called their doctors and been told to go to the emergency room because the doctor was unable to see them, Blumstein says. “At least you’re showing you made an effort. You’re using the emergency room as your treatment of last resort, as opposed to the primary place you go for pain medication.”

3. Bring a letter from your doctor.

“A letter from your physician, with a diagnosis and current treatment regimen, is a reasonable thing to carry with you,” Fraifeld says. “Particularly if you’re on chronic opioids in today’s atmosphere, I would highly recommend that to patients.”

Make sure the letter has your doctor’s name and phone number, Blumstein says. That way, if ER doctors want to contact your physicians, they can. A letter is especially useful if you’re traveling or going to a hospital that you’ve never visited before.

It’s fine to bring medical records, too, Fraifeld says. But don’t overdo it, Blumstein says. “I’ve had patients come in with tons of records -- I mean, you could measure the stack in inches. It just looks like you’re going overboard.”

4. Bring a list of medications.

Bring a list of your medications, instead of relying on memory, Blumstein says.

Fraifeld takes it one step further and suggests that patients bring the drugs. “Take all the pain prescriptions with you -- the actual bottles -- not just the list,” he says. “[Patients], I’m sad to say, highly contribute to their own problems by not even being able to tell physicians exactly what they’re getting and when they got it and whom they got it from.”

5. Work cooperatively with emergency room staff.

“It might not be fair, but if a patient comes in screaming and shouting that they need pain medication right away, the staff isn’t going to like it. It calls negative attention to yourself,” Blumstein says. “And it is unfair, because you might be having agonizing pain, and why shouldn’t you speak up for yourself, right? But a lot of staffs don’t like it and they don’t respond well to it. So rather than demand things, try to work cooperatively with the staff.”

[ SOURCE: https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/whats-causing-my-chest-pain ]

Stomach Pain

For mild abdominal pain, call your doctor first. If the pain is sudden, severe or does not ease within 30 minutes, seek emergency medical care.

Sudden abdominal pain is often an indicator of serious intra-abdominal disease, such as a perforated ulcer or a ruptured abdominal aneurysm, although it could also result from a benign disease, such as gallstones.

Continuous, severe abdominal pain—or abdominal pain accompanied by continuous vomiting—may indicate a serious or life-threatening condition, such as one of the types described below.

Symptoms of appendicitis may include severe pain (usually in the lower right abdomen, but may start anywhere in the abdomen), loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting or fever. Treatment generally requires urgent surgical removal of the appendix. Long delays in treatment can cause serious complications resulting from perforation (rupture) of the appendix, which can lead to a life-threatening infection.

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy include severe abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside of the normal site in the “womb” or uterus, such as in the fallopian tubes.

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis usually include pain in the middle upper abdomen that may last for a few days. The pain may become severe and constant, or it may be sudden and intense. It may also begin as mild pain that gets worse when food is eaten. Other symptoms include nausea, a swollen and tender abdomen, fever and a rapid pulse.

[ SOURCE: https://www.emergencyphysicians.org/article/know-when-to-go/stomach-pain ]

#digestive disorders #chronic illness #stomach problems #gastroesophageal reflux disease #irritable bowel syndrome #irritable bowel disease #food intolerance #food allergies #crohn's disease #stomach ulcer #dysphagia #pancreatitis #gallbladder #gallstones #diverticulosis #gastritis #delayed stomach emptying

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meret118 · 2 years ago

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One Instagram post said, "988 is not friendly. Don't call it, don't post it, don't share it, without knowing the risks." The post, which had garnered nearly a quarter of a million likes as of early August, went on to list the risks as police involvement, involuntary treatment at emergency rooms or psychiatric hospitals, and the emotional and financial toll of those experiences.

Other posts on Instagram and Twitter conveyed similar concerns, saying that the hotline sends law enforcement officers to check on people at risk of suicide without their consent and that people, especially from LGBTQ+ communities and communities of color, may be forced into treatment.

. . .

"I realize there is an urge to rescue people in crisis, but the reality is the services that exist make the problem much, much worse," said Winston, who works in mental health peer support and has started an online support group for people recovering from involuntary treatment.

Research shows suicide rates increase drastically in the months after people are discharged from psychiatric hospitals. Those who were sent involuntarily are more likely to attempt suicide than those who chose to go, and involuntary commitments can make young people less likely to disclose their suicidal feelings in the future. Some people also get stuck with large bills for treatment they didn't want.

Emily Krebs, a suicide researcher and assistant professor joining Fordham University this fall, said that involuntary treatment is viewed as a necessary part of suicide prevention in the U.S., but that other countries don't see it that way. The United Nations has called forced mental health treatment a human rights abuse and asked countries to ban it.

. . .

"Warm" lines are one option. They're typically staffed by "peers," people who have experienced mental health challenges. They focus less on crisis intervention and more on emotional support to prevent crises. You can find a directory of warm lines by state here.

Below are other hotlines and resources. This is not a comprehensive list, and some resources may limit their services geographically.

Blackline is a hotline geared toward the Black, Black LGBTQ+, brown, Native, and Muslim communities

Kiva Centers offers daily online peer support groups

M.H. First Oakland and M.H. First Sacramento operate during select weekend hours in the California cities of Oakland and SacramentoPeer Support Space hosts virtual peer support groups twice a day Monday through SaturdayProject

LETS provides support by text for urgent issues that involve involuntary hospitalization

Samaritans of New York is a hotline based in New York CityTrans Lifeline is a hotline for trans and questioning individuals

Wildflower Alliance has a peer support line and online support groups focused on suicide prevention.

Links for above in the article.

Excerpts:

The turn away from confidentiality toward surveillance and datafication has been met with widespread criticism on other fronts. Just recently, Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit SMS-based suicide prevention program, received an outpouring of outrage after users found it was profiting off the data generated by those in crisis; the Federal Communications Commission went so far as to demand Crisis Text Line cease the practice. It did so almost immediately (and now the FCC has called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate), but Crisis Text Line remains, as so many other hotlines do, in partnership with the police. Even after the protests to defund police departments and to remove police from mental health care in summer 2020, even after the World Health Organization and U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights called for an end to forced treatment, crisis lines and police departments continue to cooperate.

We know that police violence, criminalization, and forced treatment are racialized. If historically suicidality has been understood as a white, adult, male mental state, in our contemporary moment, this is no longer the case. The fastest-growing demographic of suicidality is now Black youth ages 10 to 19, with attempts up 73 percent since 1991, while attempts among white youth declined in the same period. Meanwhile, interaction with the police while in crisis increases suicidality at the individual level and decreases trust in hotlines at the community level. Where will Black callers—and others—turn next time?

By only contracting with providers that use nonconsensual intervention, 988 guts the confidentiality that has long been a core feature of the hotline, while increasing surveillance on the most targeted and vulnerable in our communities. Not every hotline currently puts its callers at greater risk. Trans Lifeline, BlackLine, Samaritans, DASHR, MH First Oakland, and many others continue the legacy of early crisis care work, as do others not gathered under the NSPL network. They find that, for their callers to trust them and therefore receive the help they need—and only that help—the threat of nonconsensual intervention must be off the table or at least much further down the list.

#Trigger warning #Suicide #Involuntary commitment

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