'Special' Psychiatric treatment for Martial Arts Guy

[KO'd N DOA]

The following story is about how you may be treated differently by institutions if you have martial arts training. In this case, a guy knew he needed some help, but once in the system, they treated him like crap and put him in isolation cause he tried to kick someone and was a martial artists.

Food for thought when disclosing your hobbies on a voluntary mental health checkup.

http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/c...entid=26240335
By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: November 5, 2010 1:22 PM
By CBC News, cbc.ca, Updated: November 5, 2010 1:22 PM
Patient sues Quebec psychiatric hospital


Lawyer Jean-Pierre Ménard has filed a $150,000 lawsuit against a psychiatric hospital in Quebec City, alleging his client was subjected to humiliating and abusive treatment.


A Quebec city man who entered a psychiatric hospital voluntarily is suing the institution after he was placed in isolation for more than 1,200 hours over a three-month period.
The patient, who cannot be named, entered the Robert-Giffard Mental Health University Institute in December 2009.
Jean-Pierre Ménard, the lawyer who filed the $150,000 lawsuit in court in Quebec City on Wednesday, said his client was having a psychotic episode and wanted help.
"He was quite disturbed at that time," said Ménard. "He was agitated. He had a psychotic idea, he thought maybe people want to harm him."
An internal report by the health institute showed the man knew martial arts, exhibited unpredictable behaviour and even kicked one employee in the stomach, according to the court filing.
Ménard said his client refused medication, believing it to be poison, and instead of getting an emergency court order to force him to take the anti-psychotic drugs, the hospital resorted to putting him in an isolation unit on a regular basis.
In February, he spent 323 hours in seclusion, 242 hours in March and more than 634 hours in April according to Ménard.
"The use of seclusion should be minimal, exceptional; it means that you should not have any other alternative," he said.
In the month of April, Ménard says his client spent 26 out of 30 days in a windowless room without books, or television, or even a toilet.
The patient, 32, contends he was forced to urinate and defecate on the floor, and staff would often leave the feces there instead of cleaning it up right away.
The man also claims he was physically abused while in isolation and even suffered a broken rib.
It wasn't until April, four months after he was admitted, that the hospital went to court to force him to take his medication, says Ménard.
"I was treated like an animal," the plaintiff told the hospital ombudsman when he filed a complaint in May.
Eric Bilocq, who is in charge of the users' committee at the hospital, helped the man to file that complaint with the ombudsman and the medical examiner at the hospital.
Both concluded the treating psychiatrist and the hospital did not follow proper guidelines. They called the plaintiff's treatment "humiliating" and "abusive."
Bilocq called the man's situation "atrocious." He said prisoners get better treatment, because they at least have toilets.
He called it the worst case of patient abuse he's seen in his 16 years at the hospital, a sentiment echoed by the plaintiff's lawyer.
"I'm a lawyer since 30 years now," said Ménard.
"I've seen worse. But it was in '84, [at a] psychiatric hospital in Montreal ... 26 years ago. It's unbelievable that we see this kind of story in 2010."
The hospital declined to comment except to say it appears the man did spend an abnormal amount of time in isolation.

[Permalost]

Wow, that sucks. I hope he wins the case. Any idea what kind of martial arts he studied and for how long?

[KO'd N DOA]

No identity was given, or of style. Its just that he volunteered to get treatment because he felt people were out to get him. When he refused medicine (due to poison beliefs) they chucked him in the hole. That and he was a martial artist. I am sure more will come out, and I will update.

[Lindz]

What makes you say the special treatment was because he's a martial artist?

[KO'd N DOA]

An internal report by the health institute showed the man knew martial arts, exhibited unpredictable behaviour and even kicked one employee in the stomach, according to the court filing.
Ménard said his client refused medication, believing it to be poison, and instead of getting an emergency court order to force him to take the anti-psychotic drugs, the hospital resorted to putting him in an isolation unit on a regular basis.

The fact that 'martial arts' was on the Hospital's internal report, and the fact that he kicked an employee in the stomach are important enough factors, for his lawyer to mention them.

[wetware]

I've got a few friends in the mental health field and from what they tell me it's all kinds of jacked up. They're in the outpatient part of things and not institutions, but it seems to be system-wide here in the states. I had a friend a few years back who had what was called a thyroid storm. Her previous thyroid problems were in her medical records and could have been found with a simple blood test, but she was taken to the hospital exhibiting hallucinations and paranoia. They immediately put her on risperdol, a powerful antipsychotic which made her hallucinations worse. Pretty soon a 24 hour observation had turned into a week.

[Lindz]

Lawyers twist everything to their advantage. You don't know what else was on that report.

[Rivington]

That's pretty awful, but it sure would be funny is his martial art was aikido or something.

[Wounded Ronin]

The staff were probably afraid to go into his room to clean his poo. I see that sort of crap happen to TB patients in hospitals all the time since the staff are afraid of the TB.

Best healthcare system in the world my ass.