The most expensive phone call I ever made was to a crisis line. When they asked if I had a plan, I said “yes” because I thought “a plan” meant “a way to do the act, should I ever decide to do so,” and not “actually going through with it right now.” So they put me in police custody and drove me many miles away, wouldn’t accept my explanation. I lived in a tiny town at the time, so it was a loooong ride in an ambulance.
While they were admitting me, I had to pee so bad, but I have bashful bladder, and the police had to be watching me at all times. So I just had to hold it until I was able to use the toilet in the room, which was still hard to use, but at least there were no cameras directly pointed at the toilet (that I know of).
I was in for a couple of days, and I’d say the actual patients in the psych ward were some of the most level-headed people I had encountered so far during this whole experience, in spite of their various mental illnesses.
After a couple nights and like 20 minutes with a psychiatrist, my insurance wanted me out, so out I went. I was in an entirely different city with no way home to my little town. I figured out a way home, but it would involve nearly doxxing myself to reveal that part of the experience. Let’s just say I was in a worse place going out than I had been when I went in.
And then they slapped me with an $8000 bill, which got added on to my piles of debt.
I’ve never called one of those numbers again, although I suspect I just happened to get a bad attendant on the line, because I’d called it before without problem. I have a list of people to call when I’m in crisis. I don’t really talk about the crisis when I call, but it does help me personally to hear someone’s voice and help me redirect my thoughts. One of these people is the discord server owner who I used to mod for, because my life is just that pathetic.
What a horrible situation to be in. I’m sorry to hear that you went through that. Not pathetic at all to have friends from discord.
Thank you for this
Not pathetic at all. It is good to have some people in your life, no matter where they come from. I am sorry all of this happened to you. I hope things are looking better for you now.
They are better, thanks. I ended up having a rough year after that and losing my career, but it led me to a place where I can really help people in my work, and I love that.
I am really happy to hear that. Being able to help others is a beautiful thing!
That’s warming to hear you have a support circle now, but that bill? Is it like 8 PS5 stacked on top of each other? Are they anti-sue or sue line? I don’t think it’s very supportive of them to slap that on you.
I think my insurance deductible was even higher than 8k. Somehow I had to pay it all.
But getting put in the psych ward is expensive asf. I do not recommend.
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Yeah true. I can’t say it was torture, but I will say this: I’ve been to the psych ward, and I’ve been to jail, and jail was like a thousand times more chill than the psych ward, and plus it was free!
Regardless, I find it unconscionable that anyone has to pay for basic healthcare. I can tell you that quality of care does not seem to have any bearing on cost to the individual, unless one is so extravagantly rich they can literally create and fund their own program. I doubt what I experienced is better than what Canada provides, for example.
Freedom Bills!
Eagle scree
The only tweak I’d make to the meme is the removal of the superfluous “your”.
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