Going to the hospital

[Naggers]

So I was just reminded of the film Requiem for a Dream whilst reading another thread. If you haven't seen the film, I'm referring to a scene where one of the protagonists develops an infection in an injection site and goes to the hospital for help. Upon seeing the obviously drug-inflicted ailment, the doctor immediately calls the police and the protagonist is arrested. I must have missed something in the film or be uninformed on some sort of US/state law because I don't see what crime he was arrested for.

Anyway, if any of you have been forced to seek medical attention after a trip gone bad, allergic reaction to drugs or an overdose etc, could you share your experience? How were you treated by the staff? Are they under any obligation to inform anyone, such as a family member or even law enforcement? Also, what country was this in?

I hope this isn't too naive a question, but for those of us who've been fortunate enough to not require medical attention in the past it may help clear any misconceptions about how we will be treated if such an occasion arises.

Thanks

 

[2manyopiates]

If you're under age they are under obligation to inform your parent/guardian. I live in the US and I know this from experience. Over 18, you're good to go on your own

I know this because I'm 17 and I overdosed last year (foolishly) and was sent to the hospital and my friend (18) at the time was forced to fetch my parents, which he played stupid and acted as if he didn't know where i lived and they found them for me.

He overdosed as well, a little later (FOOLISHLY) but being 18 he didn't have his parents called or anything... The only legal action that was taken was baker acting him for the track marks on his arms, they said they saw him "unfit" to take care of himself. Three days in the hospital a doctor that had been talking to him deemed him fine and they released him.

I hope this helped, I know it might not be exactly what you're looking for but just thought i'd throw an answer your way.

I saw requiem for a dream, great movie... A GOOD doctor wouldn't do what was done in that movie. He should've been helped immediately.

 

[Naggers]

Exactly the answer I was looking for
I'm just hoping that knowing how they will be treated might encourage people to go to the hospital if necessary, rather than putting it off through fear of being forced to "get help" or have family members informed. It must have sucked to have your family told, but I guess it's better than not getting medical attention. I'm 21 so hopefully if anything bad happens I will only have to deal with judgemental healthcare professionals. I'm in the UK so I'm not sure how the NHS treats situations like this though.

If anyone else has any experiences to share, please do

 

[Korn3x]

got in a really bad car accident. i was really high at the time, and wasn't wearing my seat belt. i was going about 50mph when a lady ran a stop sign and i t-boned her. i remember her pulling out in front of me and me realizing i didnt have my seat belt on. she pulled out so fast i literally saw her, slammed on my brakes and hit her a half a second later. i don't even think i got to break at all. i hit my head on the front window and cracked the windshield, it was a miracle i stayed in the car and one theory was that the airbag kept me in.

i immediately got out of the car, took my shirt off and put it to my skull to stop the blood that was coming out of the top of my head where i hit the window. called 911 and threw out as much paraphernalia that i had, although i forgot to throw out the bowl i was smoking from. the lady was screaming for help and was trapped inside her car which caught on fire but i didnt know what to do cuz i was so high. luckily whoever was driving behind me had a hammer and he ran over to her window and broke it and pulled her out. she then passed out and the ambulance showed up as well as the police. the cops went in my car and got my wallet to get my drivers license.

as the paramedics were wheeling me to the ambulance they asked if i had taken any street drugs that they should know about in case of drug interactions. i told them i had smoked weed a little while ago. i didnt even know if cops were around when i said it. i was just worried i was going to die from some interaction in case they had to give me something. i was really out of it at the time and didnt know better. i told the nurses and doctors that i was high, which explained my high blood pressure, cuz i was having panic attacks about possibly being paralyzed. i had a really heartfelt conversation with the doctor and said that if my parents knew i was high they probably wouldnt allow me to go off to college. the police man eventually came over to me and issued her with a citation for running a stop sign. after all it was her fault the accident happened because she wasn't even looking. after my parents came and picked me up the doctor told me to have a good time in college and stay safe. i was 18 at the time so i guess he couldnt have said anything anyway, but it was still a nice gesture.

in the end i didn't get in trouble or anything and the situation turned out really fortunate. i was really blessed. both of us turned out ok and survived the incident. i was basically in the wrong place at the wrong time. i feel like i had been given a second chance on life. both cars were totaled tho, and i even found my homemade bowl in the car at the junkyard. i was smoking out of a socket with a screen in it, and it was in an openly visible place, so i was very lucky the cops didn't find it.

 

[thelung]

Washington state just passed a law bywhere if somebody has to call 911 for ambulance for a person who has overdosed, that person and anybody else at the home or site has immunity from prosecution on drug possesion charges.

Usually, in my area, if you go into the hospital for something involving illegal drug use, they will not call the police and notify them. I've gone into Harborview Medical Center for overdose more than once and never did they call police and tell them what had occured.

 

[cj]

^^
Thats a great law here in Alabamastan I had to call 911 for my friends heroin OD. The owner of the home was arrested and charged with running a drug house, paraphenalia, and possesion of narcotics (heroin) shitty deal.

 

[megawoof]

a few weeks ago i missed a shot of heroin in my arm the next morn and all the next day it swelled up badly incredible pain i went to A&E told them exactly what i did they were professional werent sympathetic but put me on a anti biotic drip for hour and sent me home with huge amount of oral anti biotics for a week that was it im in the united kingdom

 

[cowmama]

I think more places are getting away from prosecuting, because they dont want people to be afraid to call for help on an overdose.
and in that case, if you are worried about getting in trouble for being with someone when they overdose, dont say overdose, just say you think they do drugs, but you are not sure the reason they arent breathing.

 

[cj]

People say you should call it in as a heart attack that way you still get first priority but no cops.

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

I was "sort of" forced to attend a 28 day inpatient rehab for a Ketamine + Alcohol + Benzodiazepine combination. I was not treated nicely at the hospital. I couldn't piss so they used a catheter (OUCH!) Almost every drug showed up in my urine and the doctor told me I need to go to inpatient. I was still out of it without a clue of what was going on and I signed papers.

I've also gone to detox a couple times and they treated us fairly considering who we were.

My friend went to the hospital because he kept injecting in the same place and his arm got infected. He WAS treated nicely. He was put on a Morphine drip for a 2 days and on the third given oral Hydromorphone every 4 hours. He was sent home with a prescription for Hydrocodone (90 ct.) and a bunch of Lyrica samples. Oh yeah, he was also given a kiss on the head by one of the staff upon leaving. So...due to shooting up so much dope to the point that your arm gets infected he was administered Morphine, Hydromorphone and Hydrocodone. He shot up the day after leaving. Basically it was like he was given a few days to let his arm heal so that he could shoot up once it did.

 

[cmeloni81]

People always nice to me in the hospital... nurses tend to be codependent and love drug addicts think they can save em.

 

[flacky]

Well, let me put it this way:
If your life, limb or livelihood are at risk, would you rather lose one of those or go to the hospital and risk dealing with the police?

The likelihood of police involvement is very low in most situations, especially if you go about it right. As posters have said, when calling 911, NEVER MENTION DRUGS. Paramedics/EMS are trained to respond to any situation when they show up. Just because you told them that your friend stopped breathing and you don't know why doesn't mean that they will be magically unprepared when they show up.

Once you get to the hospital, IIRC they're only required to report GSWs or stabbings. Drug addiction and various resulting physical injuries are treated as medical conditions. You might need to do a bout in the psych ward or detox, but they will probably not call the cops on you.