What Happens Next?

[EvianBaby]

I've just been informed my brother in law has taken an overdose (don't know of what) and is in hospital. That's the entire extent of my knowledge.

What happens after someone takes an OD (assuming they recover physically relatively quickly)? Do you just get sent home or do they keep you in somewhere?

They have two young children and a lot of problems in the relationship.

[sandyRoe]

I'd hope a psychiatrist would see him. It wouldn't seem right just to let him walk out when he's physically ready to be discharged.

[EDDIE51]

Depends on what they OD on and how long they had it in their system.
I know a person who ODed on sleeping tabs, they just sent her home after they had made her vomit up the tabs . His GP should be informed and hopefully ask him to come in for a visit.

[boxtops]

Oh dear - my understanding is that what happens depends on what it is he's taken. With some substances the hospital would try to make him sick - with others, that wouldn't be good, so they might give him a stomach wash or similar to try to clear it out of him before the substance gets into his bloodstream.

They might refer him for counselling or certainly back to his GP for monitoring, I don't really know these days, it might depend on the circumstances.

[Traci66]

My husband has done this several times, last time I practically begged them to keep him in, they sent him home.

[EvianBaby]

They just send them home? That just seems a bit wrong.

[penelope2]

There's usually a referral to the local Mental Health Team who should see him prior to any discharge from hospital. This of course depends on whether he wishes to see them voluntarily. If he is deemed to be at a risk to himself and others and refuses to cooperate then compulsory actions can be taken. Hope he gets well soon.

[Eve]

As others have said, depends medically what has been taken and the effect on the body and possible future complications.

There is also the mental aspect though it seems mental health resources are already overstretched so unless he is deemed a serious danger to either himself or others he will probably be released from hospital and referred to outpatient care.

[EvianBaby]

My concern is for the children. I believe my sister is on her way down to my Dads with them but for how long, I don't know.

They've already seen their parents ripping each other to shreds verbally and physically. I don't want them to see anything like this on top!

[Peter Pedant]

years ago they used to stomach pump them but I am not sure if they do so now. Inducing vomiting was outdated even in the seventies.

Depending on the drug/tablet - some have (sudduv) direct antidotes - such as Narcan for morphine -
others such as paracetamol have treatment )parvolex) to prevent complications

Although they all used to be assessed by a psychiatrist in fact the guidelines say anyone with the correct training can assess


voluntary admission is very uncommon
sectioning (involuntary admission) is now virtually unheard of

follow up is most likely to be through the GP.


Traci has got what the usual course is.

Care in the community - meaning of course lack of care in the community.

[Eve]

She will need support as well as it could get difficult for her trying to deal with all the issues going on around her as a wife and mother, potentially neglecting herself when it is likely to have a huge impact on her.

She may feel she needs to stay strong on the outside for him, the children, keeping things together etc... but having people as a support network for her is important, from someone she can talk to, some time for herself, people she can just get a break from everything with, even just for an hour or so at a time. I imagine she is feeling a lot of pressure right now, on top of the emotional side of things. It might be she doesn't take people up on offers initially or at all but she should at least know that it's available.

[rockyracoon]

Can't offer any advice Evi, just wanted to say, hope he recovers soon and that your sister and the children can sort themselves out okay x

[Purple_Popple]

Sorry to read this Evian. x

[MadMen]

Oh no Evian, that's awful!! :-( I do hope he's ok.

In my (very limited) experience, it depends on what he overdosed on. I know someone who overdosed on painkillers, and it just made them very very sick. They did have to go to hospital, but they didn't 'do' anything like stomach pumping. I suppose it depends on the severity of it though.
With regards to after care. I think it will all depend on how your sister feels. The person I'm talking about above just had a "do you think you'll do it again" kind of conversation at the hospital, but it wasn't with any kind of mental health worker. Just a nurse.
I would hope that, given he's obviously very troubled, they'd offer a bit more help than that, but I don't have much faith I'm afraid.
If your sister or another family member were to talk to them about the possibilities of making keeping him in, maybe under the mental health act, then it's their job to listen to these concerns.

[China Doll]

I can't answer for every hospital (but I think it's probably the same - should be at any rate) Evian but where I work if an adult comes in who has taken an OD and/or has mental health problems and has children then the A&E staff (usually the nurses but anyone really can do it) will complete what is known as a CAF (Common Assessment Framework) form, (these forms are ways of referring people for support either medically or socially); The CAF is completed and sent to the social services for the borough the children live in to let them know what has happened with the parent. The social services will make a decision based on the CAF and the severity etc.. so they'll consider things like whether the family is already known to them, whether the children were at risk in any way (witness to OD or at home when OD occured with just the parent that OD'd) blah blah... The social services department may feel that the family is adequately supported or have no concerns so they may take no futher action, or they might decide to do a visit to the family to see if they can assess if extra support or help is needed (counselling, respite etc). But it will often depend on how much information they get.

I don't know if ^^^ that is helpful or not!

[EvianBaby]

Thanks for all your responses. All very helpful!

I still don't know any more details at this point so ill have to wait and see.

china, I think (and in a way hope) that the children are already known to social services as the police have been called on a number of occasions for domestic violence (from both him and her). Funnily enough this is the sister I mentioned in a earlier thread today who tells and a lot lies or just doesn't tell the full story so it's impossible to know what's going on, even when she's asking for our help.

[China Doll]

In the nicest possible way, I hope they are known to. We've a few kids who are in homes where there is a lot of domestic violence, a couple are on child protection or child in need plans for emotional abuse and/or neglect as a result. Sometimes the situation is so bad at home that they develop medical problems linked to their anxiety about the instability at home or they have developmental delay because they're not getting the attention they need, it's very sad. Emotional abuse is one of the hardest to quantify.

Anyway, I'm waffling on about my pet subject. If you do have any questions or whatever you think I might be reasonably able to help with in my own wittering way then do feel free to ask.

[EvianBaby]

Thanks very much China, appreciate it.

The things you mentioned are the precise things I'm concerned about. I almost don't care what they do to each other but I detest the fact their beautiful, innocent children are watching it all and the effect it will have on them. It should have been sorted out long before it came to this.

[jakep]

I took all of my antidepressants that I was on at the time and went to bed. Woke up next day feeling awful (I had also drunk two bottles of red) and phoned a friend. She took me to a&e and they found out that the tabs could cause a heart problem. I was kept in 2 days on a monitor, saw the psychiatrist and was sent home.
Vowed never to go that low again.
I wish your bil a safe recovery both mentally and physically.

[jakep]

Sorry, I meant to say that I don't have children. Your family situation will be more complicated and sister and her little ones need loads of support. Very best wishes.

[EvianBaby]

Thank you Jake. It appears he has done something very similar. Hopefully he'll see things the way you do in time.