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Psych Ward Horror Story - Civil Rights Abuses

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SME21

Member
I am alleging criminal offenses & SEVERE human rights violations against a psychiatric ward. I am looking for advice on how to address this situation that ruined my life.

Summary: Recently I was abducted from my residence by a a police officer who was FAR outside his jurisdiction. 3-4 officers (far outside of their jurisdiction) entered my residence without permission. I asked them for identification & badge numbers, the officers did not respond. All but 1 officer immediately exited and fled. The remaining officer placed me in handcuffs & transported me allegedly to a local psych ward.

I declined to answer questions & was brought into an observation room, where I was involuntarily observed and studied by a team of 10-20 staff members. I asked several times if I was being detained (no response). I asked the police officers in this room for their names & badge numbers - I was refused this information & an officer responded - "We are not real police.”

While being held captive in this room I was brought into a smaller interview room for questioning by 2 different staff members. The first staff member responded "No" to my request for an attorney. The 2nd staff member lied to me, claiming that I would only be held for 24 hours if I agreed to stay in a bed overnight (versus the alternative being involuntarily committed longer).

After this I was brought up to a different floor, I asked one last time if I was being detained or free to leave - staff member responded, "Not legally". While being held captive here, I was denied several requests to speak to an attorney or legal advocate, was denied a hearing in front of a judge, was denied 3 meals of food per day (initially), and was denied documentation as to why I was being held involuntarily.
The staff on this floor failed to provide a safe environment by failing to regularly sanitize the environment, despite one patient displaying noticeable signs of sinus infection. Also, repeated & persistent verbal threats of violence were ignored by staff. I also believe I was subject to uninformed medical research/experimentation, which includes non-consensual brain-scans, excessive observation, unwanted medication, & uninformed behavioral research.

I was held prisoner here for over a week before being released, then my HIPAA privacy rights were violated when the staff gave information to family without consent. My stay here has utterly ruined my life. To this day I am mentally impaired in several ways, traumatized, & have developed a phobia of attending medical appointments due to what I experienced here.

I am alleging that what happened to me at this facility was in violation of US/international law (crimes against humanity) which prohibits uninformed & non-consensual medical experimentation, in addition to kidnapping, harassment, civil rights violations, & HIPAA violations. I was NOT a danger to myself or others & was ultimately never provided with full documentation relating to this stipulation.

I am NOT crazy, I can outline my assertions in a coherent manner, including the names of doctors & staff members who were complicit.
 


Taxing Matters

Overtaxed Member
I am alleging that what happened to me at this facility was in violation of US/international law (crimes against humanity) which prohibits uninformed & non-consensual medical experimentation, in addition to kidnapping, harassment, civil rights violations, & HIPAA violations. I was NOT a danger to myself or others & was ultimately never provided with full documentation relating to this stipulation.

Your options will depend in part on how long ago this happened and in what state it occurred. I can tell you, however, that there is no application of international law here and your complaint would have to be based in federal and/or state law. Furthermore, there is no remedy to sue for violations HIPAA as the statute does not give a private right of action. Instead, violations are enforced by the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For information on filing a complaint with HHS, see the HHS page on filing a complaint. It may be, however, that the information disclosure to your family violated some state privacy law that provides you a right of action.

No federal law requires cops to tell you their names and badge numbers when you ask, and I'm not aware of any state that requires it either.

As to the rest, assuming that the statute of limitations to sue has not expired, you'd want to consult a civil litigation attorney in the state where this occurred for advice. Remember that to win any lawsuit here you have to present evidence that supports your claims — you'll have the burden of proof.
 

quincy

Senior Member
I am alleging criminal offenses & SEVERE human rights violations against a psychiatric ward. I am looking for advice on how to address this situation that ruined my life.

Summary: Recently I was abducted from my residence by a a police officer who was FAR outside his jurisdiction. 3-4 officers (far outside of their jurisdiction) entered my residence without permission. I asked them for identification & badge numbers, the officers did not respond. All but 1 officer immediately exited and fled. The remaining officer placed me in handcuffs & transported me allegedly to a local psych ward.

I declined to answer questions & was brought into an observation room, where I was involuntarily observed and studied by a team of 10-20 staff members. I asked several times if I was being detained (no response). I asked the police officers in this room for their names & badge numbers - I was refused this information & an officer responded - "We are not real police."

While being held captive in this room I was brought into a smaller interview room for questioning by 2 different staff members. The first staff member responded "No" to my request for an attorney. The 2nd staff member lied to me, claiming that I would only be held for 24 hours if I agreed to stay in a bed overnight (versus the alternative being involuntarily committed longer).

After this I was brought up to a different floor, I asked one last time if I was being detained or free to leave - staff member responded, "Not legally". While being held captive here, I was denied several requests to speak to an attorney or legal advocate, was denied a hearing in front of a judge, was denied 3 meals of food per day (initially), and was denied documentation as to why I was being held involuntarily.
The staff on this floor failed to provide a safe environment by failing to regularly sanitize the environment, despite one patient displaying noticeable signs of sinus infection. Also, repeated & persistent verbal threats of violence were ignored by staff. I also believe I was subject to uninformed medical research/experimentation, which includes non-consensual brain-scans, excessive observation, unwanted medication, & uninformed behavioral research.

I was held prisoner here for over a week before being released, then my HIPAA privacy rights were violated when the staff gave information to family without consent. My stay here has utterly ruined my life. To this day I am mentally impaired in several ways, traumatized, & have developed a phobia of attending medical appointments due to what I experienced here.

I am alleging that what happened to me at this facility was in violation of US/international law (crimes against humanity) which prohibits uninformed & non-consensual medical experimentation, in addition to kidnapping, harassment, civil rights violations, & HIPAA violations. I was NOT a danger to myself or others & was ultimately never provided with full documentation relating to this stipulation.

I am NOT crazy, I can outline my assertions in a coherent manner, including the names of doctors & staff members who were complicit.
What is the name of your state?

Was this an involuntary commitment because it was feared you were a danger to yourself or others?

Do you remember what led to the officers transporting you to the hospital for evaluation and treatment? Did a family member or neighbor call the police?
 

SME21

Member
PA

I was told it was an involuntary commitment (302) but never provided with documentation with that language. The only documentation I received was the report from my family member that called the police. It focuses more on concerns about medications I was taking than anything else.

AFAIK you cannot involuntarily commit someone due to drug use/abuse, only if they are a harm to others. I am not even sure I was actually 302'd, given the place I stayed at does not match the pictures I looked up of the psychiatric facility it was claimed to be.
 

quincy

Senior Member
PA

I was told it was an involuntary commitment (302) but never provided with documentation with that language. The only documentation I received was the report from my family member that called the police. It focuses more on concerns about medications I was taking than anything else.

AFAIK you cannot involuntarily commit someone due to drug use/abuse, only if they are a harm to others. I am not even sure I was actually 302'd, given the place I stayed at does not match the pictures I looked up of the psychiatric facility it was claimed to be.
Here is some information for you to read through on Pennsylvania's voluntary and involuntary commitment:

https://eriecountypa.gov/department...-health/voluntary-and-involuntary-commitment/

I am sure the experience was a frightening one for you. I am equally sure it was frightening for your family member.

You should have received at some point when in the hospital (generally upon admission) a pamphlet or a flyer outlining your rights as a patient. Do you remember if you were provided with this?

You potentially have some legitimate concerns about the conditions in the hospital but there can also be reasonable explanations for some of what you describe (e.g., withholding food for awhile). It also could be that, because of the condition you were in when you were brought to the hospital, your mind played a few tricks on you (e.g., seeing the officers who transported you to the hospital as "kidnappers" and viewing regular medical testing as medical "experimentation").

You could request copies of your medical records and take them to an attorney for a personal review, though. It is hard to tell in a forum setting if what happened to you could support a lawsuit.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
PA

I was told it was an involuntary commitment (302) but never provided with documentation with that language. The only documentation I received was the report from my family member that called the police. It focuses more on concerns about medications I was taking than anything else.

AFAIK you cannot involuntarily commit someone due to drug use/abuse, only if they are a harm to others. I am not even sure I was actually 302'd, given the place I stayed at does not match the pictures I looked up of the psychiatric facility it was claimed to be.
How long ago did this happen?
 

SME21

Member
^ My rights were most definitely violated. In addition to what was mentioned about the facility.. a family member is not mentioned to have the power to 302. Also, I was denied access to a legal advocate & did not see a physician until over 48 hours. Also to anyone looking to further gaslight me do not bother. I know what I saw - & it was a university police officer far out of his jurisdiction, & I caught the whole encounter on an audio recording. It's looking more & more like I was simply kidnapped & experimented on without consent. All of this immediately happening after uncovering family ties to serious crimes. My life is utterly ruined.
 
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Just Blue

Senior Member
^ My rights were most definitely violated. In addition to what was mentioned about the facility.. a family member is not mentioned to have the power to 302. Also, I was denied access to a legal advocate & did not see a physician until over 48 hours. Also to anyone looking to further gaslight me do not bother. I know what I saw - & it was a university police officer far out of his jurisdiction, & I caught the whole encounter on an audio recording. It's looking more & more like I was simply kidnapped & experimented on without consent. All of this immediately happening after uncovering family ties to serious crimes. My life is utterly ruined.
How long ago did this happen?

ETA: No one here was looking to "gaslight" you. Everyone who posted to this thread was courteous in their posting(s).
 

quincy

Senior Member
^ My rights were most definitely violated. In addition to what was mentioned about the facility.. a family member is not mentioned to have the power to 302. Also, I was denied access to a legal advocate & did not see a physician until over 48 hours. Also to anyone looking to further gaslight me do not bother. I know what I saw - & it was a university police officer far out of his jurisdiction, & I caught the whole encounter on an audio recording. It's looking more & more like I was simply kidnapped & experimented on without consent. All of this immediately happening after uncovering family ties to serious crimes. My life is utterly ruined.
It is time for you to seek out an attorney in your area, then, who can personally review all facts of the involuntary commitment and advise you accordingly. Whether you have any legal recourse at this point in time will require the personal review. It is important to note, however, that a family member can call the police for a wellness check - but it is the police who will make the decision on whether to transport someone for evaluation, not the family member.

Good luck, SME21.
 
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SME21

Member
Sorry, yes everyone was courteous here. This whole experience has been terrifying me to no end, esp since the whole situation was designed to set me up by my own "family".

There was no wellness check done, nor questions asked. It was simply that a university officer burst through my door & placed me in cuffs, & transported to this makeshift 'psych ward'
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
Sorry, yes everyone was courteous here. This whole experience has been terrifying me to no end, esp since the whole situation was designed to set me up by my own "family".

There was no wellness check done, nor questions asked. It was simply that a university officer burst through my door & placed me in cuffs, & transported to this makeshift 'psych ward'
Again. When did this happen? You've been asked that question several times.
 

quincy

Senior Member
Sorry, yes everyone was courteous here. This whole experience has been terrifying me to no end, esp since the whole situation was designed to set me up by my own "family".

There was no wellness check done, nor questions asked. It was simply that a university officer burst through my door & placed me in cuffs, & transported to this makeshift 'psych ward'
The officer who "burst through your door" might have thought it necessary based on what he was told of the situation.

You will want to go over what you remember of your experience with the attorney you see. The attorney can help investigate the actions taken by the officers and the hospital personnel to see if your rights were violated and if there is any legal action to consider at this point in time.

Good luck.
 

quincy

Senior Member
SME21 did use the word "recently" when describing the experience. I agree that how recently the "recently" is matters, however.
 

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