Committed - A Crazy Inpatient Hospitalization Story

Chapter 1

My wife Jena was taken away three days ago by ambulance and admitted to a psychiatric ward. She was running around in her pajamas outside in the middle of the day screaming “I am God”. These were full length pajama top and bottoms, pink. She is very care free, having little inhabitation. Unfortunately her mania has gotten into inpatient psychiatric hospitalization before.

We have been married four years and this was the second time during our marriage that she has been taken away. The last time she went in inpatient for about a week and a half.

So I look up the address and head down there, not expecting what happens in the least. I have never heard of Rockford Care Hospital, which doesn’t surprise me much, it’s not like I have experience with going to a lot of different hospitals.

With her last hospitalization she returned fine, she was no longer acting irrational. But whether this was due to her episode wearing off or the treatment she got or her med changes I can never tell.

I know a lot of people take meds, I would guess at least half the people here in the US. I never needed pills. Well there was that one time when I was prescribed antibiotics, and times I had to take Ibuprofen for pain. But that was only temporary. My wife Jena always takes a few different pills morning and night, prescribed by a doctor of course. Her pills are all psychiatric medication, to help keep her stable.

So I drive down to Rockford Care Hospital, I have already called ahead and they gave me the address and the visiting hours. It’s Friday around 2’o-clock in the afternoon.

When I finally get there the building is huge. I find “psychiatric care” and park in the adjacent parking lot. It is a few hundred feet to the entrance.

I walk in and go to the receptionist. I ask “I am here to visit my wife Jena Ristar.

The receptionist responds, “Yes we’ve been expecting you, just sit down in the waiting room and we’ll be right with you.”

So I go sit down and wait a few minutes and then a nurse in a white lab coat walks up to me. She is carrying a couple hospital gowns.

“Hi my name’s Suzen, I’m one of the nurses here.” she says.

She asks if I am John Ristar. I tell her I am and that I came visit my wife.

She then asks me to come with her so I follow her.

She takes me to a small room with a built in seat, it is only about 3 feet by 6 feet. The seat is basically just a piece of wood connected to three of the walls. It’s a dressing room.

“OK, I need you to take off all your cloths and put these johnnies on.”

I look at her and laugh, obviously there has been some mistake. So I explain to her that I am not a patient and that I came here to visit my wife.

She doesn’t accept that. “Look you need to cooperate with us or we will have to have to help you.” She tells me.

At this point I am really nervous and I don’t know what the hell is going on. I came here to visit my wife and now there trying to admit me.

So I try to explain as hard as I can that I am OK. There is nothing wrong with me. I am NOT a patient, I am a visitor!

So she calls for some assistance and two male nurses come over.

She explains to them that “this patient” is not cooperating and that she needs to get him undressed and into the johnnies because he is being admitted to the psychiatric ward. Of course she is talking about me. My blood starts racing even more. This is unreal!

So the three of them forcibly strip me completely naked, the door is closed but this is still extremely embarrassing. I almost feel I am going to cry.

Now I’m standing there completely naked without even my socks or underwear.

They force me into the johnnies this time I don’t struggle with all my might.

“What is going on?!” I wonder. Who is responsible for this? So I ask them in a calm voice, “Why am I being admitted here? What’s going on? Who ordered this?”

“You just need to relax and cooperate” one of the male nurses says.

Nurse Suzen says in a calm voice, “Everything is going to be OK”

When they open the door there is a stretcher and restraints. I am still not ready to cooperate. I just stand there.

“Get on the gurney” she orders sternly.

I stand there speechless. So the two nurses pick me up, one on the legs one on the shoulders and I don’t fight. My heart is beating fast and I am just in shock. “I can’t believe this” I keep saying to myself.

They restrain my wrists to my sides and my ankles. At that moment after I am fully restrained I start to relax because I am fully helpless. This is happening, there is no use of me struggling, I’m a patient now. There is no stopping it, I’m gonna be locked in the psychiatric ward and there is nothing I can do about it. Hope I get the same ward as my wife.

I feel my breath in and out as I lay there. I am defeated. They want me to be a patient that bad well now they have their way.