I'm guessing that stores in Washington State sell waterproof coats? I hope they're not using the weather as an excuse.

Matt

Stephany needs a kickass lawywer and there needs to be local media attention to this outrage. Maybe someone (such as Lindsay's mom) should call the local TV station and they could cover the story as a human interest topic, embarrassing the hospital and probably getting Lindsay what she needs.

I really don't understand this. I thought for sure with the ward move things would improve. What's their problem? Why can't Stephany herself take Lindsay out to the gated outdoor area during visiting hours? That seems like a constitutional rights violation.

Thanks for this update here, Philip. Today is actually day 26 at WSH; and she was moved to a new ward on 1-11-10 that has access to the enclosed area, and that was the reason given to me via a telephone call last Monday morning as reason for the ward change.

This last 26 days of being in a locked psych ward, for readers perspective: she's been locked up since August 2009.

With that in mind, I do not think I am asking too much by asking for a little basketball time out on the court I have once played on with her before!

Thanks everyone for your support!

Note that even guys on death row get an hour a day outside.

I don't even know what to say anymore.
This is unacceptable is not strong enough.

Miranda wrote:
"Stephany needs a kickass lawywer and there needs to be local media attention to this outrage..."

Where are the Scientologists, when you need them?

Matt

Not outdoors today either. 1-15-10

I hate psychiatry, with this hate I pursued outdoor time when in hospital. Lindsay has to want to go outside as well in this equation of outdoor time. If Lindsay takes the indoor time without protest is she being a "good" patient ?(or too drugged?) Or is psychiatry (secretly) trying to be a bad cop (playing bad cop), in order for Lindsay to find enough of a self-ego to fight for something she wants?
Hard to know who is right and wrong , who is playing stupid games, or is it a plan ( for development of Lindsay's mental health).

Matt,
As Lindsay is not a celebrity scientologists don't care.

This is really sad. My daughter was once hospitalized and also was not allowed outside even in a totally enclosed courtyard. Barbaric. It broke her heart and that was just for a few days. I'm so sorry Stephany and truly hope there's better news coming soon.

My heart goes out to Lindsay and I hope that they let her out soon. I know that she is only a little older than me, and I know that being inside a ward for a week with no fresh air made me nuts and anxious; I can only imagine what a month feels like. Can't the docs realize that it is counterproductive to keep a patient locked inside?

It's just as well the Scientologists aren't involved. Despite that everything T. Cruise said to Matt Lauer was basically accurate, no one listens to Scientologists even when they're right.

I've never heard of such Mishegoss in my life. The two hospitals I have been in, it was a 24-36 hour hold before they would let you outside, unless you were on a one to one suicide watch, or there was a hurricane or some other act of Mother Nature outside, which is not the case here. My heart goes out to Lindsay.

Well, I personally do not agree with what cruise said, as medication can be immensely helpful to some, but the American people cannot be overestimated- if one famous person, Scientologist or not, is on board, people will listen.

Mark p.s.2 wrote:
"...Hard to know who is right and wrong , who is playing stupid games, or is it a plan ( for development of Lindsay's mental health)."

Yes: one suspects that somewhere here there's a lack of honesty... This business of withholding outdoor time, unless patients do what the staff wants is unquestionably the playing of power games. And Lindsay will have noticed, you can bet on that. Because I have - these constructions are evident to me, and I don't believe that my understanding is as subtle as Lindsay's, from what I've read.

WSH doesn't appear to be amenable to the idea that it tells patients what is required of them - they're supposed to guess; to feel their way, by trial and error, with all the attendant pain associated with getting it wrong and being punished, along the way, when nobody will tell them what's required. Stupid.

I don't have words to describe how counterproductive this approach is, other than to say that, if I were paranoid, I'd come to the conclusion that the WSH regime (and others), are doing this deliberately, with no intention of helping their patients.

Matt

Ana wrote:
"As Lindsay is not a celebrity scientologists don't care."

Yes, I've noticed that people tend to make value judgments, when deciding whether or not they should intervene - as though some were more valuable than others. Would I ever reach a point, when I decided that it was not in my interests to try to help Lindsay, to the extent that I'm able to do that? Well, even if I did, I'd make damn that I didn't blame her for my decision.

Matt

"I don't have words to describe how counterproductive this approach is, other than to say that, if I were paranoid, I'd come to the conclusion that the WSH regime (and others), are doing this deliberately, with no intention of helping their patients."

Matt,
Yes. When a very close person had to be in a mental institution because of a maniac episode that put in jeopardy his life I was amazed that when under psychiatric care the family has no way to connect with the physicians.
Then didn't say what drugs were given, what kind of therapy... nothing.
It was 6 months in hell but fortunately a psychiatrist that was a friend of a friend intervened and this person was sent to another institution and in 15 days the maniac phase was controlled with lithium.
The first psychiatric hospital was payed.
Now I have n doubt that they wanted the money.
Transparency on psychiatric facilities is far from being achieved.

Regular offering of outdoor time is now in place daily, and a outside day pass has been given for this weekend, to go on walk and outing with family. Thanks to all who have supported, and wrote letters.

Brings back bad memories of isolation cells. Yuck. Poor kid! Hope her situation turns around soon.

That's great, Stephany! I hope Lindsay is enjoying her time outdoors.