Help put an end to abuse in mental health systems & TennCare!

My name is Devin Daniel Smith.

I've been hearing a lot of people sharing their horror stories

with places like Dyersburg Regional Medical Center & similar places.

I've decided to share my own horror story with two places in particular that I feel NEED TO CHANGE: Lake Side Behavioral Health System in Memphis, TN

& Dyersburg Regional Medical Center in Dyersburg, TN.

I've been to the Hospital in Dyersburg several times

-enough that I can't remember exactly how many-.

I've also been to Lake Side 2 times for a week or more at a time.

I was sent to both places for eating disorders

because I went huge amounts at a time without eating because of anxiety issues.

I've been to SEVERAL different doctors, hospitals, counselors, etc.

Besides going to Lake Side & Dyersburg Regional Medical Center,

I've had to go to Carey Counseling for years now.

I've seen like 5 different doctors there.

I've had to stay at Le Bonheur before.

I've been to several regular doctors.

Out of all of those doctors & places I've been,

there's obviously a problem or I wouldn't just be targeting

Dyersburg Regional Medical Center in Dyersburg, TN

& Lake Side Behavioral Health System in Memphis, TN.

I've been diagnosed with several different things.

I've been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, Psychosis, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Phobia Problems, An Anxiety Disorder, Depression Problems, plus Scoliosis.

I've been diagnosed with all these things by SEVERAL different doctors

because my parents wanted a second & third opinon.

From what I remember, I was first took to my pediatrician

because I was still young when I first got sick.

That's been years ago because I'm 18, going on 19, now.

The pediatrician told my parents that he thought I was depressed

& that was what was causing me to have anxiety issues when I tried to eat.

I always felt like I was choking when I tried to eat.

I would start shaking & feeling like I was dying.

The pediatrican also said that he thought he was seeing signs of Psychosis.

He told my parents to keep me out of school until the eating problems could be controlled because I was too weak to even sit up in a chair at school.

He told my mom to take me to Lake Side immediately.

When I first got there, I could see the abuse of the system.

Their rude staff demanded that EVERYONE take notes on topics they thought were relevant.

Keep in mind that the pediatrician told my mom to NOT SEND ME TO SCHOOL

because I was too weak to even sit up in a chair

because I was so dehydrated, malnourished, & was at the brink of death.

Of course they could tell this by looking at me

because the pediatrician made it clear to my parents that I was completely pale & malnourished.

I was forced to take these stupid notes anyways,both times I was there.

The staff also made me drink large amounts of Gatorade

& then sent me on to group therapy were

I WAS NOT ALLOWED A BATHROOM BREAK 99% of the time.

I was also forced to take whatever medications the doctors prescribed

as long as my parents OK'd it.

I also think that this is abuse because these drugs are no different than controlled substances

& there's plenty of people who have abused these drugsfor the sedative effects

just like any other pill.

The doctors also put off writing a controlled substancecompletely the first time I was there.

The reason why I feel likethis was such a terrible decision

was because some of these anti-depressants & mood-stabalization drugs that are prescribed

take a month OR longer to make a difference -if they even do at all-,

& when you're completely dehydrated & malnourished, you DO NOT have a month to spare because someone else is scared

they will have to practice save-their-ass medications for the rest of their career.

I don't think I stayed there over a week.

After refusing to put a feeding tube in me,I was sent home TO DIE.

Afterwards, I finally started eating about a week after I got out -no thanks to them-.

After that, the same thing started happening to me again

because I felt more & more anxious every time I would try to eat until I completely quit eating again. I was sent to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN

to have some kind of scope ran down my throat to check & see

if there was actually anything there to choke me.

The results came back clear.

Le Bonheur diagnosed me with a Psychotic Disorder, Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder,

& sent me home because I finally started eating there BEFORE I left.

I remember being sent back to Lake Side a second time which I think was after this,

but I'm not sure on the timing.

The same thing happened again.

The staff was as rude as ever.

There was no respect for me being malnourished.

I still had to write down these ridiculous notes.

The staff even went as far as to ask to look in my gatorade bottle

to see if I was hiding any food in there.

The gatorade bottle was red so I don't see how I could've hid any food in there, buy anyways.

I wasforced to drink gatorade bottle after gatorade bottle.

I was sent to group therapy again where the topic was mostly drug abuse,

which was irrelevant to my situation.

I asked if I could leave the therapy session for a bathroom break

because I had drunk so much fluids that I was running to the bathroom constantly.

I was NOT allowed to even take a bathroom break.

Finally, the doctor came & got me out of the session

so he could try to think of more save-his-ass medications to help.

I asked if I could take a bathroom break seeing as how I had to drink so many fluids

& the doctor gave me a really ugly face

because he didn't want to take time out of his busy career to let me pee.

I went anyways though.

This time a nutritionist came in & wrote me some vitamins to take.

The nutritionist actually did a better job than the doctors, nurses, & other rude staff though.

She made them make sure my cereal was sogged down so I could swallow it without it choking me

& she also made sure that when I ate any kind of meat,

I drunk milk with it to tear it down so I wouldn't choke.

From what I can remember, I was also sent home to die this time.

But, thank God, I finally managed to pull myself back through this mess

thanks to the trick the nutritionist taught me.

They also REFUSED to put a feeding tube in me this time again.

The insurance did not want to pay for me staying either time at Lake Side

which is probably why I was sent home so early.

I've been awarded a long list of diagnoses since then.

I was diagnosed with OCDS because I have to count to a certain number every time I eat

& my food has to feel a certain way in my mouth before I'll swallow it.

That part has gotten some better though.

I also have to check my stove knobs a certain number of times & a certain way

before I will leave the apartment.

I also have to have everything positioned in a certain spot in my apartment.

I HAD NO OCD PROBLEMS BEOFRE being drugged down with these medications.

I'm also terrified of heights & bloody images in horror movies.

They said these were phobias.

I had no problems with watching any kind of horror movie

before being drugged down with these medications.

I was told by several different doctors

that I was making improper hand movements & facial movements.

I DID NOT have these problems either before being drugged down with these medications.

I'm asking that places like Lake Side & Dyersburg Regional Medical Center

make sure that problems like these are handled BEFORE discharge.

I'm also asking that doctors & hospital have to put a feeding tube in you

afteracertain period of time of being dehydrated & malnourished.

I'm also asking that NO-ONE has to take these notes in Lake Side against their will.

I'm also asking for places like thisto consider the patient's opinion INSTEAD of the parents.

I feel like a kid shouldn't be given drugs against their will regardless of their parents approval WITHOUT their premission UNLESSthey're a threat to themselves or others.

I'm also asking that medications in the depression, mood stabalization, & psychotic classes

be used AS SECOND choices.

These medications are JUST AS DANGEROUS,or more dangerous, as/than controlled substances. & if anyone should be able to give their opinion on this situation, then it should definitely be me.

I've been on enough of them to know.

I'm also asking that hospitals, doctors, psychiatrists, & counselors

have to treat major situations like theseregardless of insurance issues.

I'm also asking that TennCareis forced to pay for an upper & bottom partial

because my teeth are in very bad condition

& look worse than anyone's teeth I can think of right now.

One dentist told me that if you're teeth aren't taken care of, & mine definitely aren't,

then it can set up infection&cause serious damage.

This might be one of the reasons I was diagnosed with Psychotic symptoms, for all I know.

This also could be causing my anixety & depression problems.

TennCare claims that they only pay for care that is medically necessary.

This definitely seems medically necessary to me!

Update! -

I forgot to mention in this petition that my baby neice also had a horrible experience with Dyersburg Regional Medical Center in Dyersburg, Tn.

The doctor there told her parents that she had pnuemonia in one lung.

They had her sent to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital from there.

After Le Bonheur ran some tests on her, they made it clear that Dyersburg Regional Medical Center had incompetent staff & she had ASTHMA, not pneumonia.

I also had an issue with a doctor there who wouldn't remove guests from my room that I asked to be removed. I was 18 at the time, so I had the right as an adult to be treated the same as everyone else 18 & above.

They're supposed to remove the person from your room if you don't want them there, but the doctor just looked at me like I was an idiot & went back to whatever it was that he was doing. 

Another doctor at Dyersburg Regional Medical Center said that he would have liked to sent me to youth villages, out of all places, just because I couldn't eat.

-Thanks to everyone reading this,

Lil' Devin