Salem
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘The psychiatrist and the nursing staff, they were acting like high school bullies pretty much to me. Just like name calling and stuff like that. And I was just doing my very best to stand up for myself even though I didn't have the energy to.’
Salem, early 20s, is autistic and has fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. They told the Royal Commission they have ‘very complex chronic health issues’ and ‘there's been times where [they] need a wheelchair’.
As a child Salem was exposed to domestic violence, bullying and hate crime.
Last year Salem was experiencing chronic bladder pain and having trouble urinating, and called an ambulance. Although Salem had previously had transphobic experiences at a nearby hospital, they agreed to go there because their mother and support worker would be there to ensure they were not mistreated.
On arrival Salem was separated from their mother and support worker and put into an ‘interrogation room’ – an empty locked room for a mental health assessment.
A male nurse immediately gave Salem some form of morphine or opioid medication despite Salem’s protests – they’d previously had bad experiences with opioid medication.
Salem was not permitted to go to the toilet, even though they had not gone to the toilet for almost 40 hours.
Salem told the Royal Commission they were left alone in the ‘interrogation room’ for a long time.
‘I was just like desperately asking for help and for someone to call my mum or my support worker. But the staff were very frightened by me asking for that.’
Eventually a psychiatrist came to see her but he wasn’t wearing a mask. Salem refused to speak to him until he put a mask on.
He asked Salem questions about their mental health and demanded they tell him their biological sex.
Salem tried to tell the psychiatrist there had been ‘some kind of misunderstanding’ and they were there for a medical issue.
‘I was in so much physical pain that it wasn't easy for me to say what was wrong.’
The psychiatrist refused to listen. Frustrated Salem threw a water bottle and asked for a lawyer.
The psychiatrist accused Salem of assault and called security. Salem was admitted as an involuntary patient for being ‘hostile and violent’.
In hospital, staff injected antipsychotic medication without Salem’s consent and refused to allow them to take their usual medication.
Staff routinely laughed at Salem.
‘They would like mock and invalidate me about my gender and my physical disabilities just all the time.’
Staff refused to use Salem’s preferred pronouns, and one staff member told them they ‘just need Jesus’.
‘There were lots and lots of pamphlets for ECT [electroconvulsive therapy]. And I found that really triggering because I was given ECT [before] and I didn't need it and it was very traumatic and one of the worst things I've ever been through.’
Salem asked staff to remove the pamphlets but they refused. Salem was terrified they were going to make them have ECT again.
Salem is vegetarian and lactose intolerant and couldn’t eat the hospital food. Staff believed Salem had an eating disorder which was another reason they needed to be detained. They also accused Salem of ‘being addicted to self-harming’ even though the scars were old. ‘They just threatened me.’
After four weeks Salem was allowed to go home. ‘It was very traumatic,’ they said.
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.