yes, the injections in my hip *were* painful. i don't know why they couldn't have given me oral meds instead, but i'm assuming it's because i was actively hallucinating, confused, manic, paranoid and extremely irritable and wouldn't have taken oral meds because of it. i also know that injectable meds are fast-acting and more potent than oral meds. i'm glad they didn't give me an injection you-know-where with haldol since that's even more painful. one thing i did *not* like about the first hospital i attended was that they pumped me up with so many drugs making me catatonic for 17 hours straight. according to one of the nurses (who told me this upon my discharge), i sat on the floor in front of the dining room for 17 hours straight. tigger was beside me at the time, but i didn't move or speak, so one of the nurses had to feed and relieve her. the following morning after my catatonia broke, a social worker asked me if she could take tigger outside to relieve her. i was extremely paranoid at the time, so it took alot of convincing to hand tigger over. that day tigger was taken home by my sister because one of the nurses said some of the patients were afraid of dogs. having said that, i'm happy to report that at the last hospital i recently attended, the nursing staff asked me why i didn't bring tigger with me and said the next time i'm inpatient they would be more than happy to take care of her.
as for the experience of being restrained, yes, it was very unpleasant. i know i was severely manic and combative at the time, but they didn't need to have 4 people holding my arms and legs so i couldn't move. i knew i was being pulled inside a room by several people, but did not know why. after they injected me, i started to panic because i thought they were going to lock me inside that room all by myself.
