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Finding my friend

 
 
Mep
05:20 / 30.08.03
yeah.. so I don't usually harrass strangers with my problems, but I guess now is an okay time to start and stuff.

ok.. so here it goes.. I have this friend, she lives a few states away and I haven't talked to her in a few weeks. I thought she was living with her boyfriend's grandparents for right now.. but I checked her blog earlier today (by chance, she very rarely updates it) and it seems that for some reason she isn't anymore, i dunno whether she got kicked out or just left or what, she only says that some maintenence people found her and let her sleep in this church for the night, and that she didn't have any money, food, clean clothes.. etc.. and that she was going to hitchhike to a 'state mental health facility for women' in Wichita Falls and that if anyone wants to find her she's checking in on the 29th if not sooner.. of course i can't fucking find her because i can't seem to find a name or phone number for a state mental health facility for women in Wichita Falls. I'm hoping she made it there considering in the post she was all 'A life of being restrained and forced to swallow drugs is better than slitting my own throat.."

I'm really stressed and confused not to mention insanely worried right now, and I'm probably going to spend all day tomorrow making phone calls and trying to find out *something*, even though I don't have any idea how I can go about that considering I don't know anyone to call really. Hopefully she is okay.. but any advice/wordsofwisdom/huggles would be appreciated..
 
 
Mazarine
05:32 / 30.08.03
According to the TX dept. of mental health the Mental Health authority for Wichita Falls is/are The Helen Farabee Regional MHMR centers.

So far I haven't come across a specific mental health center for women, but perhaps calling them would be a good place to start- they'd know all the area hospitals, and could probably help you start narrowing it down.

Good luck, Mep, I hope you find her.
 
 
8===>Q: alyn
05:35 / 30.08.03
Jesus Christ. Huggles, Mep.

The old fashioned way would be to call the Wichita Falls City Hall and lay out the story to whoever calls--that you have this possibly suicidal friend who you haven't spoken to since she said she was goign to head to this Women's Mental Health place, but you have no idea how to find it, you dont' know what it's called, etc, and you're trying to find out if she made it there. Probably you should leave the internet stuff out, as it will only sound complicated.

That person should be able to direct you to some other office or agency that might offer better leads. Don't be alarmed if they direct you to the police--if your friend was in a "disorganized state" she may have been picked up somewhere. They would probably keep her until determining that she was mentally ill, then transfer her to a state facility. Even if the police were not involved, it might take some detective work. For instance, it may not be a whole facility specifically dedicated to mentally ill women--it may be a hosptital with a program like that or something. But keep trying, call every hospital etc in Wichita Falls if you have to.

You could try doing it through kansas.gov or whatever they've got, but I'd try to go through humans instead, because they'll care.
 
 
Lilly Nowhere Late
06:20 / 30.08.03
Poor Mep, hope you have all the luck in finding your friend safe and sound.

A couple of suggestions to add to the others: When you are speaking to
police/hospital staff, ask for description of Jane Does or offer the description of
your friend to be checked against recent Jane Does. I know this sounds grim but
if your friend was in any kind of state not to be telling her i.d. to officials, they will
have labeled her with this. And it isn`t just used for unknown dead people.

My other recomendation is that you email your friend at whatever emails you have for
her. Tell her that you have searched and searched for info about the hospitals and her
whereabouts and that you cannot find her and no one will tell you anything. Telll her in
the email that you are about to give up. The thing is, with a real risk of suicide, generally
the person does pull off a disappearance first to see who will come and find them. Your
friend may be sitting in the place you thought she was, just waiting for evidence that someone
is trying to find her. If she thinks you have made all the efforts and are at your wit`s end, she
may contact you.

I know that both of these things sound ludicrus and a bit desperate, but I am unfortunately
telling you from experience. In my situation the "friend" was found- showed up on his own actually,
and lived for several more weeks before the "event". The lesson being that even the most disturbed and
distressed people will give you a chance to save them usually. It just isn`t always possible.

All best wishes and do take some comfort for yourself that a whole bunch of weird strangers
will be thinking good thoughts your way.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
07:15 / 30.08.03
Jesus. Nothing much to add, really, other than good luck; hope all goes well.
 
 
Less searchable M0rd4nt
10:38 / 30.08.03
Same here. All the luck in the world, Mep.
 
 
that
11:06 / 30.08.03
And here. Best of luck, Mep.
 
 
bitchiekittie
11:56 / 30.08.03
hope you find her, and that when you do, that she's already in the process of getting the help she thinks she needs
 
 
pomegranate
19:30 / 30.08.03
good luck to you mep, and keep us updated.
 
 
Mep
21:53 / 30.08.03
gaaaahh. She's at her dad's house. She's apparently okay. I called a bunch of different places today, all of them I either got a machine or they just rang rang rang forever, you know.. then I called her mom (I know that seems obvious but I thought the number was defunct, but apparently it's not, plus I did try and call her first but I got a weird answering machine..)

So yeah. I got her dad's number from her mom and I'm going to call tonight and see what the hell is up with her.

Thanks to everyone though.
 
  
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