#8 More Powerful than a shot of Valium
CONTENT WARNING: This story contains descriptions of violence and restraint.
“It was going to become my third time being forced into a mental hospital in as many months. I had become homeless and was caught in a vicious cycle of C-PTSD minding my own business in Brisbane when I had a seizure and someone called an ambulance.
Once it is on your record that you are 'under mental health' they never let you forget it and I didn't feel like answering questions so I walked out of the Emergency Department crossed the road to a train station and was waiting to catch a train when two burly looking security guards came marching towards me and (illegally) grabbed me. As an average sized woman they towered over me and they really enjoyed it too.
When I asked what they thought they were doing they just sneered at me and one of them said "we'll decide what rights you have". They got me by each arm and had to carry me kicking and screaming all the way because I refused to walk. When we got there they threw me into the wall and deliberately slammed my head while a nurse demanded they hold me down, you could see the sick joy in her eyes, as I kept fighting and wouldn't stay still I was pinned on the ground by four men while she stuck the needle in me and I could smell her breath as she said "Now what can you do?". They had let me go and I got up slowly not feeling any effects and still furious I lunged at her and got her in a headlock and just started punching her as hard as I could in the face. I realised that the security goons were just standing there with shocked looks not doing anything to grab me and it occurred to me that this was now a hostage situation. I dragged her towards the nearby door yelling all kinds of threats hitting her a few more times and amazed they were allowing this just slammed her into the door frame and ran. I'm looking for the nearest outside door and don't care one bit about all the yelling and screaming behind me. I turn a corner and there it is.
As soon as I get outside I can see a service station with a taxi filling up across a busy road that I just run into and the guards running after me are too scared to follow into the traffic and wait for the lights to change. I slow down and walk up to the cab just as he's putting the nozzle back in the pump "Can you take me?" "Where are you going?" I only really know one place in Brisbane and I have a keycard in my pocket "Fortitude Valley" "Sure get in" They have to watch us drive off and I never did hear anything more about it.”