He doesn't have an eating disorder but....

Prodigy said:

1. It's not an eating disorder so much as a means to get rid of the pills. I don't want to offend anyone by making anyone think i am making light of eating disorders

2. How long, I wonder, does a pill have to be in your system before it takes effect? Like how long after would he need to do it to get it out of him?

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This really belongs in the experts and interviewees subforum, if you ask a mod I'm sure they'll move it for you.

1) It all depends on how you handle it. I don't think anyone can answer that without reading the text.

2) Depends on the pill. Some begin to act within seconds, others can take ten to fifteen minutes, perhaps more. Almost any pill will lose some effectiveness if he manages to throw up his stomach contents within say five minutes, but almost any pill will still have some effect if it's not thrown up within seconds. Exactly what the effect is, I could not say, but you will need to know what the pills are for any expert to give a meaningful opinion.

I hate to throw a wrench in your idea- BUT- if he is known to be suicidal and they are medicating him because of that- they are going to watch him for at least thirty minutes ( the time it takes for something in your stomach to be digested- more or less) to make sure he doesn't do this. they will also make him open his mouth and look under his tongue to be sure he isn't just pretending to swallow them. anyone on suicide watch will not have much freedom.

As the users above said, if he is suicidal, he will be monitored to avoid this.

Also the time pills take to take effect vary significantly.

Is "they" a residential facility, or his parents?

I feel like most people would hide pills in their cheek/under their tongue, rather than actually swallowing them. But, as others have said, if he was on suicide watch, they would be monitoring him very closely. I guess it all depends on how much significance/detail you want to give this plot.

My nurse friends say they would watch closely- you not only want them taken at the right time, you also don't want patients hoarding pills they don't take, to later take all at once as an overdose.

vivalalauren said:

I feel like most people would hide pills in their cheek/under their tongue, rather than actually swallowing them. But, as others have said, if he was on suicide watch, they would be monitoring him very closely. I guess it all depends on how much significance/detail you want to give this plot.

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I do know one person who had some issues a few years ago. He wouldn't take his medication, kept hiding it like you mentioned. Eventually it was all discovered. From then on in his tablets were dissolved in water and he had to drink them. I don't know if this is possible with all medications, or just some, or even if it's a widespread practice, but in his case that's what happened. To add context the tablets were anti-psychotics.

He might also be given depot injections of anti-psychotics.

Hmm, not sure if this would be helpful info but I've had first hand experience with medications/an eating disorder.

On a side note, as people have mentioned suicide watch = monitored. Here in Canada (Not sure if its the same elsewhere) if you are suspected of a threat to yourself or others they can detain you until you're cleared by a psychiatrist.

1. I actually developed an eating disorder BECAUSE of the drugs I was put on for Anxiety/PTSD. I pretty much turned into a zombie and developed paranoia leading to eating celery for a month and developing bulimia. If it ever gets that bad though it comes down to the person wanting to change more than anything. It becomes ingrained in the psyche and you just instinctfully do those behaviours.

2. Most take about 2 weeks to be fully effective but you can feel them working within taking the very first pill.
Getting them out fo your system depends on the drug. For me it was a two week window where I weaned myself off of them. Withdrawl is bad news from psychotropics too, brain shakes are the scariest thing ever.

Enough rambling, hope that helps with your research

I'd say as far as not wanting to take the pills goes, it would be more likely for your character to hide the pill between his back teeth and cheek. Under the tongue is the most common place to be checked so the other method would allow the pill to still be hidden should a nurse or whatever make him open his mouth and stick his tongue out.