Questions about psychiatric hospital
Nordwulf
doing bad, I didn't get any therapy, I only get pills because I'm in a
retarded country. I'm worrying that the psychiatrist I will go soon is
gonna say hospital, as two of them before him already said hospital but
my family doesn't agree about it, and they discontinued taking me to
them after they said hospital, so they'll take me to another one and if
he says hospital I don't know what will happen, maybe they'll agree
about it finally, as I'm doing very bad at home. So, I saw some of you
talking about isolation rooms and how they're bad, so are mental
hospitals bad? Should I be expecting any abuse in there? and is it going
to make me any better to stay a week or two in a hospital? and what
happens in the hospital? I'm just asking people with a previous
experience with a psychiatric hospital. Thanks.
slunky
> Well, I've been going to psychiatrists since a few years, and I'm still
> doing bad, I didn't get any therapy, I only get pills because I'm in a
> retarded country. I'm worrying that the psychiatrist I will go soon is
> gonna say hospital, as two of them before him already said hospital but
> my family doesn't agree about it, and they discontinued taking me to
> them after they said hospital, so they'll take me to another one and if
> he says hospital I don't know what will happen, maybe they'll agree
> about it finally, as I'm doing very bad at home. So, I saw some of you
> talking about isolation rooms and how they're bad, so are mental
> hospitals bad?
Not at all.
> Should I be expecting any abuse in there?
No.
> and is it going to make me any better to stay a week or two in a
> hospital?
Nothing will "make" you better. You have to do the work, but it might
help. I don't really know you, so I can't really say whether it will
help.
> and what happens in the hospital?
Depends on the hospital. You meet with a doctor. Usually there are
groups to attend if you want, or you can sleep all day if you choose at
most. There's support staff to talk to if you'd like. Some are good some
aren't very.
> I'm just asking people with a previous experience with a psychiatric
> hospital. Thanks.
--
-slunky
lisa in mass.
Isolation rooms are for people who can't control themselves
even when in the hospital. They're almost always used like
that for very short periods of time. Most people in the
hospital are never put into isolation.
Hospitals are all different. As slunky said, they have group
talk therapy, you meet with a doctor (in mine, once every
day), and they might ajdust your medication to something that
could work better for you. Depending on the hospital, there
are more or less strict rules and different levels of freedom.
In the hospital I go to, so long as you're stable, there's
even a short daily supervised walk off the unit with staff and
some other patients. There's art and art supplies, snacks,
videos, and we can borrow cd players to listen to a wide
variety of available music. There's a quiet room that everyone
shares that's available when someone needs to be alone (you'll
have one or more roommates, usually).
Not bad at all. I've gotten lots of help in the hospital in
the past, and probably will again. When I need to go because
I'm in serious danger of badly hurting or killing myself, I
go. The doctor doesn't even have to tell me, I tell him that
it's hospital time.
I hope this diminishes your fears. Maybe you can print it out
for your family to see so that they'll know that hospitals are
very different now than they were years ago.
-lisa
Emily
great way to stay safe when there is no alternative. It definitely
depends on the hospital as to what goes on--some are better than others.
I've been in some without any programming--just a place where they
keep you away from dangerous stuff. Those aren't as helpful as the ones
with programing. Though, I often get quite a bit of help/insight out of
my fellow patients.
When I would regularly participate in SI, and I wasn't going deep (or
planning to do silly things like cut off my thumb), the hospital often
did not help so much--sharps were locked up, but I didn't learn coping
skills, so when I got out, the cutting got a tad worse for a bit.
However, if I was going to do serious harm to myself--deep cuts,
suicide, then the hospital helped prevent that.
Now, I don't really SI. I go to the hospital when I can no longer
promise not to kill myself. My p-doc usually asks about it about a week
or two before I am really ready. I will contract for safety with her,
and promise to call her if I can't. If things go down hill from there
(and usually by the time she mentions hospital they do), then I wind up
in her office telling her I can't contract for safety anymore, and I'm
off to the hospital. Being in the hospital usually really helps. (I've
got a really good one to go to with lots of great programming). I also
attend a day program once I'm out, and that is also very helpful.
Sometimes, if things aren't so bad, the day program without the hospital
is all I need.
Now, from your post it sounds like you are not from the U.S. If that is
the case, your hospitals may be different. You should NEVER be abused
in the hospital, but as to rules about quiet rooms/isolation and such,
your country may do things differently. In the U.S., most hospital
stays are only for a few days, and not more than ten. (Unless you are
very psychotic, and it takes longer to come out of it). Insurance
companies don't generally authorize more days. Plus, hospitals are more
for the really acute phases--where you are a serious danger to yourself,
and then once that passes the day programs are a better choice.
The hospital may help you get hooked up with some sort of therapist as
well. I find that is crucial for my well being. I need the meds, but I
also need the therapy to keep me on an even keel. And, I have to do a
lot of hard work myself.
My last hospital stay (That was almost two weeks--a very long time
around here), I felt like I wasn't doing enough work to get better. I
did get out of bed and dressed every day, and I did attend all the
groups, and somewhat participate. The nursing staff kept telling me that
was a great start--many people didn't even get out of bed at all. I
just felt like I wasn't doing any of the hard stuff I knew it took to
get better. But, at the time I was SO depressed, I really couldn't. By
attending groups I started getting a little better, and by the time I
was safe enough to leave the hospital, I was able to work harder at the
day program.
Emily
Nordwulf
I clearly needed help (at least seeing a psychiatrist) they discontinued
taking me to psychiatrists after they've said I need to be in a
hospital, and now I have to wait two months until I go to the next
psychiatrist, I don't know how I will do, but every day my hate for
myself and the people around me increases more and more.
lisa in mass.
I don't know where you are, but there's usually a local
suicide crisis phone number. Find the number, call and tell
them that you feel you are a danger to yourself. Then it won't
matter whether your family agrees or not. You'll be in the
hospital.
Here's some numbers:
http://suicidehotlines.com/international.html
http://suicideandmentalhealthassociationinternational.org/Cris
is.html
http://www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html
I hope you'll find one near you. There's more available, I
just picked these sites from a Google search for international
suicide hotlines.
-lisa