Ever been to a psych ward?

[Rynalia]

Plenty of times, both voluntary and involuntary.

Man oh man do I just love the cop raids.


Experiences range from pretty alright to human rights violations.

Sleep too much? Yeah we'll just confiscate your entire bed. Have fun.

Windows? What are those? Wooden boards and metal bars, baby.

Sleep? Sure, but only 10-15 minutes intervals before we walk inside your room and turn on the portable high beams straight in your face.

Cardboard pillows and literal paper sheets in the middle of winter in negative degree weather is fantastic.

Food? Spray pancakes and meatloaf. :)

 

[no-hope-no-future]

Once and never want to again. They watch everything you do and you're not allowed on your own unless someone is with you. Everything is taken away from you if its considered a risk factor. It felt more like a prison to me. Never allowed outside. You're forced to take meds at specific times and you end up in a room full of people who just seem to spend time making you feel worse for wanting to kill your self.
You also have other people who have things ranging from OCD to psychosis sometimes having to go into full lock down just to deal with any issues. You're restricted to when people can see you and what you can do in your room. All this while still being expected to run your life while being locked up.

 

[whywere]

Yes...March 17th like a month now

Severe depression episode

Hugs and love to you, as I also have massive depression, and I wrap my arms around you with a hug and the knowledge that you are a worthy, kind and ever so caring soul, with so much to give yourself and others.

Lots of well wishes with sunny blue skies to/for you my good friend.

Walter

 

[-nobodyknows-]

Three times

 

[dontwakemeup]

I had an involuntary 72 hr hold. I felt so bad for the other patients because some were so out of touch with reality. Actually, I'd prefer to be like that. The staff were all nice, and the patients were also. I had this 1 lady who would draw me butterflies everyday. I actually looked forward to my pictures, she was so sweet. I guess it's what you make it. It didn't help me, but I got the break from everyone I needed and great sleep.

 

[FoxSauce]

T

Hugs and love to you, as I also have massive depression, and I wrap my arms around you with a hug and the knowledge that you are a worthy, kind and ever so caring soul, with so much to give yourself and others.

Lots of well wishes with sunny blue skies to/for you my good friend.

Walter

Thank you so much for the kind words ! You too! Touvalso deserve kindness and best of wishes!

 

[DeadManLiving]

i was admitted 7 times between the ages of 16 and 19. to three different facilities. i didn't want to be at home or at school, and i didn't have anywhere else that i could stay. the first time i stayed for 4 days, and my last two admissions were altogether about a month. the only time i was involuntarily committed was during my last admission, i had been at an inpatient facility that would not keep patients for more than two weeks; i had verbally agreed to be voluntarily committed to another facility but was informed last minute of my involuntary commitment. i was provided a stretcher and then strapped to it. they didn't give me any specific reason. there was a social worker who had gently persuaded me to voluntarily commit myself to the second facility, and who had reassured me that this wouldn't happen, i could see the guilt in her expression on my last day. in retrospect i wish that i had felt more forgiving towards her. she was really nice to me. i didn't try to appeal. the second facility had nice food but there one specific tech that would rescind my privileges without telling me.

the first facility i had been to was relatively bare with tight corridors and overwhelming overhead lighting. the second one had nice food, i met my best friend at the time there. the third one was okay but there was a guy who was 10 years older than me who probably groomed and mooched a bit of money off me once i was out.

I'm sorry you had to go through that evil trauma. It can be paralyzing for life. Were the facilities Arcadia/FL or in another other State? If you don't mind sharing

 

[FishermanLarry61]

Voluntarily but also involuntary, my therapist told me to turn myself in or she would do it.

Was there for almost 2 and a half weeks but it felt like an eternity, everything is really scary and it was really cold, it felt more like a prison, I felt that I was a nuisance rather than a patient.

Good thing is that if I don't get a firearm or SN (or something that will make me go away in a painless way), I won't ctb since I'm scared to go there again.

Also, if anyone is thinking to getting admitted don't worry!! I feel like my case is an isolated one since the country that I'm currently residing in has bad mental health services (Spain). My current girlfriend was admitted years ago (in Germany) and she said that they treated her just fine.

Take care everyone

 

[whywere]

Plenty of times, both voluntary and involuntary.

Man oh man do I just love the cop raids.


Experiences range from pretty alright to human rights violations.

Sleep too much? Yeah we'll just confiscate your entire bed. Have fun.

Windows? What are those? Wooden boards and metal bars, baby.

Sleep? Sure, but only 10-15 minutes intervals before we walk inside your room and turn on the portable high beams straight in your face.

Cardboard pillows and literal paper sheets in the middle of winter in negative degree weather is fantastic.

Food? Spray pancakes and meatloaf. :)

WOW! Sounds like the hospital wards that I was in. Food? Hamburger with the bun soaked in grease, how yummy! NOT!

YES, as far as the flashlight in one's face during the night at the worst intervals ever. Hardly get back to sleep and BANG! a super bright light in my face and I am fully awake again! Then the next morning, gee did you not get a good night's sleep? Wonderful! just loved the neon spotlight in my face every 15 minutes or so, made sleeping so much more fun knowing that I was going to get blasted with light again and again and again.

My heart goes out to you, as I know the situation firsthand and it was NOT a pretty sight to say the least.

Walter

 

[L9 CHOCOIRL]

Went there a few years ago because my doctor told me that he couldn't diagnose me with bipolar since I "hadn't been hospitalised."
So I thought, okay. I'll just do that myself then?
Anyways, ended up being alot better than I thought and I got high off cough syrup while I was at it

 

[duke.]

I've been there twice, both voluntarily. I admitted myself because the drugs I used were laced and I wanted to be in a place where I'd be somewhat safe and also I needed to talk to the docs to get me prescribed on diff meds.

 

[Daenerys Targaryen]

No, that won't cure me. I'd rather make sure I end up in the morgue, 100%.

 

[Griever]

I was voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital for a few weeks, but it didn't help

 

[nobody_oac]

I self admitted as I was on the edge, but didn't feel ready. I remember doing a lot of group coloring and being forced to eat more than any person should. I paced a particular corridor a fair bit of the time. Eventually someone decided to join me and I think we became fast friends. They gave me their number, but I never called after I got out. Still wonder how that would have turned out and feel bad for not reaching out. Oh, and my girlfriend, at the time, dropped off a bunch of my stuff to a friend, then left the staff a breakup letter to give me.

Basically Sandals.

 

[RibbonAmia]

The only time I had ever been in one was when I was 15, classic over the counter pill OD. As you would expect, it didn't work. I did get some interesting hallucinations though. One of them was that I was in my living room, and that my parents "got a new TV". My parents used to have those old box tvs, they later replaced it because it broke, however I hallucinated during that time that they bought a new one. It was interesting, to say the least.
I am slightly better now, no worries. It has only been once though. 15 year old me got scared she would be taken away from her parents.
It was slightly fun though. One of the nurses and the patients had a dance battle. The patient won.

 

[LetMeOut67]

Just once, ten years ago. For five days.
I was extremely depressed, unable to get out of bed and felt close to insanity. I told them that I had thought about killing my parents "to spare them the distress of my suicide" and I believe only this was the reason I became a (voluntary) in-patient. A policeman then turned up. My parents were informed of what I'd said. I'm sure the hospital would have detained me under the Mental Health Act if I'd not been a voluntary patient. But perhaps they also thought that the threats had just been a ruse to get serious help.
I thought the whole experience of being on the ward was so awful that I decided that the outside world wasn't that bad after all. I'm not sure that is how it's supposed to work . It was boring and my social isolation and boredom was why I was in there in the first place. Most of my fellow patients were just normal people who'd tried to kill themselves or threatened to. There were a few others going through psychotic episodes which were scary to witness.
Shortly after my circumstances changed and I was put on a higher dose so I improved slightly. I don't think being in hospital itself made any difference but it did change me as it was a line in the sand in my mind so became a sort of reboot.

 

[Unbearable Mr. Bear]

Only once, and hopefully never ever again. It was the worst 21 days of my life. A human pen where nobody cares when they should cause they're freaking paid for it goddamn.

It was voluntary. I thought I was going to the place where people actually know what they were doing and got to watch me 24/7 so they could diagnose me better and point out what I could do. Nope, noppity nope, it was 21 days of complete isolation in a place unknown.

Probably the worst traumas that didn't come from childhood came from there. I was so sad, so desolated that the place that was supposed to help looked more like a trash bin of people. I couldn't hug people. I COULDN'T FUCKING HUG SOMEONE TO FEEL BETTER.

If I could undo something in my life would be the decision to go there. Never, ever, ever again.

 

[LostLily]

I am a patient at one. Luckily, they let me go home for an overnight pass. And tomorrow my mother and I will meet with my doctors, and if everything goes well, I will get discharged after nearly 2 weeks there.

Honestly, it's not as horrible as I thought it would be. Of course, it depends on what facility you are attending.

 

[whywere]

I am a patient at one. Luckily, they let me go home for an overnight pass. And tomorrow my mother and I will meet with my doctors, and if everything goes well, I will get discharged after nearly 2 weeks there.

Honestly, it's not as horrible as I thought it would be. Of course, it depends on what facility you are attending.

Sending you all the love and caring thoughts in the world in helping you, as you are so precious and I wish you all the finest in your healing journey.

You are truly a wonderful spirit!

Walter

 

[LostLily]

Sending you all the love and caring thoughts in the world in helping you, as you are so precious and I wish you all the finest in your healing journey.

You are truly a wonderful spirit!

Walter

thank you

 

[clavicle]

If so, please tell us how you got there (voluntary, involuntary, related details) and any interesting stories from your stay.

tried to rope while my folks were out but they came back earlier than expected and I got admitted for 3 weeks. The most surprising thing I found out was some people there were "addicted" to being admitted and would purposely attempt when their family was home or attempt but not with genuine intent to die. Me and some other girl there were the only ones who had been admitted for the first time

 

[LostLily]

WOW! Sounds like the hospital wards that I was in. Food? Hamburger with the bun soaked in grease, how yummy! NOT!

YES, as far as the flashlight in one's face during the night at the worst intervals ever. Hardly get back to sleep and BANG! a super bright light in my face and I am fully awake again! Then the next morning, gee did you not get a good night's sleep? Wonderful! just loved the neon spotlight in my face every 15 minutes or so, made sleeping so much more fun knowing that I was going to get blasted with light again and again and again.

My heart goes out to you, as I know the situation firsthand and it was NOT a pretty sight to say the least.

Walter

Wow, my hospital food was actuallynot bad. Out of the nearly two weeks of meals there, fewer than a handful of meals I thought were horrible. The cooking is better than mine .

They do the check-up at my hospital without the light, even at night. And they gave me melatonin to help me sleep.

 

[whywere]

Wow, my hospital food was actuallynot bad. Out of the nearly two weeks of meals there, fewer than a handful of meals I thought were horrible. The cooking is better than mine .

They do the check-up at my hospital without the light, even at night. And they gave me melatonin to help me sleep.

FANTASTIC! Reading this made my evening!

My experience was HORRIBLE and to read that you had a good experience made me so happy for you and this is a sign of all the great things that will help you so much.

I am so VERY happy for you.

Walter

 

[LostLily]

Only once, and hopefully never ever again. It was the worst 21 days of my life. A human pen where nobody cares when they should cause they're freaking paid for it goddamn.

It was voluntary. I thought I was going to the place where people actually know what they were doing and got to watch me 24/7 so they could diagnose me better and point out what I could do. Nope, noppity nope, it was 21 days of complete isolation in a place unknown.

Probably the worst traumas that didn't come from childhood came from there. I was so sad, so desolated that the place that was supposed to help looked more like a trash bin of people. I couldn't hug people. I COULDN'T FUCKING HUG SOMEONE TO FEEL BETTER.

If I could undo something in my life would be the decision to go there. Never, ever, ever again.

That sounds horrible! Were you locked in a room? I was in a ward and could freely walk around the common areas. We had a locked windowless room, but you were only put there if you were being disruptive.

The psychiatrist at the hospital switch my antidepressant to something else, which my current family doctor was refusing to do. That greatly improved my mode. And they brought in a psychologist who diagnosed me with ASD

 

[RoseGirl]

Uhm I've been to the psychward twice, since i was a mild paitent. Uhm every time the police have came they've been pretty respectful, kind and just a little bit awkward. One of the times the police came one of the cops was a mum who's kid struggled with mental health issues, uhm she was super nice.

The way getting admitted to the psychward here is that u basically have to wait in er till u get checked by the psych triage, as long as ur chill they'll generally just suggest a mental health stay if they think it'll be beneficial but u don't have to go. Uhm also if ur chill you'll usually go to a smaller more relaxed ward.

In the psychward all the people there r like 30-50 year old women so there's no one to talk to. I just ended up playing vidya and texting people on my steam deck or phone. As for the nurses they were mostly fine execpt for my first time in the psychward there was a bitchy one who got upset at me for being on my steam deck at night.

 

[AdultVirgin]

yep, I was there for 6 months

and the indian psychiatrists still did not wanna let me go

I had to be discharged by a tribunal

 

[Unbearable Mr. Bear]

That sounds horrible! Were you locked in a room? I was in a ward and could freely walk around the common areas. We had a locked windowless room, but you were only put there if you were being disruptive.

The psychiatrist at the hospital switch my antidepressant to something else, which my current family doctor was refusing to do. That greatly improved my mode. And they brought in a psychologist who diagnosed me with ASD

When someone got too rowdy they trapped the person to a ward and put sedatives in for them to sleep. I wasn't locked, I was free to go about the common areas, but I felt isolated, thrown into a strange place with strange people that didn't care. At least outside I had known people who didn't care, but inside I feared I would stay there forever, if that's what I deserved after all, if that's going to make me feel better, or worse. It was a torrent of questions without answers.

It was more still about the disappointment of nothing actually getting better after I was in an institution that was meant to make me better. Yet another trust broken, yet another layer of bricks around my heart, yet more paranoia for me...it really wrecked me.

 

[matchalavendercake]

no and i hope never, that's literally the last thing i ever want.. i think i may snap if i get forced to