Venting Forced psychiatric ward stay

[NatureHermit921]

Let's start this off with: I'm not mentally ill - I can think clearly and make decisions based on logical thinking. The future that is ahead for me will not only be extremely difficult for me, but also for the people around me
So being put into a facility where patients are having an active episode really put things into perspective.
Regardless of why you were there - you were immediately put onto benzos. They were giving it out like candy and refusing it was not an option.
I think everyone already knows that you should avoid getting admitted at all costs but from this experience I dont even know if its helpful for people that want actual help..
It feels like a huge disconnect between "helping" people and putting them on medication because its easier.
Oh.. yea medication. I got put onto SSRI's - the nullification of emotions with these things is crazy. I was able to lie my way out of it after two weeks - though it felt like an eternity. Since there was nothing to do..
All in all - Nothing about this is really "news" but I felt like venting about this horrible system. Saying : "you have choice! Either go - or we will take you there :) " like they were doing something good..avoid these mental wards and be careful with a lot of stuff.. they seem to do more damage than good.

 

[hʚll]

i'm sorry for what you had to experience. i hate that they deprive you of any freedom under the disguise of helping you because poor you isn't able to think "clearly" lol. they abuse people inside there. one of the worst places in the planet.
happy you're out at least

 

[NatureHermit921]

happy you're out at least

Yea,, now I can atleast distract myself! You were alone with your thoughts for 90% of the day. I really dont know how any of that is helpful to anyone.. but oh well they must know better~

 

[FuneralCry]

I'm sorry you had to go through that, it is my worst nightmare ending up in one of those. From what I've heard they do many people more harm than good. I wish you well.

 

[Largeletters]

I have never really gone willingly. All of my hospitalizations were as a minor so I never really had much say. Getting admitted willingly is bad enough but being forced is even worse. Psych wards rarely help, all they ever do is add more stress onto their patients and rack up the medical bills, even though the facilities are total shit, all of it. I'm really sorry you've been through it.

 

[Foogs]

I've been to 3 psych hospitals and came out worse every single time. They're just understaffed jails that are allowed to drug you. The first one, half the staff could be confused for patients if it weren't for the outfits and zombies just walked up and down the 2 halls we had access to, with nothing else to do. Many were violent so I hid scared in my room, which had walls covered in bodily fluid stains. The second I was sexually assaulted by another patient and verbally abused by others, and the psychiatrist abused me by withholding my medication for no reason. I experienced mind-bendingly horrific discontinuation syndrome for half a day before he decided to see me and approve it. He could have seen me sooner, just didn't want to despite my explaining the situation and pleading. The last one, I watched someone die because they weren't allowed I guess either benzos or alcohol withdrawal treatment. They had a seizure and cracked their head right open.

EDIT: Oh and they're FUCKING BORING when something horrible isn't happening. Just sitting around 90% of the time.

 

[Largeletters]

I've been to 3 psych hospitals and came out worse every single time. They're just understaffed jails that are allowed to drug you. The first one, half the staff could be confused for patients if it weren't for the outfits and zombies just walked up and down the 2 halls we had access to, with nothing else to do. Many were violent so I hid scared in my room, which had walls covered in bodily fluid stains. The second I was sexually assaulted by another patient and verbally abused by others, and the psychiatrist abused me by withholding my medication for no reason. I experienced mind-bendingly horrific discontinuation syndrome for half a day before he decided to see me and approve it. He could have seen me sooner, just didn't want to despite my explaining the situation and pleading. The last one, I watched someone die because they weren't allowed I guess either benzos or alcohol withdrawal treatment. They had a seizure and cracked their head right open.

I'm so sorry this happened to you... your experience sounds absolutely horrible and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.

 

[killedbypsychiatry]

I'm not mentally ill - I can think clearly and make decisions based on logical thinking.

Most psychiatric patients aren't "mentally ill" they are just having reactions to shitty situations. It's like only a minority who actually have a neurological issue that requires medication. and even then, even if it's actually neurological many times the answer isn't psychiatric drugs. Anyways, many psychiatric patients also have some form of iatrogenic damage because of psychiatric drugs but they weren't inherently crazy, just humans expiring awful life situations or sometimes poor health

they seem to do more damage than good.

Exactly, that's what they do, the least thing a person in distress needs is more abuse, drugs, invasion of personal autonomy and violation of human rights, yet that's what psychiatry gives people in severe distress. They rarely care about why someone is having such behavior, they see people as no more than chemical reactions which is extremely reductuonist cause they don't take the context into the account and all of their drugs are shit that do more harm than good and can severely disable one, unfortunately. I hate psychiatry so so much, they ruin so so many lived and abuse many, makes me so so angry.

 

[Foogs]

When I was collapsed on the floor because my mind was broken from discontinuation syndrome, crying and wailing and begging for help, I had several nurses actually step over me to get to where they were going. I had collapsed near 1 of 2 exits to their little desk area. They could have at least just used the other exit...

These places don't give a fuck about you

 

[Burned out]

I have been in such places that held people on trial for murder but were found not competent to stand trial, people doing life in the psych word, people playing with feces, people getting naked and doing sexual things on the open ward, people screaming in pain and banging against everything but being ignored, a person once practically died, or did die, in front of me, have myself been put in full body restraints and immobilized--you have to then urinate in that position because they will not let you use the toilet. Too much to remember all at once.

 

[NatureHermit921]

they see people as no more than chemical reactions which is extremely reductuonist cause they don't take the context into the account

Thist this this. There were so many different people with different problems - but they were all on the same medication. For the first week I was just so tired and stumbling around because of the benzos.

many psychiatric patients also have some form of iatrogenic damage because of psychiatric drug

The sleeping pills I got might come in handy later but I flushed the SSRI's as soon as I got home. I dont even wanna know how bad it would have gotten after taking these things for months on end.

Many were violent so I hid scared in my room

Even hiding in my room didnt do it for me. I woke up to a 2m+ guy (patient) standing at my bed and touching me on my head. One of the scariest experiences I ever had personally because it just seemed so surreal..

Oh and they're FUCKING BORING when something horrible isn't happening. Just sitting around 90% of the time.

I was trying my best to sleep as much as possible cause it was almost as bad as complete sensory deprivation. staring for hours at a wall - oh its lunch time 4 hour break where nothing happens - dinner. It was a compleete mess