Has anyone actually had a positive experience in the psych ward? Some part of my SI says maybe they'll rejigger your meds or give you ECT and then you'll want to live again and fight for your life.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
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ugulamugula
Autism/BPD/Chronic Depression
- Mar 25, 2026
- 69
No, they just make you "stable" to immediately send you back to school/work
Makethemsuffer
I want to be forgotten, not remembered
- Jul 30, 2026
- 17
It can I guess? Let's not be pessimistic, but you need to be incredibly lucky. Psych wards make you stable enough to be discharged, they don't "cure" you. You'd have better luck with mental hospitals I think
siphon_hyphen
taking advantage of what I can!
- Jan 3, 2026
- 36
It depends on the ward and on your own struggles. For some people I know, it has genuinely helped them and kept them safe, whereas for others, they felt even worse upon release. I generally have a negative opinion of them since I've heard so many horror stories, but it's certainly possible to get lucky.
Argent
JRPG Queen
- Apr 13, 2025
- 31
I haven't found it to be helpful. At the end of the day, hospitals are there to make money. Unfortunately that often comes at the expense of patient welfare.Depens on a psych ward honestly. But yeah. Especially on group therpatu they teach coping skills, communication, problem solving etc
gattara
Member
- Jul 8, 2026
- 27
i would recommend outpatient over inpatient, because ive heard bad stories about inpatient, like being forced to take meds or being stripped on intake. but it probably depends on the facility.Some wards are better or worse then others, it might be worth researching yours. Depending on the ward, the level that it sucks ranges. I find they can help to have a break from the world and give yourself permisison to just not think about the issues in your life for a bit, and have a complete change of habit and scenery, and at a good one, more structure. Which can help to break a really bad moment.
pond
stuck like a nerf dart
- May 8, 2018
- 306
The intensive outpatient ones maybe, where you're given a routine but are still allowed to go home at the end of the day. It might stabilize you or get you to a point where you think living is worth coping some more. But I think it would help to have some desire or hope that you can change the way you feel or think. Stabilization is the "easy" part.
I have only had bad inpatient experiences and full-heartedly don't believe I can "get better" so I would never put myself through the dehumanization of the mental health system again.
shadowlove
Member
- Jul 31, 2026
- 8
I think it's more about calming you down. When you calm down, you won't think too much. If you are very restless, they will restrain and protect you.
For me I didn't find it helpful but that's not to say that psychiatric hospitals can't help people. I think it depends on what your needs are/what you're struggling with and what that specific ward can offer.
Lamentice
Just me for miles & miles of life
- Mar 27, 2023
- 427
If you're in a position where you can stay at one for months without devastating repercussions in your life (debt, bills unpaid, work that allows you to take that leave), then go, at least for the break it can give from the outside world.
DreamingDryad
Member
- Aug 2, 2026
- 15
The ward itself for me? Not really, no. My stay was brief, but like I was brought into the first place, was left alone in a room for a day and a half, was voluntold to stay to "make things easier for everyone", then shipped off to the next place. The nurse at that place was genuinely a joy though. Second place wasn't much better, worse in a lot of ways. No specialization of what people were dealing with, no doctors on weekends, no one told me ANYTHING available to me despite them being "mandatory", old woman screaming the N word and smashing the kiosk with her walker, food actually borderline inedible at times. I was treated very nicely by a group of people also staying there, honestly the only reason I do kind of wish I had stayed longer. The most helpful thing for me was it forced me and my friends to confront some long lingering issues we had. In some ways things are better than ever, other ways changed in a way I will forever regret. My biggest fear, not having access to HRT, was thankfully not an issue but I've heard horror stories. They did give me amlodipine cause my blood pressure was insanely high, which was great because it made me realize I NEVER want to be on that one ever again lol.
It really does depend WHERE you get to go, and sadly that is not up to you most of the time unless you have a LOT of money. I've thought about doing voluntary the past few months, but I know if I don't go to a good place it will just make things worse. I would suggest intensive outpatient before anything else, and if you have to do inpatient, do a LOT of research about where you want to end up and where you likely WILL end up.
vitbar
Escaped Lunatic
- Jun 4, 2023
- 621
I know people who go by choice while waiting for psychotic and/or depressive episodes to pass. I know other people who had mixed or bad experiences too.Honestly the experience inpatient was not bad. It doesn't help with any of the things that put you there though. That and I "annoyed" my usual psychiatrist who worked there. He said suicide methods on the Internet are there for suckers so they can catch people like me. He then pressured me to say specifically "i don't understand my state of mind from that day" which he then put in my medical history or notes. 3 years later I'm in about the same place with more trust issues of the system.
Thanks Kiwi. The truth is I wouldn't actually want to die if I could be better. So maybe I shouldn't go yet if I haven't tried everything (ECT & MAOIs still left to try)
Your country and personal experience may differ
Please discuss with your doctor
Curious if this diagram might be helpful in helping things
This is from the NZ/Australian guidlines for mood disorders (for psychiatrists in training)
It's a bit nerdy/overwhelming maybe it could be a start of a discussion.... if you want to have one with me
It was helpful for me as I tried to heal mysefl... still work in progress
Wish you all the best
Well guys I'm going in. Let's see if ECT does anything (if they even give it)
thsnk you for sharing
please keep us updated
im curious and im sure many others will be too
wish you all the best
