Has anyone else ever imagined themselves being admitted for treatment like me?

[Matchaaa]

I live in China, and the idea of involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital here honestly feels terrifying to me. I've never been abroad, but recently I've caught myself imagining what it might be like to be sanctioned or admitted in the UK, or hospitalized in some Nordic country. I wonder if it would be a much better or more humane experience.

Sometimes I worry that this thought is naive or childish. But I'm genuinely curious — has anyone else ever imagined something like this? Or has anyone actually experienced psychiatric hospitalization in those countries?

 

[Forever Sleep]

I've considered it could happen if I mess up an attempt and get caught part way through. It does really trouble me.

Truthfully, I doubt there would be all that much difference between me and the people that work there. I doubt I have all that much more than mild to moderate depression.

So- it would be a complete waste of resources. I'm not impulsive either. I've had SN sitting in a cupboard for over two years. (I'm trying to wait for my Dad to go first.) So- this idea they were preventing me doing something impulsive would be stupid.

I've known a family member be sectioned. I don't think it was a useful experience for them though. Some of the other patients there were suffering with far more extreme conditions. I think they found it distressing to be around people who could suddenly become violent etc. Not to blame the patients of course but, I don't think it is a good environment to 'recover' in necessarily- always.

I imagine beds are in such short supply in the UK- I wonder if they do even section all the people who attempt. I think it's slightly different to the US where it seems even the mention of suicide can sometimes get people sectioned.

The police officers who did my welfare check eventually left me in touch with a helpline but, they allowed me to keep my SN. Hopefully- because they could tell I have reasonable mental capacity. I still don't personally believe that having ideation necessarily means you are deeply mentally ill.

 

[fedup1982]

I'm in the UK and I've been voluntary in a private hospital 3 times which was like a nice hotel with fun activities. Then Ive been sectioned involuntary in public NHS hospitals 5 times. Once was nice, 2 were OK, 2 were bad

Let me know if you have any questions

 

[FlankerSandwhich]

I do this all the time!!!

I really struggle with speaking to people and getting help seems impossible, so I kinda fantasised a lot as a kid. Imagining that I tried to ctb and, by some miracle, I survived and actually got the help I always wanted.

I know that its impossible, since if I try to ctb then I won't live after, and even if I do, I probably won't get or deserve help. But its nice to dream, right?

I'm in the UK and I've been voluntary in a private hospital 3 times which was like a nice hotel with fun activities. Then Ive been sectioned involuntary in public NHS hospitals 5 times. Once was nice, 2 were OK, 2 were bad

Let me know if you have any questions

How did you end up there? Did someone call for you to be taken? Were you just found and taken? Asking for a friend, of course....

 

[Matchaaa]

I've considered it could happen if I mess up an attempt and get caught part way through. It does really trouble me.

Truthfully, I doubt there would be all that much difference between me and the people that work there. I doubt I have all that much more than mild to moderate depression.

So- it would be a complete waste of resources. I'm not impulsive either. I've had SN sitting in a cupboard for over two years. (I'm trying to wait for my Dad to go first.) So- this idea they were preventing me doing something impulsive would be stupid.

I've known a family member be sectioned. I don't think it was a useful experience for them though. Some of the other patients there were suffering with far more extreme conditions. I think they found it distressing to be around people who could suddenly become violent etc. Not to blame the patients of course but, I don't think it is a good environment to 'recover' in necessarily- always.

I imagine beds are in such short supply in the UK- I wonder if they do even section all the people who attempt. I think it's slightly different to the US where it seems even the mention of suicide can sometimes get people sectioned.

The police officers who did my welfare check eventually left me in touch with a helpline but, they allowed me to keep my SN. Hopefully- because they could tell I have reasonable mental capacity. I still don't personally believe that having ideation necessarily means you are deeply mentally ill.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I don't think having suicidal thoughts automatically means someone has a serious mental illness either.Sometimes I wonder if in some other European countries there might be a better environment for someone to just rest and stay in a kind of "paused" state for a while. But I guess if resources are limited, that might not really be possible. I've heard that the procedures and regulations in the UK are relatively well-structured.

I'm in the UK and I've been voluntary in a private hospital 3 times which was like a nice hotel with fun activities. Then Ive been sectioned involuntary in public NHS hospitals 5 times. Once was nice, 2 were OK, 2 were bad

Let me know if you have any questions

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I'm curious what NHS wards are usually like. Are the rooms mostly shared or single rooms? Do they feel relatively comfortable or homely? Are patients allowed to use their phones freely? I'm also wondering if rapid tranquilization is used often.

If any of these questions are uncomfortable to answer, that's totally fine.

I do this all the time!!!

I really struggle with speaking to people and getting help seems impossible, so I kinda fantasised a lot as a kid. Imagining that I tried to ctb and, by some miracle, I survived and actually got the help I always wanted.

I know that its impossible, since if I try to ctb then I won't live after, and even if I do, I probably won't get or deserve help. But its nice to dream, right?

I can understand how you feel.
Sometimes it's really hard to ask for help directly, so the mind kind of imagines other ways it might happen. I don't think it means you don't deserve help though.

 

[fedup1982]

I do this all the time!!!

I really struggle with speaking to people and getting help seems impossible, so I kinda fantasised a lot as a kid. Imagining that I tried to ctb and, by some miracle, I survived and actually got the help I always wanted.

I know that its impossible, since if I try to ctb then I won't live after, and even if I do, I probably won't get or deserve help. But its nice to dream, right?



How did you end up there? Did someone call for you to be taken? Were you just found and taken? Asking for a friend, of course....

Half the time I went to them and said I wasn't feeling good at all. A few times my gf called them on me and once my neighbour called them on me

 

[Fresh Soju]

I live in China, and the idea of involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital here honestly feels terrifying to me. I've never been abroad, but recently I've caught myself imagining what it might be like to be sanctioned or admitted in the UK, or hospitalized in some Nordic country. I wonder if it would be a much better or more humane experience.

Sometimes I worry that this thought is naive or childish. But I'm genuinely curious — has anyone else ever imagined something like this? Or has anyone actually experienced psychiatric hospitalization in those countries?

Yes and yes.

I often imagine it because I've been there and while I disliked the psychologist there everyone else there seemed really nice, and it was nice to actually just have no obligations or things to do beyond mere survival and whatever few things they offered.
It also helps I was in the open wards, so I could go home to my parents one day for an evening, and my parents could also bring in some food like kimchi and chili for me which helped a lot.
I also spoke about mental health, keto, studies etc with a nurse there at the time. Was quite fun.

 

[Matchaaa]

Yes and yes.

I often imagine it because I've been there and while I disliked the psychologist there everyone else there seemed really nice, and it was nice to actually just have no obligations or things to do beyond mere survival and whatever few things they offered.
It also helps I was in the open wards, so I could go home to my parents one day for an evening, and my parents could also bring in some food like kimchi and chili for me which helped a lot.
I also spoke about mental health, keto, studies etc with a nurse there at the time. Was quite fun.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It sounds really good if it's an open ward.❤

 

[Cauliflour]

Sometimes I dream about getting sent to a mental hospital I guess as like some subconsious self recovery kind of thing, but then I quickly lose my mind because I have no computer, no box knife, no nice sunny grass to lay on and I'm made to sit in a room with 5 other people and talk about my feelings while eating the cheapest mac and cheese you can imagine. To me that's hell. Also the the idea that nurses keep walking in freaks me out cause I'm the kind of person who really likes their privacy. I don't want people watching me sleep!

Luckily my parents think mental health issues are just a teenage thing I've grown out of already so that tends to calm me down. Kinda. Sorta. not really.

 

[Fresh Soju]

View attachment 196765Sometimes I dream about getting sent to a mental hospital I guess as like some subconsious self recovery kind of thing, but then I quickly lose my mind because I have no computer, no box knife, no nice sunny grass to lay on and I'm made to sit in a room with 5 other people and talk about my feelings while eating the cheapest mac and cheese you can imagine. To me that's hell. Also the the idea that nurses keep walking in freaks me out cause I'm the kind of person who really likes their privacy. I don't want people watching me sleep!

Luckily my parents think mental health issues are just a teenage thing I've grown out of already so that tends to calm me down. Kinda. Sorta. not really.

That's very different from my experience. That'd be hell for me, too.
I had my own laptop and phone with me and we had daily walks outside as well, which was nice.
My room was also only for me, so I had a decent amount of privacy, beyond being checked upon every hour for the first day, and then the remaining time a few times a day.
I also had my study books and notes and pencils etc with me so I could keep studying during my time there.

 

[Cauliflour]

That's very different from my experience. That'd be hell for me, too.
I had my own laptop and phone with me and we had daily walks outside as well, which was nice.
My room was also only for me, so I had a decent amount of privacy, beyond being checked upon every hour for the first day, and then the remaining time a few times a day.

I'm from britain so I dread to think what the NHS ones are like. I've heard it's pretty hit or miss but there's all these regulations and stuff they're trying to shove in that they claim is to "help" us but in reality is to make us shut up more. Think of the online safety act for example. I wouldn't trust that this government would allow me dignity if I fuck up bad enough to end up in hospital, and private is really expensive...

 

[Matchaaa]

View attachment 196765Sometimes I dream about getting sent to a mental hospital I guess as like some subconsious self recovery kind of thing, but then I quickly lose my mind because I have no computer, no box knife, no nice sunny grass to lay on and I'm made to sit in a room with 5 other people and talk about my feelings while eating the cheapest mac and cheese you can imagine. To me that's hell. Also the the idea that nurses keep walking in freaks me out cause I'm the kind of person who really likes their privacy. I don't want people watching me sleep!

Luckily my parents think mental health issues are just a teenage thing I've grown out of already so that tends to calm me down. Kinda. Sorta. not really.

I think I can actually picture the version you described now. Before this, I always had the impression that the UK was a fairly humanistic country in terms of its policies and institutions. The things I had heard before about psychiatric wards there sounded quite decent — like having single rooms in many places, or being allowed to use your phone or laptop.

Also, the grass in the UK always looks really beautiful to me. So when I heard that some NHS wards have gardens, I kind of imagined something like those nice green lawns.

Reading your description made me realize that the experience might feel very different from the picture I had in my head…

 

[Cauliflour]

I think I can actually picture the version you described now. Before this, I always had the impression that the UK was a fairly humanistic country in terms of its policies and institutions. The things I had heard before about psychiatric wards there sounded quite decent — like having single rooms in many places, or being allowed to use your phone or laptop.

Also, the grass in the UK always looks really beautiful to me. So when I heard that some NHS wards have gardens, I kind of imagined something like those nice green lawns.

Reading your description made me realize that the experience might feel very different from the picture I had in my head…

yeahhhhh whenever you see posts about bad psych ward stories on here, quite a few brits pop up from what I've seen. I've never been to one (thank god) but I think the quality really varies depending on what town/city your in, if it's NHS or private and what you're in for. I've heard the NHS don't even bother with most people nowadays unless they're 1 bad day away from stabbing up a shopping centre so I think the funding and overall management is a right mess. Private healthcare is really expensive here cause the NHS barely counts as competition so maybe they're like what you're imagining but I wouldn't get your hopes up. This whole "oh trust me we care about mental health *wink wink*" attitude that has formed recently as an excuse to be censoring twats makes me wonder what kind of pretentious condensation goes on in the psych wards nowadays.

Never really thought about the grass. If I had to guess, it's cause it always rains here so it's always hydrated (unless it's the mandatory June heatwave).