Discussion I am about to get hospitalized in a mental hospital... is there anything I have to know before I go there?

[ScarletMaid]

I am scared to go there, cause I hear many stories where people want to run away from there and stuff...

 

[BlindedLox]

Mileage varies depending on where youre going but itll be a bit stressful, but hopefully nothing too out of pocket. Youre gonna be a bit limited on what you can do while youre in there and go do a lot of therapy and stuff. Youll do a lot of arts and crafts and theyll probably put you on some meds

The initial intake stuff can be a bit invasive and uncomfortable, but as long as you arent actively fighting off the nurses or throwing things you should be ideally be okay

The worst thing is sometimes the nurses can be assholes and sometimes the people you interact with in your ward can be a bit nervewracking and might get in a fight with the nurses which can cause some stress. But in my experience people are nice but like the rest of us they just have a lot of problems.

If youre gnc or trans Id see whether the institution youre being brought to is super trans friendly before bringing it up. Mine was was luckily pretty cool and all the nurses used my pronouns and all the people in my ward were chill but that also varies depending on where you are.

 

[Shadowlord900]

Will you be voluntarily or involuntarily hospitalized? At least in the UK I know that can make some difference on how much freedom you get in mental hospitals/psychiatric wards. For example, if you get involuntarily hospitalized they'll pretty much take your mobile phone away from you. But if you volunteer to go to a mental hospital sometimes you get to keep your mobile phone, it depends on your condition and what hospital you go to.

Btw if you like and are able to keep your mobile phone with you, make sure you can get a charger cable small enough that they can't think you can hang yourself with and take away from you. I know for psychiatric wards they'll take everything away from you that has the potential to cause harm. I dunno if that still applies if you volunteer to go there yourself. They might still do as a safety measure for other patients.

 

[SectOfValtiel]

I may end up going voluntarily myself so I might be in the same position soon

Sending my love and support, I know the idea of it is pretty terrifying but I hope it ends up being a good experience for you regardless
Hopefully where you end up is a good place that can actually help

 

[Altvtysp]

I am scared to go there, cause I hear many stories where people want to run away from there and stuff...

Mental hospitals are entirely useless in regards to making one "better". All they are capable of doing is drugging people on enough psych drugs that they deny their legitimate point of view.

 

[makethepainstop]

Yep, most of the time they push those happy pills on you, and talk a little bit to you, but they never can make you whole again. Decades ago, I had the disp[leasure of being confined for a failed CTB attempt. I got to spend time with a dwarf that killed his brother, who attacked him, A man who killed his mom claiming he had already brought her back from the dead once before and after shooting her and laying her on their kitchen table, he said she groaned and that meant it was ok! Then there was the Psyco redneck, (nice muscles), who tried to kill his, dad, one woman a young lady who I believe was demon-possessed, always offering to kill everyone with a chainsaw. Delightful and so charming people, really. COUGH COUGH HACK HACK!

 

[EndlessDespair]

Yep, most of the time they push those happy pills on you, and talk a little bit to you, but they never can make you whole again. Decades ago, I had the disp[leasure of being confined for a failed CTB attempt. I got to spend time with a dwarf that killed his brother, who attacked him, A man who killed his mom claiming he had already brought her back from the dead once before and after shooting her and laying her on their kitchen table, he said she groaned and that meant it was ok! Then there was the Psyco redneck, (nice muscles), who tried to kill his, dad, one woman a young lady who I believe was demon-possessed, always offering to kill everyone with a chainsaw. Delightful and so charming people, really. COUGH COUGH HACK HACK!

That sounds like a horror movie

 

[makethepainstop]

That sounds like a horror movie

Name, those are just some of the interesting people I met. Definitely crazy, but still somewhat human. And their words and stories just didn't scare me.

 

[jackie_boy1337]

Trust me... the more honest you are, the longer you'll be in there.
And once you're in there, all you'll want is to gtfo.
So have an airtight story ready and stick to it, regardless of how nice they seem or how much they claim they're trying to "help" you.

 

[Jessica5]

I hear that almost everybody is suicidal when they come out of involuntary hospitalization, even if they weren't suicidal when they came in.

 

[DogFriend]

I know every place is different regarding what they'll allow you to keep in your possession. I wish I'd taken some extra clothes, specifically underwear. Also, a book or two.

 

[makethepainstop]

I hear that almost everybody is suicidal when they come out of involuntary hospitalization, even if they weren't suicidal when they came in.

Some of the people you meet in such places do have a lasting effect. I'll share a few more people I met in a psycho hospital. One man named Jack was insane, they couldn't keep clothes on him, and he would quite happily walk around nude and take a crap wherever he was. He only would grunt, never spoke, and would eat cigarette butts. rather nice-looking dude, with red hair and nice muscles. He would jack off while looking at you in the shower but run if you tried to engage him. Weird?! There was a black guy in overalls who would never speak and had active hallucinations, really creepy. Had a radio announcer who was really nice one day and totally angry and crazed the next.
One hideous country woman who had the worst missing and broken teeth always tried to grab me, and tell me how much she loved me?! When she did, I'd start singing "Please Release me I don't love you anymore" (Considering I like dudes mostly there was never a chance Id what that crazed and most ugly heifer. Eventually, she had to be placed in a chair with a posey belt, (a restraining device)! So you can see why I want to make sure this trip I want to be certain to catch the damn bus.

 

[justwanasleep]

I was 15 the first time I went for a break so I wasn't sectioned but I was still treated the same as the sectioned people. no phones, no freedom and no voice. Just do as your told. The staff were incompetent at best and the male ones were straight up nonces.
But they do take you out on day trips we went to the cinema one day and one of the males looking after us was getting extremely exited telling us if we ran off he would rugby tackle us, I'm pretty sure his dick was rock hard at the thought of it.
The next time I was 19 so in a adult one and it was better the staff sort of left me too it most of time. I was allowed my phone but I spent most of the time reading. I still have a book they let me take home from the ward it was Stephen fry's autobiography it sort of got me though because he's been through loads of shit and come out on top.
So I'd say it's much much better in the adult ones I was even ordering takeaways in the evening and staff didn't care. I wasn't allowed off the ward that time as I was only there for 7 days for a quick break from reality. other people were allowed out and they would bring me stuff from the shop.
It's a strange feeling having your liberty taken away even if it's voluntary. I met some fucked up pepole but we were all in the same boat.

I wish you the best.