LoveYoux
Haunted
- Jun 6, 2022
- 129
Okay, to anyone who may be curious, I've been in a mental hospital for the past 6 weeks, I'm discharged tomorrow
I can only speak from my own experience, so don't take this as stone, but I'd imagine they all operate in the same ballpark
Here's what it's like -
There are striking similarities to prison. Lots of restricted items, long corridors of bedrooms in different degrees of lived in, patients having meltdowns sometimes, unused or otherwise broken games rooms, I'm only speaking from my own experience, results and resources may vary.
There's 3 'tiers' of staff, the psychiatrists (they're rare, more on them later) the nurses, and the healthcare assistants (HCAs). (There were also university students on placements helping out.)
You'll be on observation, as far as I can tell they put you on a 'level' i.e. level 1, level 2, level 3, each corresponding to the intervals of you being 'observed'
Level 1 - Every Hour
Level 2 - Every 15 Minutes
Level 3 - Constant (Or 1-1)
You'll be asked a million questions and then a million more, you'll get diagnosed with whatever disorders and prescribed whatever medications.
In my case, I also had my blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature and respitory rate checked daily, and my weight tracked weekly.
The nurses and HCAs are there to talk to, anytime, about whatever, they're there to listen and to guide and to help, and with any luck you'll get some good ones, thankfully I did.
My Case
I'm newly diagnosed autistic, and am here due to repeat hospitalisations from attempts. Suicide watch essentially, but people can be here for all sorts of reasons, psychosis, schizophrenia, etc etc
All in all we're just all very dysfunctional, and that's the point.
Treatment
We all have a named nurse assigned, but realistically you can choose your own nurse, someone you find easy to talk to, and you should get private sessions with them
There were some group therapy sessions, anxiety management and so on, and they were mixed with the male patients
Males and Females were in separate wards, no mixing outside of group sessions, I'd imagine that's standard
Depending on your intensity of care you may be allowed leave, supervised or freely. This could be for things like going home, going shopping, just going for a walk.
There is a process for signing you out, they assess your headspace, make note of what you're wearing, give you a time they expect you back (again, depends on the intensity of obs)
Meals are served in the ward, nothing exciting I assure you but you are free to feed yourself on leave.
You will be subject to a search upon re-entry, and the staff have the right to search your room should they deem necessary. (I refer back to the similarities to prison).
You'll probably have to sleep with a light on, and yep I'm afraid obs carry on through the night too.
Now there's lots of mental health acts and different 'sections' and you can be informal or 'kept against your will', I don't know enough to comment on these but I recommend doing your own research. I myself was informal, meaning I had a fair amount of freedom, but the circumstances of your stay will effect your rights to leave. (Basically you can or can't) You will be subject to search at all levels.
Visitors are allowed, as far as I can tell not a bother for any patient.
Now, let me pre-warn you about the Psychiatrist
It's intense. Really intense, but that's the point. It's hard, gruelling, all sorts of emotions come flooding out with the questions they ask but again, that's the point.
Obviously, every single case is different, every treatment is different, every approach every prescription every measure, everything is unique to you.
And patient confidentiality is protected, not a bother.
You will have nights where you scream and curse at staff and other patients (I did), you will have days where you just stay in bed all day, you will question the entire time why am I here?
You're healing. Your wounds aren't physical, but you're healing.
Post-Release
I'd imagine again this to be the case for all but in my case, a home treatment team will do check ins with me for the short-term future as well as an Autism specialist, to go through some strategies, educate me on things, and above all just to check on my safety.
I'm on Sertraline, Promazine, Diazepam/Lorazepam (Situational), Vitamin D supplements and I had the odd painkiller. These prescriptions continue on discharge.
They take care of your sick note if you're working, don't need to even think about it
And so, the big question, what is the point?
Fundamentally, to keep you safe.
To teach you coping strategies and develop a self-awareness that you never had before, you might even walk out with a newly diagnosed disorder like I did.
But it's all to you.
It's a crisis support facility. A homeless shelter in a strange way.
They just want to equip you with tools an knowledge so that they can send you through the door and you don't come back.
It's tough, it has it's moments, it's not fun, it is certainly not fun.
But it is beneficial.
I do sincerely wish that none of you get to the point where you are admitted, but if you are, I promise you'll come out better.
I can only speak from my own experience, so don't take this as stone, but I'd imagine they all operate in the same ballpark
Here's what it's like -
There are striking similarities to prison. Lots of restricted items, long corridors of bedrooms in different degrees of lived in, patients having meltdowns sometimes, unused or otherwise broken games rooms, I'm only speaking from my own experience, results and resources may vary.
There's 3 'tiers' of staff, the psychiatrists (they're rare, more on them later) the nurses, and the healthcare assistants (HCAs). (There were also university students on placements helping out.)
You'll be on observation, as far as I can tell they put you on a 'level' i.e. level 1, level 2, level 3, each corresponding to the intervals of you being 'observed'
Level 1 - Every Hour
Level 2 - Every 15 Minutes
Level 3 - Constant (Or 1-1)
You'll be asked a million questions and then a million more, you'll get diagnosed with whatever disorders and prescribed whatever medications.
In my case, I also had my blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature and respitory rate checked daily, and my weight tracked weekly.
The nurses and HCAs are there to talk to, anytime, about whatever, they're there to listen and to guide and to help, and with any luck you'll get some good ones, thankfully I did.
My Case
I'm newly diagnosed autistic, and am here due to repeat hospitalisations from attempts. Suicide watch essentially, but people can be here for all sorts of reasons, psychosis, schizophrenia, etc etc
All in all we're just all very dysfunctional, and that's the point.
Treatment
We all have a named nurse assigned, but realistically you can choose your own nurse, someone you find easy to talk to, and you should get private sessions with them
There were some group therapy sessions, anxiety management and so on, and they were mixed with the male patients
Males and Females were in separate wards, no mixing outside of group sessions, I'd imagine that's standard
Depending on your intensity of care you may be allowed leave, supervised or freely. This could be for things like going home, going shopping, just going for a walk.
There is a process for signing you out, they assess your headspace, make note of what you're wearing, give you a time they expect you back (again, depends on the intensity of obs)
Meals are served in the ward, nothing exciting I assure you but you are free to feed yourself on leave.
You will be subject to a search upon re-entry, and the staff have the right to search your room should they deem necessary. (I refer back to the similarities to prison).
You'll probably have to sleep with a light on, and yep I'm afraid obs carry on through the night too.
Now there's lots of mental health acts and different 'sections' and you can be informal or 'kept against your will', I don't know enough to comment on these but I recommend doing your own research. I myself was informal, meaning I had a fair amount of freedom, but the circumstances of your stay will effect your rights to leave. (Basically you can or can't) You will be subject to search at all levels.
Visitors are allowed, as far as I can tell not a bother for any patient.
Now, let me pre-warn you about the Psychiatrist
It's intense. Really intense, but that's the point. It's hard, gruelling, all sorts of emotions come flooding out with the questions they ask but again, that's the point.
Obviously, every single case is different, every treatment is different, every approach every prescription every measure, everything is unique to you.
And patient confidentiality is protected, not a bother.
You will have nights where you scream and curse at staff and other patients (I did), you will have days where you just stay in bed all day, you will question the entire time why am I here?
You're healing. Your wounds aren't physical, but you're healing.
Post-Release
I'd imagine again this to be the case for all but in my case, a home treatment team will do check ins with me for the short-term future as well as an Autism specialist, to go through some strategies, educate me on things, and above all just to check on my safety.
I'm on Sertraline, Promazine, Diazepam/Lorazepam (Situational), Vitamin D supplements and I had the odd painkiller. These prescriptions continue on discharge.
They take care of your sick note if you're working, don't need to even think about it
And so, the big question, what is the point?
Fundamentally, to keep you safe.
To teach you coping strategies and develop a self-awareness that you never had before, you might even walk out with a newly diagnosed disorder like I did.
But it's all to you.
It's a crisis support facility. A homeless shelter in a strange way.
They just want to equip you with tools an knowledge so that they can send you through the door and you don't come back.
It's tough, it has it's moments, it's not fun, it is certainly not fun.
But it is beneficial.
I do sincerely wish that none of you get to the point where you are admitted, but if you are, I promise you'll come out better.
Love and Forgiveness x
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