Poll: your most recent psych ward experience

[a.n.kirillov]

Edit: 'yes' of course meaning "Yes, it has helped me" and 'no' meaning "No, it has not helped me".

The question is pretty self explanatory. If you had multiple stays with different outcomes, please choose your most recent one (might produce a more unbiased result).

Other questions I would be interested in:

1. How did you get there?
2. Were you forced to perform acts/ undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those?
3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists?
4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be?
5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives?
6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives?
7. Anything you might want to add.

Thank you

 

[KiraLittleOwl]

1. I cried to my social worker over the phone, she asked what happening, I told her I was trying to kms, she suggested that I go to hospital and I agreed.
2.No
3.No, the staff was nice there. I didn't like the chief psychiatrist, he was dismissive
4. More psychotherapy is needed
5.yes, probably
6. I would suggest it but never by force
7. It was a distraction while I was there but totally useless

 

[SpottedPanda]

1. How did you get there?
I stopped taking my antipsychotcs after the chemist failed to deliver them. I posted a whole bunch of horrible/controversial things on social media and the police turned up at my door with a tazer drawn. I took an ambulance to A&E, and they sectioned me, section 3, treatment section. My mum drove me to the psychiatric ward from A&E.

2. Were you forced to perform acts/ undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those?
They gave me antipsychotics, which I didn't want. But I learned a long time ago not to refuse meds on a section 3. They'll just team up, pin me down, and inoculate me.

3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists?
Not at all. They were sweethearts. The specific ward I was on has a good vibe, all considered.

4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be?
No antipsychotic treatments. In an ideal world I'd love to see something better. I hate taking antipsychotics.

5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives?
If you're grasping for a change to modify your thinking, a stay in a psychiatric ward with trained professionals could help. Anything's worth trying if you're clinging onto hope and you feel you're a danger to yourself.

6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives?
Yeah I would. Right now I'm planning to exit pretty soon. I'm being very careful how I word this to psychiatric staff and friends or family, as I'm at a stage where I'm not really looking to change my mind, if the desire persists. If I say too much and get sectioned I'll accept it, and I'd totally take that action for someone else. Saving a life by any means necessary is just in every good person's programming.

7. Anything you might want to add.
Late 2018 was my most recent spell on a ward. I've spent about 2 full years on various wards, combined. I was first sectioned at age 17. I'm 37 now. Paranoid schizophrenic. I always have a mantra that three meals a day never hurt anyone. Apart from volatile patients I find the experience of being on a ward to be quite to my liking, but I haven't always felt that way.

 

[_Minsk]

4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be?
No antipsychotic treatments. In an ideal world I'd love to see something better. I hate taking antipsychotics.

absolutely true..
they forced me to take them, even tho i had no psychotic signs, i was just there to treat my depression.. after 2 months of this med, i mentioned that i want to stop taking this "medicine".. well they advice me to leave the therapy center then which i did. i got NO recommendations on how to "safely" taper, nor i got any of that current meds for my way back home. ended up becoming very psychotic due to the abrupt cold turkey from this drug..

IT WAS HELL, i lost my mind, i got horrific schizophrenia like symptoms, the whole thing ended after 6 MONTHS..
i was brought to many psych wards against my will, police was picking me up due to my psychotic behaviour a few times, i have not much memory about those events and the whole thing has changed my health to the worse. i can remember being stuck in time, as if stuff i experienced was shuffled back and forward, my parents had no empathy. this horrific experience felt like i was stuck in a movie, being played on a pc, and someone was playing forward, playing backwards, stopping the movie and so on. i was beaten from stranger and so on..
i ended up travelling without any money, no food, no drinks during that time.

I could have died and the responsible people could safe their asses just by saying lies like: " yeah we gave that person anti psychotics anyway to treat psychotic behaviour"
even tho i had none of these, never had these ever, except of the med's cold turkey...

FUCK THOSE IGNORANT PEOPLE WHO PLAY WITH PEOPLES LIFE AND FORCE PEOPLE TO USE THEIR HORRIFIC DRUGS

stay safe everyone, hope no person has to endure that.....
edit: and i lost 50 bucks on the internet, its not much but i don't wanna imagine how much money i could have lost and what else could have happend.......

 

[SpottedPanda]

absolutely true..
they forced me to take them, even tho i had no psychotic signs, i was just there to treat my depression.. after 2 months of this med, i mentioned that i want to stop taking this "medicine".. well they advice me to leave the therapy center then which i did. i got NO recommendations on how to "safely" taper, nor i got any of that current meds for my way back home. ended up becoming very psychotic due to the abrupt cold turkey from this drug..

It is a very risky business to come off antipsychotics without the proper reduction methods. I've done it several times, and it's always ended with horrific symptoms and experiences.

 

[Walilamdzi]

Other questions I would be interested in:

1. How did you get there?
I was told they wanted me to go in for a couple of days, I went out shopping since while there voluntarily I could go out and made the mistake of buying some alcohol and trying to take it back into the ward with me.

2. Were you forced to perform acts/undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those?
Yes, forcibly medicated.

3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists?
Yes, I was raped by two different male patients a total of 6 times. I was completely dissociated from reality (clearly so) when they decided to have sex with me, it wasn't consensual. Two other patients kissed me (one, ironically, in the female only lounge and another one in the laundry room) and another patient grabbed my ass. A member of staff referred to me as a bitch and one of the cleaners flirted with me when nobody was around. The psychiatrists can be very bullying and domineering.

4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be?
Patients not just forced to have medications. Actual treatment/therapy offered.

5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives?
No, I would never recommend this based on my experiences.

6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives?
Probably not.

 

[_Minsk]

It is a very risky business to come off antipsychotics without the proper reduction methods. I've done it several times, and it's always ended with horrific symptoms and experiences.

funny thing was, during my next unwanted psych ward visits, they've told me going cold turkey with anti psychotics don't cause psychotic episodes, i slowly lose faith in this system...

 

[Walilamdzi]

It is a very risky business to come off antipsychotics without the proper reduction methods. I've done it several times, and it's always ended with horrific symptoms and experiences.

Why? I just ask because I have had no symptoms.

 

[_Minsk]

Why? I just ask because I have had no symptoms.

doing 'any' drug especially psychoactive ones will cause withdrawals, which mostly are exactly the opposite of the originally effect of that drug. if you do them for a short time, they might not cause you withdrawals, but longer uses will.
easy example; breakups, your body gets used to the endorphins like more serotonin, Oxitocine, dopamine etc, when you breakup, your body gets into
imbalance..

 

[kyle]

3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists?
Yes, I was raped by two different male patients a total of 6 times. I was completely dissociated from reality (clearly so) when they decided to have sex with me, it wasn't consensual.

Very sorry that happened, did any of the staff not help you with the situation?

 

[a.n.kirillov]

Very sorry that happened, did any of the staff not help you with the situation?

More importantly, have you filed a lawsuit yet?

 

[Cloudy]

1. How did you get there? I was stupid and I didn't lie about being suicidal
2. Were you forced to perform acts/ undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those? I was forced to take a cocktail of medications
3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists? No
4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be? Some activities/therapy other than just meds
5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives? It depends
6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives? It depends on why they want to kill themselves
7. Anything you might want to add.

 

[Walilamdzi]

Very sorry that happened, did any of the staff not help you with the situation?

No they didn't intervene at all when these guys were obviously getting close to me and I feel there should have been enough attention paid to what was going on in there to safeguard me. To be disconnected from reality and really easily lead is a symptom of various mental illnesses so why they wouldn't have some form of protection against this I don't know. The male patients weren't even moved away from the ward after one had been found in my room, I was scared of him when the nurse came in so said nothing had happened but it obviously had since we were in my bathroom and I wasn't dressed. After that he managed to have sex with me in the toilets in the corridor twice. They did absolutely nothing. Also they didn't use any form of protection obviously so I have no idea if I have a serious sexually transmitted disease now.

More importantly, have you filed a lawsuit yet?

I'm not sure how I would prove anything since staff obviously didn't report it correctly or follow procedure and I suppose because I'm thinking of ctb it doesn't feel a priority. My friend knows about it though and she said she wanted to report it to management, which I am hoping she would do on my behalf after I ctb and suspect she will. It's pretty awful.

 

[SpottedPanda]

Why? I just ask because I have had no symptoms.

I'm not quite sure why I personally have had adverse reactions to coming off without reducing. I can only imagine it was the shock to my system from the abrupt chemical change. It's something I'll have to ask a psychiatrist about, as I'm curious, if I see one again.

funny thing was, during my next unwanted psych ward visits, they've told me anti psychotics don't cause psychotic episodes, i slowly lose faith in this system...

Do you think it's possible they might have noticed something you didn't during the first instance? I'm not familiar with antipsychotics causing psychotic symptoms, such things are usually in the realm of amphetamines, cocaine, or even cannabis.

 

[kyle]

No they didn't intervene at all when these guys were obviously getting close to me and I feel there should have been enough attention paid to what was going on in there to safeguard me. To be disconnected from reality and really easily lead is a symptom of various mental illnesses so why they wouldn't have some form of protection against this I don't know. The male patients weren't even moved away from the ward after one had been found in my room, I was scared of him when the nurse came in so said nothing had happened but it obviously had since we were in my bathroom and I wasn't dressed. After that he managed to have sex with me in the toilets in the corridor twice. They did absolutely nothing. Also they didn't use any form of protection obviously so I have no idea if I have a serious sexually transmitted disease now.

That's really low of the nurses to not intervene with the situation, in my opinion. And about the sexually transmitted disease, have you thought about getting tested for one? It's always helpful to know.

 

[Deleted member 10475]

1. How did you get there? - I was at the point where I really felt like I was going to end everything, but I was scared and didn't want to go. So, I told my therapist

2. Were you forced to perform acts/ undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those?


3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists? - in this particular place, no. It's the only hospital I've ever felt comfortable at and the staff actually treats people like...people.


4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be? - To not treat patients like they're in jail. I had a horrible experience at a different hospital, and they would bolt lock our doors at night. It made me feel like I was trapped.


5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives? - I'm not sure. If anyone lives in NY, I would 100% recommend the hospital I went to. It's tucked away in the woods, with different cabins and it feels like a getaway.

But I know not every place is like that and some could worsen your mind state.

6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives? -

No, never. I've been in that position and I kinda felt betrayed. I was confiding in a friend about my thoughts and next thing I know, the police are knocking on my bedroom door. My mom was asleep and they somehow got into my apartment.

 

[Walilamdzi]

I'm not quite sure why I personally have had adverse reactions to coming off without reducing. I can only imagine it was the shock to my system from the abrupt chemical change. It's something I'll have to ask a psychiatrist about, as I'm curious, if I see one again.



Do you think it's possible they might have noticed something you didn't during the first instance? I'm not familiar with antipsychotics causing psychotic symptoms, such things are usually in the realm of amphetamines, cocaine, or even cannabis.

Sorry, I think I meant what kind of symptoms did you have rather than why, just didn't phrase that well my brain isn't switched on haha.

 

[a.n.kirillov]

I'm not familiar with antipsychotics causing psychotic symptoms, such things are usually in the realm of amphetamines, cocaine, or even cannabis.

Intuitively it makes sense: depressants have anxiety rebound effects, amphetamines have depressant rebound effects. Last time I took domperidone for four days, I had a day of anxiety and nausea as a rebound.

Next time I will taper off domperidone as well. Even beta blockers had a rebound effect on me.

 

[Walilamdzi]

That's really low of the nurses to not intervene with the situation, in my opinion. And about the sexually transmitted disease, have you thought about getting tested for one? It's always helpful to know.

It's a bit shocking that no members of staff noticed a man all the way up the female part of the hospital, for a long time, too. I mean I'm able bodied and didn't feel like I could protest, but there were plenty of patients who on top of being in psychological turmoil also had a physical or intellectual impairment. It's just not a safe place at all.

 

[SpottedPanda]

Sorry, I think I meant what kind of symptoms did you have rather than why, just didn't phrase that well my brain isn't switched on haha.

Oh, I was hearing voices, having grandiose delusions, distorted reality, paranoid delusions, intense anxiety. Nothing I wouldn't usually experience in a psychotic break, but more so the symptoms came on fast and really intense, rather than a gradual build up.

 

[Nuggest]

1. Voluntarily, because everyone post suicide hotline told me that they couldn't help me but a hospital stay would fix everything and it would be great there yadi yadi ya. Went there when my state of mind has gotten so bad that I couldn't do anything anymore and was about to fail my bachelor thesis because of it - which made my desire to drive off a cliff unbearable. Just walked straight into the hospital without much preparation. Was put into the open psychiatry wing.

2. No, but actually yes. They told me that I either gulp down these fucking drugs (which made me feel like shit btw) or that I can fuck right off (not literally ofc), so I had no choice. Other than that, I refused to participate in these daily morning/evening routines where every patient of the wing got together and asked about what they planned for the day after I was told off by a nurse for checking the time on my smartphone (lol). But again, they told me to either participate or fuck off.

3. Yes. Two of the nurses were rude and seemed to enjoy abusing their power. Already mentioned one case above. Was scolded at least two times in front of all patients for trivialities like wiping the screen of my phone during on of these retarded group sessions. Doctors didn't give a shit about my point of few, the nurses were always right in their eyes.
Ah yes, the doctors. Don't think they ever understood me, but they sure love to use suggestive questions to manipulate their patients. Nothing I said seemed to matter, got an absolute dismissive impression. Kept telling them every week that nothing changed for the better, but still they somehow came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to stay for much longer because, apparently, I was heading in the right direction.
That's when I was done with the bullshit and just demanded to be released, which they eventually had too since I was there voluntarily even after being dismissive and seemingly trying to play the role of an authoritarian parent. And I probably would have been ready to respect the doctor's wish to stay a little longer if it wasn't for one last insult: During that talk, the doctor snapped at me for allegedly interrupting her. To this day i think it was some psycho trick attempt to guilt me into staying, but it was an unacceptable dealbreaker for me. Guess their assessment of my character was wrong, huh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

4. I wouldn't have gone there in the first place. Nothing improved, but now everyone knows, gained 20kgs (lost them again after half a year of sufferi..*cough* dieting), lost my drivers license for half a year, and I my plans of joining the army might be destroyed. But hey, at least I got my fucking Bachelor..

5. Hell no. At least when your death wish is real and because of a rational view of life.

6. Like 5, depends on the situation.

7. Don't take anti depressants, they are useless placebo drugs which will make you feel like shit in more ways than just one. And psychiatrists these days are just glorified drug dealers, don't go to a hospital unless you know exactly what to expect there.

 

[terry_a_davis]

1. How did you get there?
I was starving myself to death due to schizophrenic delusions. My mother notified my GP who assessed me who then notified a psychiatrist who continually assessed me (with a nurse), at my home. They tried to persuade me to accept treatment but I refused and was eventually sectioned.

2. Were you forced to perform acts/ undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those?
I was forced on an antipsychotic medication and vitamin/mineral supplements as a blood test shown I was depleted in these. I had a choice of injection or tablets and I chose injection. I was force fed through a tube going through my nose into my stomach delivering a liquid. I made it known I did not want any treatments and was told I would be forced to comply if I didn't so I let it happen.

3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists?
No

4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be?
More money for better quality of rooms (they were a little run down) and better pay for staff.

5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives?
Yes

6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives?
Yes if their suicidal intent was due to a possibly treatable mental illness.

7. Anything you might want to add.
Psych wards seem to be hit and miss. Worked for me, but now I can clearly evaluate my life I want to kill myself more than ever lol.
EDIT to add: I detested it at first i.e. thought I'd be there for a very long time, that there was no reason for being there, trusted no one, felt trapped, etc. Then after a while when the meds started to work, my perspective changed and the experience dramatically improved.
^
I've added this last bit as I wonder if some of the negative reports of psych wards are influenced by being mentally ill. For example, if the meds hadn't worked on me and they'd discharged me in the same mental state I went in, I would have had a bad impression of psych wards. Note not for one moment am I saying bad stuff doesn't go on whatsoever.

 

[Silent_cries]

1. How did you get there? Court, I have a criminal + psychiatric history
2. Were you forced to perform acts/ undergo treatments against your will and if yes, what were those? No, thankfully never have so far.
3. Did you feel threatened by the the staff/ nurses/ psychiatrists? For the most part no, but some of them can be dicks.
4. If you could change one thing about treatment in psych wards, what would that be? Less corruption
5. Would you recommend a stay in a psychiatric hospital as something one should try before making the decision to end their own lives? For the most part yes, but I would highly reccomend to do research first to ensure you don't end up in a toxic one and voluntarily only unless you're severely psychotic and/or a danger to others.
6. Would you get your relatives/ friends involuntarily committed, should they disclose acute suicidal intent to you, to save their lives? As someone who is strongly pro-choice, no, not for suicidal reasons. I strongly belive it should be a human right to end your lives if one desires so. I would do so though if they were psychotic and/or a danger to others but never for suicidal reasons.
7. Anything you might want to add. Always, ALWAYS do research before sectioning yourself! You don't want to end up in a toxic or abusive one, belive me!