Discussion Share Your Mental Hospital Experience

[Xebsora29]

So, I was forced to go to a mental hospital.

Been there for a week.

Why individuals think it helps people, beats me.

My roommate was unexpectedly decent, doctor was understanding, yet the staffs, food, and rooms were terrible. The first time I entered the room, there were previous condiments and necessities used by the prior person that was there. Markets all over the desk, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb in the bathroom, floor was dirty, bible books on the counter, origami left overs, and a cup of water. Unfortunately, it wasn't my roommates. They just got there as well and was quite shocked by the environment. Side note, majority of the staffs were terrible and treated everyone like demonic children. How these people got hired, surprises me. Some of them acted in the manner of entitlement, while others acted in the manner of authority and disgust. It was upsetting and obnoxious observing their actions, attempts, and reactions towards individuals like us who are what they call "mentally unstable." The food, on the other hand was distinctive in a way that it look good, but tasted like rubbish . One time for dinner, we had sloppy Joes and waffle fries/ pickles were the addition of the meal. The bread was stale, the fries were stale, and the meat sauce itself was quite depressing. The pickles were probably the best part of the entirety. This is not an exaggeration, its a fact.

The hospital itself had a nice surrounding, built frankly well, and surprisingly clean on the outside. The inside of the facility on the other hand, was quite the opposite. Dreadful staffs, inconsiderate community workers, and so on.

The majority of the other patients that were there were fairly nice, given we all had some sort of similarities. Also, the unit we were in consisted of those that weren't too bizarre or dangerous to others. I was in the adult section, different unit, where we all ranged from different adult age groups. Anyhow, the best part about being here was the other patients. We couldn't do anything but watched television, played boardgames, or sleep in ours rooms. It was, yes, extremely discouraging. None of the patients would play or touched the boardgames so I made myself comfortable and started talking to them. Majority of them opened up and I rounded them up to play some games with me. Some of the patients that were admitted later became opened as well. I tried to made them feel comfortable, given the first day of being in a psych ward was not in the sense of entertaining. We became pretty loud with our games, had quite the fun, (UNO and House Of Cards) and I was glad I initiated it. The frowns of those individuals, turned into smiles and an appearance full of laughters. I guess we all subconsciously understood the battle that each of us were facing independently, so we didn't have that fear of persecution or mistreatment. This was something I haven't felt in a while with strangers or even those close to me. It was a good feel, knowing there were no judgments being implemented.

Two of the staffs became quite upset with us though, threatening to disband the group due to our loudness. A bit ironic given, you would want the "mental unstable" patients to be happy, than be in chronic severe depression or have suicidal thoughts. Nonetheless, I hated being there but with the warmth from other patients, it wasn't so bad. (You would think the staffs, doctors, and nurses would be the warmth and love)

Anyhow, I acted super nice to the majority of the staffs, hoping they wouldn't prolong my stay. Although some were quite rude and had the aura of an off putting attitude, it worked in a way. At first they extended my stay, and was planning on prolonging it depending on my behavior. However, thanks to my kissing up, I was released and discharged.

Nonetheless, I'm assuming every psych ward is different and the one I went to wasn't the best, yet wasn't the greatest. Not much help was given, and I was recommended to take certain amounts of pill dosages at night. These pills weren't really effective, given it takes 3 weeks to set in, but I didn't really care to take it for the most part. I know it won't get rid or aid with my thoughts anyhow, but I just went with it.

I'm still going to CTB, and I will eventually succeed. I really am done with life and there's no changing how I feel.

Anyhow, anyone want to share their mental hospital experience?

 

[blivogade]

Horrible, to describe it bluntly.
I came out worse than i went in, traumatised and picked up so many extreme behaviours on the way.
I had my own room, everyone did. unfortunately i was placed in one of the high risk rooms, everything safety proofed. was watched constantly, wasn't aloud any of my belongings, watched on the toilet, in the shower, when i ate, when i slept.. i couldn't even brush my teeth or get dressed without supervision.
The ward i was in was awful, nothing to do but fester in your own brooding thoughts. we weren't aloud to go in the living room, or the craft room as there wasn't enough staff. so all we did is sit in the hallway, on cardboard like sofas and watch whilst other patients were being restrained and injected, you were lucky if they allowed you to have a book to read. people would manage to get away with behaviours, not eating, self harming, headbanging and ligatures with little to none staff intervention (unless someone had lost consciousness from ligs then they'd suddenly whip out the oxygen tank) there was nowhere to go when you were kicking off, rooms were locked off so anyone and everyone sat by watching whilst you lost your mind. there wasn't really any therapy going on, you'd see a OT maybe once a week but no proper work was done, on the rare occasion the ward were feeling generous maybe 2 patients were aloud to do baking with a therapist. alarms constantly going off, staff wouldn't do anything, they'd just sit and ignore everyone.
Maybe im being a little harsh, but im surprised noone died, it was awful. ive heard other people have had nicer experiences in wards, i just think mine was one particularly bad ward.
On the good side though, the other patients were lovely, i dont think anyone of us would have managed that place without the other patients, despite the issues we all faced, you knew you could count on them if noone else for support and kindness in the darkest of times, we did have some good laughs and i do have few but good memories from that place... also the food was good lol

 

[OneBigBlur]

The psych ward doesn't help anyone, all it does is delay the inevitable. Anyone that is seriously suicidal is going to kill themselves whether they are kept there for weeks or not.

Your opinion means nothing to them, they'll just slap you as irrational and "mentally ill" if you disagree with them. All of the patients there just go along with the game and pretend/lie to get out of there as soon as possible. Every aspect of the psych ward is inhumane and I have a deep anger towards "mental health professionals" that try to send people there. My own therapist asked me if I was suicidal today and I clearly said no because I know what the result will be because she's ignorant.

All it does is traumatize people, strip them of their dignity, put them in debt, and helps them develop a deep distrust and hatred towards anything "mental health" related.

 

[lowres]

I'm sorry to hear your mental hospital experience was shit. My mental wellness hospital visits weren't quite as horrible but I'll copy the post i made in a similar thread because i think its kinda interesting.

I've been to the hospital for mental health stuff three times, almost a fourth but the doc thought i was safe enough (probably the closest i ever got to doing something dangerous to myself that time though). oddly enough i was only in the actual psych ward once for my second time. I went pediatrics first (psych was full, i was 15), Adolescent Psych (16) and then i got apprehended put into an overflow/short stay unit (17) which was technically just geriatrics which was weird and miserable. I got to see the full circle of life in the most miserable environment possible.

 

[Dubito]

Here in Germany, in my home area, the most hopitals are ok. The people, who work there, mostly really want to help. In the open stations you don't have to give something away. 2 bedrooms are normal. Meanwhile there's is wifi mostly everywhere. Unfortunatly not so strong in my bed. Food is ok. Many different therapies which i meanwhile refuse to go most of the time, because im too depressed. But all the other patients really can benefit from the program. Im eight weeks here now and saw lot come and go.

The psych ward doesn't help anyone, all it does is delay the inevitable. Anyone that is seriously suicidal is going to kill themselves whether they are kept there for weeks or not.

Your opinion means nothing to them, they'll just slap you as irrational and "mentally ill" if you disagree with them. All of the patients there just go along with the game and pretend/lie to get out of there as soon as possible. Every aspect of the psych ward is inhumane and I have a deep anger towards "mental health professionals" that try to send people there. My own therapist asked me if I was suicidal today and I clearly said no because I know what the result will be because she's ignorant.

All it does is traumatize people, strip them of their dignity, put them in debt, and helps them develop a deep distrust and hatred towards anything "mental health" related.

In what country do you live?

 

[Venus13]

I lived in a nice state in New England with great healthcare and a progressive culture. I went to two different inpatient wards there on 3 occasions over an 8 year period and always had a great, therapeutic experience.

The EMTs were garbage, so any experience getting taken by ambulance I had faced mildly unempathetic interactions. It felt more like the vibe that they could be picking up someone else who needs their help, I'm wasting resources. I remember they laughed at me for trying to ctb on my birthday when they thought I was unconscious.

Once at the hospital I was helped. It was never bad. I loved being around other sufferers. It was like being in the SaSu community but in person. No judgment, we tossed around our stories and did the silly games to pass time like coloring and puzzles. It was like an oasis where you were no longer the crazy weirdo, you were in a group of understanding people who were also down in life.

The therapy was productive. They helped me game plan for practical solutions. They helped me negotiate assignments being late at college with the counselors, they helped me and others get on public support and connected us with the right community resources for our particular issue, they drilled to the core issues putting you in danger in the present and launched a plan to engage with professional help when you were discharged. They did all they could really, only so much can be done.

The medication was appropriate. They put you on whatever you were already on record taking before intake. They didn't drug you up with insane sedatives. They put me on an anti-histamine for additional anxiety, nothing out of whack or invasive. No one was drugged out of their mind, abused by staff, or treated inhumanely. Concerns were heard. I remember one girl was uncomfortable with their roommate and they switched them. Your voice mattered.

I don't really know why my experiences were good. I do tend to make the best of bad situations so maybe my disposition affected my memory of it. I also think my home life was so horrific that the environment was comforting, not cold. I went to 2 different places in the same city, so I think regional standards of care came into play. I've heard horror stories from other states and I think culture is a factor.

In my opinion, if the pressure is SO high and you just need a true pressure release, if you're in a decent area I support the use of psych wards. I live in a different state now and I don't think I would check into one here. I might rather die, I don't have a lot of strength left in me for abuse or being drugged in a way I don't want.

 

[IDontLikeMyself]

I was in the mental hospital 3 times.

The first time was in a kids-ward because I was still a minor. This was only for 2 weeks but it messed me up pretty badly. There my self harm became way worse because of the other patients there. After those 2 weeks they were like yeah you need a longer stay but we can't help you cause once there is room for you , you will be over 18.

They had me in another place in like a crisis-stay for 4 weeks that time. This was a young adult ward. My stay there wasn't so great either and during my time there someone I knew pretty well sadly passed away. I eventually was allowed to leave a bit before the 4 weeks ended because I was threatend by another patient and didn't feel safe there anymore.

Fast forward like 3 months and I am admitted to the same place again for a long-term stay this time. Like 3 or 4 months, I don't even remember for sure anymore. During this stay once again someone I knew there passed away sadly. The moments before are still traumatic for me.

This has now been almost 4 years ago and I still have major issues with certain everyday life things because of some things that happened there.
Thing is, I just got really unlucky, because the things that happened while I was there normally occur almost never.

The stays have helped me in some ways, but they also did mess me up even more to be honest.

 

[jackie_boy1337]

Previously commented, but it says that post is "pending moderator approval"?

POS roomate had me committed for a week on my dad's behalf, aside from the fact that he himself bought a suicide kit off the internet.

I was sitting in the living room watching TV, having a drink and he had me dragged out of the apartment by the sheriff's office in handcuffs.

When we got to the hospital, they told me they could keep me for up to 2 months.

I had to harrass them for a toothbrush and tampons, they refused to help me with my insomnia and the staff there was super stingy with the phone.

When I got out and back to the apartment, all of my stuff was in a giant pile by the front door.

After a brief conversation I told my roomate to fuck off and that I hoped he used his own suicide kit- and then I packed up my shit and left.
Never looked back.

Overall horrible, traumatic experience that desteoyed a lot of career prospects and left me worse off than when I'd first gone in.
I don't think I could ever bring myself to do that to another human being.

 

[Altvtysp]

So, I was forced to go to a mental hospital.

Been there for a week.

Why individuals think it helps people, beats me.

My roommate was unexpectedly decent, doctor was understanding, yet the staffs, food, and rooms were terrible. The first time I entered the room, there were previous condiments and necessities used by the prior person that was there. Markets all over the desk, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb in the bathroom, floor was dirty, bible books on the counter, origami left overs, and a cup of water. Unfortunately, it wasn't my roommates. They just got there as well and was quite shocked by the environment. Side note, majority of the staffs were terrible and treated everyone like demonic children. How these people got hired, surprises me. Some of them acted in the manner of entitlement, while others acted in the manner of authority and disgust. It was upsetting and obnoxious observing their actions, attempts, and reactions towards individuals like us who are what they call "mentally unstable." The food, on the other hand was distinctive in a way that it look good, but tasted like rubbish . One time for dinner, we had sloppy Joes and waffle fries/ pickles were the addition of the meal. The bread was stale, the fries were stale, and the meat sauce itself was quite depressing. The pickles were probably the best part of the entirety. This is not an exaggeration, its a fact.

The hospital itself had a nice surrounding, built frankly well, and surprisingly clean on the outside. The inside of the facility on the other hand, was quite the opposite. Dreadful staffs, inconsiderate community workers, and so on.

The majority of the other patients that were there were fairly nice, given we all had some sort of similarities. Also, the unit we were in consisted of those that weren't too bizarre or dangerous to others. I was in the adult section, different unit, where we all ranged from different adult age groups. Anyhow, the best part about being here was the other patients. We couldn't do anything but watched television, played boardgames, or sleep in ours rooms. It was, yes, extremely discouraging. None of the patients would play or touched the boardgames so I made myself comfortable and started talking to them. Majority of them opened up and I rounded them up to play some games with me. Some of the patients that were admitted later became opened as well. I tried to made them feel comfortable, given the first day of being in a psych ward was not in the sense of entertaining. We became pretty loud with our games, had quite the fun, (UNO and House Of Cards) and I was glad I initiated it. The frowns of those individuals, turned into smiles and an appearance full of laughters. I guess we all subconsciously understood the battle that each of us were facing independently, so we didn't have that fear of persecution or mistreatment. This was something I haven't felt in a while with strangers or even those close to me. It was a good feel, knowing there were no judgments being implemented.

Two of the staffs became quite upset with us though, threatening to disband the group due to our loudness. A bit ironic given, you would want the "mental unstable" patients to be happy, than be in chronic severe depression or have suicidal thoughts. Nonetheless, I hated being there but with the warmth from other patients, it wasn't so bad. (You would think the staffs, doctors, and nurses would be the warmth and love)

Anyhow, I acted super nice to the majority of the staffs, hoping they wouldn't prolong my stay. Although some were quite rude and had the aura of an off putting attitude, it worked in a way. At first they extended my stay, and was planning on prolonging it depending on my behavior. However, thanks to my kissing up, I was released and discharged.

Nonetheless, I'm assuming every psych ward is different and the one I went to wasn't the best, yet wasn't the greatest. Not much help was given, and I was recommended to take certain amounts of pill dosages at night. These pills weren't really effective, given it takes 3 weeks to set in, but I didn't really care to take it for the most part. I know it won't get rid or aid with my thoughts anyhow, but I just went with it.

I'm still going to CTB, and I will eventually succeed. I really am done with life and there's no changing how I feel.

Anyhow, anyone want to share their mental hospital experience?

My experience with psych hospitals has been overall very negative. I've had 3 extended holds placed on me and around 8 shorter ones. I've been to 5 or 6 different hospitals and they have ranged from terrible to horrifying. They don't provide any kind of therapy and their only "solution" is ineffective psych drugs. Everyone who gets trapped at one learns to lie about their feelings because they'll eventually realize they won't get released until they assert that they aren't a danger to themselves. I've used them in the past to avoid being homeless and this was the only thing they "helped" me with. I would only admit to my suicidal ideation if I needed a place to sleep.

Of the 7 serious suicide attempts in my life (all 7 required going to a regular hospital for at least 2 days) only 2 of them resulted in a psych hold. Vast majority of my psych holds were for expressing ideation without an attempt. The patients who were cognizant were cool to talk to but most were either zonked out from their condition or meds. The staff at these places are typically rude and uncompassionate. It's been a couple of years since I've been to one and would do or say anything to avoid getting a hold. Most of my holds in the past I got out within 24 hours as long as you insist with the doctor you have zero ideation you'll get released quickly. I'm going to CTB before it gets to the point that I'm homeless again and lose the options that I have.

 

[Hell-On-Earth]

The first hospital I went to wasn't so bad. It was a private hospital, the NHS give the hospital money for the NHS patients like me. Made some friends there, but being locked up (even in a decent hospital) is not the way to recover, and it still made me worse despite it being quite a good hospital.

The second hospital I went to was shit. The day after I left the private hospital I got sectioned because I tried to kill myself. The staff would often just completely ignore you, you'd ask them a question and it'd be like you weren't even there. My friend refused medication, they pinned him down and injected him, and then laughed at him after. These people shouldn't be working in mental health.

On being admitted this girl I quite liked (met her in the previous hospital) stopped talking to me because I tried to kill myself. I can remember balling my eyes out on my bed, one of the health care assistance opened the door and was shouting at me for crying. No sympathy whatsoever. Ended up banging my head on the radiator until staff came in, they restrained me and gave me some meds to knock me out.

The worst part of my second admission was this one guy who kept threatening to kill and stab me. I accidently opened the door on him when he was taking a piss (he didn't lock it) and after that he'd call me a batty boy, white hog, swing a knife in the air and say he was going to stab me, stuff like that. At one point he picked up someone's crutches and was threatening to knock me out, it looked like he was about to go for me but my mate got in the way and saved me from getting assaulted.

Mental health hospitals are awful, they don't help at all, their solution to everything is to just drown the patients with drugs but it just doesn't work. I haven't met a single suicidal person in hospital where these medications have ever helped. Psychiatrists are clueless on how to actually help us and they're delusional in thinking that their pills help.

I need to make sure my next attempt is successful. I don't want to have to go back to hospital ever again.

 

[Lawliet]

my experiences are too traumatic to recall but i live in a state the ranks amongst, if not the lowest in the usa. i wrote a guide about it and kept everything neutral, but i will never voluntarily go to one ever and if i get an inkling i'm being involuntarily committed, i will ctb at the speed of light. i'm making sure my next attempt is my final.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

my experiences are too traumatic to recall but i live in a state the ranks amongst, if not the lowest in the usa. i wrote a guide about it and kept everything neutral, but i will never voluntarily go to one ever and if i get an inkling i'm being involuntarily committed, i will ctb at the speed of light. i'm making sure my next attempt is my final.

I've read several accounts of people killing themselves when faced with the prospect of being forced back into one. Such lunacy.