I am pretty new to this site. I have read several articles about the U.S. suicide hotline and how people avoid it. I also have heard many depressed and suicidal people state that they never want to go inpatient again. Can you tell me about your experience in an inpatient mental ward? The thing that really angers me is that they treat every patient the same. Having a depressed patient share the same floor as psychotic patients who scream, talk to themselves or walk around like zombies can be traumatizing. Tell me how you feel about this.
BobSmoked
Member
- Aug 27, 2024
- 44
From my time in the psych ward the most jarring thing was the lack of staff and the local authorities placing older people with dementia and such like in wards with violent and unpredictable drug users rather than assisted accommodation or care homes also due to high staff turnover there was also a fair bit of exploitation by some staff due to shortcuts taken in the hiring process.
N33dT0D13
Xe/It
- Apr 2, 2023
- 365
I saw a guy shit himself once, just stood there and it rolled down his leg out of his pant leg on the floor, his expression was completely blank... other than that I just felt numb and trapped and infantilized in impatient, some were more numbing, some more anxiety inducing.
Lost Magic
Illuminated
- May 5, 2020
- 3,037
I almost signed myself into a mental ward after I struggled from severe carer burnout and PTSD after the death of my mother. I just about managed to stay out by talking to various suicide hotlines for various stretches of time. I guess it depends on the country and the level of care. I'm still glad that I never had to check into one or be forced to go against my will.
milknife02
Member
- Aug 13, 2024
- 19
Prisoners have more freedom. Not a joke. It is pretty much jail. They do not help you. The people who work there do not care. I was 16 and put in with four people who were moved from prisons. Not detention centers, actual violent offenders from jail. The things that happen in inpatient facilities are horrific. Its not a place for anyone. It is horrible. It is as bad as it sounds. I've been to four different ones, this is not a location-senstive thing. This is simply how it is. It is truly awful.
I mean look im not an addict or have profound reality altering medical conditions. I'm just depressed because of the crimes that happened to me and resulted in a horrible shitty life.
Yet I was treated like shit. Like utter shit. At the last psych ward I was fully and I mean fully strip searched when I came in. Never saw this happen with anyone else. I had already been in the ED for a few days at that point just what exactly were they looking for I never tested positive for drugs, that I needed to be humiliated and treated inhumanely like that. Nurses liked to go on massive compensating power trips. Lack of empathy from most is common in my experience. If you need anything it is treated as a monumental inconvenience. I'm there because Literally said I'm going to give you a chance to restore my view of hunanity and show me a little and not kill myself. Yet even that low low low bar just be kind and empathic was too much.
If you have a psychotic break sure go. Depressed. Nah you'll regret it. They aren't going to care about making you better. They just don't. The people I was with weren't capable of caring or making you better. My situation isn't terribly complex. Yet it proved too much. It really shouldn't have. As someone who was in medical school. I'd be embarrassed to deliver that quality of care.
Edit: I was planning on hanging myself with a rope which I had which was actually confiscated. Even it hadn't been I'm not going to hide a rope in my asshole after calling to get into the psychward and I'm not even sure that is possible. Also means no one was in danger.... What was the even implied danger lassoing?
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I spent the vast majority of my time in inpatient reading. I was moved within the first few hours into a room with someone who was legit psychotic on some level. I was reading a book from the Shadowhunter series, which is about half-angels who fight demons. My roommate insisted that the book was some kind of instruction manual on how to purge the world of pedophiles and various other sinners. The nurses had to sedate him after I told him it was just a fictional story.
There's a lot more detail, but I think that paints enough of a picture on what inpatient is like for people who are "simply" suicidal. I'm lucky enough that I come from a family and area that enabled me to be let out fairly quickly, but that week was like a fever dream in the worst way. I think the best part was a nurse telling me my suicidal ideation was "incredibly selfish." Great advice from the pros.
There's a lot more detail, but I think that paints enough of a picture on what inpatient is like for people who are "simply" suicidal. I'm lucky enough that I come from a family and area that enabled me to be let out fairly quickly, but that week was like a fever dream in the worst way. I think the best part was a nurse telling me my suicidal ideation was "incredibly selfish." Great advice from the pros.
The thing about a lot of mental health "professionals" is that they are really eager to pathologize marginalized identities. Somehow you don't have any grasp on reality and can't advocate for yourself and don't need support, you're just "crazy."
There are mental health advocacy groups out there. I would suggest that people reach out to them and tell them their story and how the way depressed and suicidal people are treated in hospital make it more likely that they will not seek help in the future. I think I read somewhere that studies have shown a high correlation between hospitalizations and successful suicides.
If you don't think it will make a difference, remember that before mental health advocates started to raise their voices, people were sent to state hospitals against their will, without a strong reason . Many of these people would wind up being stuck in these institutions for years. Now, unless someone agrees to go to a state hospital, the only way they can be sent is if a judge finds them unable to care for themselves
I believe it depends on the locality. I live in New York City. My first inpatient experience was relatively positive. they sent me to a small facility in upstate NY. Most of the patients were not really psychotic, so you could actually talk with them. My second experience was much worse. I was in a hospital lock down unit, surrounded by actively psychotic individuals, one person was actually put in a padded room. It was extremly traumatizing. I believe that if we speak up like the advocates did 50 years ago, we can foster positive change. Why don't you try reaching out to a peer run agency. SAMSA is a good refference site that might link you to groups in your community.
I believe it depends on the locality. I live in New York City. My first inpatient experience was relatively positive. they sent me to a small facility in upstate NY. Most of the patients were not really psychotic, so you could actually talk with them. My second experience was much worse. I was in a hospital lock down unit, surrounded by actively psychotic individuals, one person was actually put in a padded room. It was extremly traumatizing. I believe that if we speak up like the advocates did 50 years ago, we can foster positive change. Why don't you try reaching out to a peer run agency. SAMSA is a good refference site that might link you to groups in your community.
You cannot treat depressed and suicidal patients the same way you treat psychotic ones. A depressed person who experiences these type of incidents are likely to leave the hospital traumatized.
We need to make our voices heard, depressed people should not be treated like criminals, we should not be subjected to the trauma of living on a unit with violent and psychotic individuals.
I'd advise you to reach out to NAMI. Tell them about your experience, and how it made you feel. We need to build a groundswell of angry voices in order to create change.
I got the agency wrong. It's NAMI. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. They are passionate advocates for this population.
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End of the day I've been trying to get legal help for the crimes committed against me that put me in the psych ward in the first place. My voice is useless no one cares. It's a waste of energy. Again I'm not being told there is no crimes that would be help that has *never* happened in fact the opposite. It's just nothing. International rights to a lawyer etc violated doesn't matter.
No one is going to give two shits about someone who was in the psych ward complaining about it.
Simply put it is like the Zimbardo experiments put someone in a situation with someone who can't speak out and give them power of them they'll start acting in inhumane ways.
'Toxic culture' of abuse at mental health hospital revealed by BBC secret filming
BBC Panorama goes undercover and finds patients being humiliated, verbally abused and bullied by staff.
www.google.com
Children ‘seriously harmed’ at scandal-hit mental health hospitals
Special report: In an expose of private children’s hospitals, workers say inadequate staffing put patients in harm’s way. Rebecca Thomas reports
www.independent.co.uk
At least five lawsuits target Tulsa psychiatric facility after allegations draw national attention
At least five lawsuits against Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health have been filed in both state and federal court since April.
www.readfrontier.org
Watch this (not a psych ward i dont think but similar concept) i cant find the longer video->
These psych related professionals don't care. They just enjoy feeling powerful. They get off on it. I saw so much laziness and power trips in my stays it would make your head spin. Like I said I went hoping to find some shred of humanity from them and they couldn't even do that.
Edit: found a second link to go with the first. I'll keep looking it was like an hour or so long.
Edit 2:
This may have been it. Definitely the right hospital though.
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Little_Suzy
Amphibious
- May 1, 2023
- 932
The big mistake is calling a random suicide hotline or accepting an inpatient referral to the local state hospital. Check with your insurance company and conduct your own research on where you can get help. Learn the law so you can advocate for your patients' rights.
If you want to go inpatient, do so voluntarily and with a program designed specifically for what you need help with. There are many residential treatment centers that are five-star rated, and you will not lose your voice or freedom while receiving treatment.
If you call the suicide hotline at your hospital, a social worker will respond with a wealth of resources. Every month, I receive a postcard informing me that they are thinking of me and want to know how I am doing, along with a personal phone number.
If you want to go inpatient, do so voluntarily and with a program designed specifically for what you need help with. There are many residential treatment centers that are five-star rated, and you will not lose your voice or freedom while receiving treatment.
If you call the suicide hotline at your hospital, a social worker will respond with a wealth of resources. Every month, I receive a postcard informing me that they are thinking of me and want to know how I am doing, along with a personal phone number.
That's when it helps to have an outside provider who can advocate for you. A psychologist or therapist who can provide insight that the mental health staff lacks.
NAMI is a mental health advocacy agency with tons of resources. You can search by state and it will list county chapters. There is also peer support.
End of the day I've been trying to get legal help for the crimes committed against me that put me in the psych ward in the first place. My voice is useless no one cares. It's a waste of energy. Again I'm not being told there is no crimes that would be help that has *never* happened in fact the opposite. It's just nothing. International rights to a lawyer etc violated doesn't matter.
No one is going to give two shits about someone who was in the psych ward complaining about it.
Simply put it is like the Zimbardo experiments put someone in a situation with someone who can't speak out and give them power of them they'll start acting in inhumane ways.
'Toxic culture' of abuse at mental health hospital revealed by BBC secret filming
BBC Panorama goes undercover and finds patients being humiliated, verbally abused and bullied by staff.Children ‘seriously harmed’ at scandal-hit mental health hospitals
Special report: In an expose of private children’s hospitals, workers say inadequate staffing put patients in harm’s way. Rebecca Thomas reportsAt least five lawsuits target Tulsa psychiatric facility after allegations draw national attention
At least five lawsuits against Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health have been filed in both state and federal court since April.
Watch this (not a psych ward i dont think but similar concept) i cant find the longer video->
These psych related professionals don't care. They just enjoy feeling powerful. They get off on it. I saw so much laziness and power trips in my stays it would make your head spin. Like I said I went hoping to find some shred of humanity from them and they couldn't even do that.
Edit: found a second link to go with the first. I'll keep looking it was like an hour or so long.
Try reaching out to NAMI. The National Alliance on Mental Illness. They are a national, nonprofit organization with chapters all over the country. They can connect you to legal services as well as non judgemental, peer support groups. Their overarching goal is to end the stigma of mental illness.
NAMI is a nationwide advocacy agency for people with mental health challenges. They have chapters all over the country, peer support groups, and a wealth of resources.
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I know that many mental health professionals don't understand our journey. Have you ever heard of NAMI? They are a nationwide mental health community run by dedicated peers and professionals. They offer a wealth of resources. If you don't live in the U.S., they may be able to give you a referral to similar agencies in your country.
I don't know why you are so Nami centric but they won't give a ratass about what happened in Poland. As far as the hospital they'll just say it was people doing their jobs. If they are going to help you legally it's because it will help them and their image. In the US I don't fit the demographic needed for that end of story. If I did someone would've helped me for the same reason already. If people, NAMI, anybody gave a shit ID be getting help. Since I'm not no one clearly does.
There's literally international laws protecting victims and giving them legal help. In the US I don't fit the demographic for people to give a shit. And poland isn't going to care because I'm not Polish. NAMI really isn't going to care for the same reasons.
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