Discussion What’s your experiences with mental hospitals?

[bubo]

I'm curious to see what the general experience with mental hospitals is with people here. I'm aware mental hospitals are supposed to "help" you or "fix you," but really, from every single story I've ever heard, they only make patients worse or fix nothing. The entire experience seems needlessly traumatic for any patient and seems like a waste of money on the building itself. The entire system and process seem professionally incompetent and need major fixes, but to some people, surely it worked; otherwise, we wouldn't have them, right…?

I was recently "jailed" in one. I'm diagnosed with autism, and they had a special autism ward, but I wasn't put in there because "you don't look autistic," which I'm still confused as to what that even means. Because of this, I was constantly overwhelmed by noises, not to mention that the staff were incredibly incompetent and made no attempt to stop me from self-harming while there, even watching me actively do it and not even writing anything down. Perhaps this is the normal experience, and however, I wouldn't be surprised judging from stories I've heard from other people. I'd say the experience has only made me worse, and honestly, I didn't truly understand what "despair" felt like until I entered that building.

Whenever I hear people speak of mental hospital experiences on here, mostly it is "I'm scared to go to one, so I refuse to do x or y." Or "I did x and y, and I'm scared of being sent to one." But I never hear stories from people who have actually been in one. And when I do hear stories, it is never positive. So, whether positive or not, please share your experience. I am very curious and would like to hear you out. Also, if not too much detail or if not too much burden, I'm also curious to hear how long everyone stayed at the hospital. Maybe different experiences are achieved by different periods of time stayed, I had thought.(?) although that is just a conjecture.

 

[pulleditnearlyoff]

Definitely had a bad experience. Was in a closed ward several times. Indeed much noises and bad behaviour of other patients, which made me even more distressed. Staff didn't do anything to prevent me to hang myself (tried partial many times there, but unfortunately didn't work because I hadn't have a rope but only my pants). Forced medication, forced staying. One time I tried to get out by kicking at the door. They dragged me down the hallway and brutaly held me on the bed. Have trauma's still. Other than that, there is also nothing to do, which I believe only makes anhedonia worse. Overal not a good place for recovering imo.

 

[Steff1337]

I was in 3 different special mental hospitals, age 11 to 27. Absolutely horrible experience, just worse and worse each time.
Every time I needed some time to actually recover from being there.

 

[wCvML2]

Same mental hospital twice. I asked the second time during the intake to get assigned a different hospital, one that my cousin recommended but it was "150% full capacity" so I had to go to the same hospital that I'm assigned to based on the area I live in... The hospitalizations were overall ineffective and didn't change a thing.

 

[fleetingnight]

I'm so sorry they didn't accomodate you correctly. Seems the least they could do, if they're forcing you to go "for the sake of your mental health."

My experience wasn't good or bad. It was boring and cold. Staff could get annoying, but they were okay. It was nice to get to know the other patients. And it was kinda nice to have my issues taken seriously and not like "attention-seeking teenage drama."

 

[phoebie467]

I was recently "jailed" in one.

compulsorily?

 

[FoxSauce]

For me has been pretty nice I guess, in where I live (not US) was in a floor not an actually psych ward like the 8th floor in a general hospitals. But for a bit of context I always struggled with my mental health since I was a kid, mostly anxiety but later on due to traumatic experiences I developed depression, later on self harmed.


Anyways I was beginning college getting adjust to the adult life , I had a lot of assignments plus dealing with suicidal thoughts for a few months it got to me , I just left my house without my phone I was going to ctb right then in there I didn't know how but I was going to, then I decided to call my big sis and broke down and started rambling while crying, she's amaizing tried to console me but eventually I lost battery, eventually she told my Mom and she starred looking frantically for me. I don't remember much I was in an out mentally, we went to a small restaurant and ate.


Later on I had my session that Staturday with my psychologist I spilled my guts and he just ask me what I wanted to do. I say I dunno and I decide to call a hospital and I was referred there. My mom comes in to pick me up, feeling ashamed of myself couldn't look at her in the eye. Basically my doctor explained everything and to the hospital we went. Once we got there I get interviewed and it's decided I was gonna stay....


Long story short, I got searched for items and such and just stayed huddled in a corner, I got some clothes and utensils, my first night was the worst, I had a roommate that seem decent but at night it all came hard as I realize I was gonna stay there. Basically broke down do bad that some nurses helped Me up and convinced me to change clothes.


In the middle of the night a old woman was screaming I dunno why but I was scared shirtless, but eventually fell asleep , woke up at 6 am and well watched the news, therapy all day, I saw the psychiatrist some dude that didn't smile at all plus he seemed tired with life himself. Also the nurses were ok, but I met some people there that were as broken as I was which felt pretty nice.


All I met a old lady with dementia that tried stealing my clothes and other people's clothes. The beds were uncomfortable to say the least and I dunno theres not much to do since I couldn't have a phone. But got out and seeing a psychiatrist monthly and welp going with life I guess but I did learned stuff .


So that's my story, sorry if this was super long

 

[soonatpeace777888]

Cold showers. People checking up on you every 15 minutes so make sure you aren't trying to hang yourself, even in the night. Shitty food. At least there was TV.

 

[banger12]

They're pretty rotten places and they're monuments to the harm that anti-choice "suicide prevention" causes. I wrote a very detailed description of my own experiences recently so I won't trouble you with that but there are some things I find worth saying on the topic.

It has an almost industrial/assembly line feel to them, which that feeling doesn't translate to an exact equivalence because they function less as the factory of production for pills (aka pharma slop) and more like where the product (pills) is shipped off to be sold, like an initial point of contact or a marketplace, with the twisted spin that the consumer is practically non-consenting.

As for the more run of the mill stuff, staff for the most part weren't worth shit and the facility was uncomfortable. There was no privacy, etc.

I'm sorry you were sent to one of those places. Unfortunately, the treatment you described checks out, those places are notorious for treating patients poorly. As a possible explanation for why they didn't admit you to the autistic unit, it's possible they gave you a BS excuse and that the reality was they were trying to manage patient count of the units for "capacity" (their own patience and comfort).

 

[S’mores Poptart]

Personally, I went during my adolescence and it was mainly a joke. Just felt like something that had to be legally done for kids that exhibited suicidal behaviors. But I have heard some friends that have gone in adulthood and it seemed to help for a short period of time. Almost like a 'high on life' effect after they get out, not too sure about the long term though.

 

[GargoyleFiend]

Overall, it was really scary for me and not a good time at all. I was freshly 18, so it was the adult ward and I was barely out of high school. You're supposed to only be held for 72 unless they demonstrate to a court that you're still at risk of hurting yourself. Inside, was miserable. No actual psychiatric help, the only help I got was from talking to the people I was with, although some of them scared me. I remember my room being barged into in the middle of the night by other patients multiple times until they put me in the substance abuse unit instead of the psych unit. I was also routinely woken up by other patients screaming at all hours of the day. The nurses would come in and turn the light on in the middle of the night and leave it on. It was also brutally cold. I was alone in my room, so I took the other bed's linens and used them and I was still freezing.

I still have a very strong memory of the cleaner that they used there, and every time I smell it, I am reminded of it.

Getting out was even more of a battle than day to day life in there. I've seen a therapist since and she said I have ptsd to some parts of it, so not a good experience. I still try to avoid therapists and medical intervention over fear that I would be involuntarily sent back.

 

[crossdamon914]

I was told I needed to be admitted for a week. I didn t have insurance or money to so I went home

 

[TakeMeToHeaven]

they are dreadfully boring