Hi there, I've been admitted to hospital 5 times total for severe OCD and suicide attempts...my longest stay being 44 days, and my shortest stay being 8 days.

It was definitely a needed experience, and to be honest, it saved my life. I made some good friends during my admissions, I met some great professionals and I learned how to cope with my various issues.

You say that you don't want to put your life on hold, but this seems to be something that you and your family recognize as important. Isn't your mental well-being worth giving some of your time and effort? By improving your mental health, you'll have a more rich and fulfilling life - trust me.

In the hospital people were basically sorted by how much of a risk they were. Those who weren't much of a risk or were there voluntarily could take walks outside by themselves, so you can have quite a bit of freedom depending on how much of a risk you are. I saw the psychiatrist, psychologist, and therapist quite often, nobody at the hospital was neglected. You'll get the treatment that you require.

In our hospital, there was a TV room, a games room, and a computer/art room. Since I was on the children's floor, we were also escorted to the school that was on grounds, and over there we had a full-size gym, an exercise room, and game/tv room. There's always somebody to talk to, so you shouldn't get bored.

It's very scary at first, but please consider doing this for your own well-being if you feel you can benefit from it. The staff try their best to make you feel at home, plus you will probably be able to have visits/telephone calls with family and friends often. Please keep us updated on how you're doing! (: