If you can do outpatient I highly recommend it. I have been "sectioned" a few times...involuntarily. I really don't do well...I hate the invasion of privacy, and although you see a T every day, it's only for about 10 min, and nothing significant. It's all about containment and security. It does help for med changes...SUX if you're a smoker. About a year ago I did a 2 week residential program that was fantastic. It was a big house adjacent to a well known psych hospital, with well ordered groups and stuff, a pdoc and more thorough T. I was able to leave and go for walks and smoke. It was more like community living, we took turns cooking meals and cleaning. This particular place was a trauma program for women, and I got really close to a few women there. I found that to be really helpful, and as a matter of fact it would be the first place I would go if I started to get really unstable again.