Basically, a hospital is for containing a crisis and preventing further harm due to a mental health crisis. It gets you out of the situation temporarily, and you get medication management (which can be done faster in the hospital than outpatient) and some support and new skills you can learn in the groups. There are some inpatient specialty programs that you might choose to go to specifically for the treatment that they can offer. Other than that, if you are able to cope outside of the hospital, and there is no danger to yourself or to someone else, you are probably best off using outpatient resources rather than checking yourself into a hospital.