I'm from Europe and I'm the one who wrote it felt like being 'on holiday' Yes, there were rules, waking up early and going to bed at certain hours, etc. Still, I met many cool people and it was interesting, we played table tennis etc. when on 'open ward'.
Some of what I wrote may be for this particular mh hospital - I've only been in one.
Some people had a choice to stay there or not, probably after a certain amount of time.
Also, some nurses were really very nice!

For me, the only problem was, I would prefer a low/no med approach, and that hasn't existed in our country yet. Everyone in the mh hospital was on mostly several meds, some had a lot. One patient had problems, and the more she complained, the more meds she was given, and the worse she felt.

OP, I would explore other options first too - if you can find help elsewhere, go for it. Otherwise going to a hospital is better than something happening to you! It's not a magical place that will solve all your problems just like that, so be ready to work on yourself, if you choose to go or not.