I've been admitted both voluntarily and involuntarily, although I've been out of psych wards for about three years now (go me).

I was admitted voluntarily for suicidal behaviours, self harm and suicide plans. One time I literally begged to be admitted because I wanted to be safe and unable to harm myself. The other voluntary times I was asked if I'd go into hospital voluntarily and was told that if I didn't, they'd have to look into me going onto a section and therefore going into hospital - so I agreed. Really though, when I've gone in voluntarily I've been cool with the idea. Anxious, worried and upset but okay with the idea. When I was admitted involuntarily, it was a mixture. I was suicidal, someone found out about my plans, I'd tried to take my own life (almost succeeded twice), self harming, manic, psychotic, whatever. Almost always either my mum voiced her concerns or my psych just did an assessment to have me sent to a ward there and then.



Theoretically, yes. However, in reality it can be a very different situation. Once I was absolutely adamant and hell-bent on leaving. I'd admitted myself voluntarily and eventually (after four weeks or so) decided that I wanted to get out of there. I cried, I shouted and I called my mom.

As I was underage at the time, even if they were willing to let me go, my mum would have to sign a release form against medical advice before they'd discharge me. So I called my mum crying and crying and begged her to come up and sign me out; she said she would drive up and sign me out as long as I promised her that I wouldn't harm myself. So I went back to the psychiatrist there and told him with a smile on my face that my mum would come up and sign me out against his advice and I can go.

That's where he turned. He said that if she did, he would have no option to get social involved and put me on a section - therefore turning me from an "informal" patient to a "formal patient"; I would be sectioned and therefore could be looking at six months or more stuck in there before he'd reconsider, whereas if I stayed voluntarily, it would only be another couple of months.

It was at that point that my heart sank. I screamed and screamed and cried and cried. I was utterly devastated. In that situation, at the age of 15, you just want your mummy to come and save you from these evil people keeping you locked up in a prison where you're surrounded by people that you don't know and that scare you (that's seriously how it can feel when you get worked up about being there). It sounds funny but what made it ten times worse is that one of the songs they played over the radio in there at the time had a lyric like "I wanna come hooommmeeeeee", and that made me get even more worked up every time it came on.

Anyway. Yeah. You often can sign yourself out if you go into hospital voluntarily (informally) but if the psych there decides that you aren't ready to go yet, he/she can stop you by then sectioning you and making you a formal/involuntary patient. If you've given the choice between staying their voluntarily or being made to stay there under a section, you should take the voluntary option every time. You have more rights as a voluntary patient, and you have more of a chance of getting out earlier in the end. If you disagree, you mustn't go all guns blazing and risk a section - you should stay voluntarily and seek legal advice.

I know this is all hypothetical but it's still applicable.

I've obviously never been working during these times, but have missed a lot of my exams which I am suffering for now.