Hi NonComposMentis8,

I'm a little unclear about your post. I know you said you are afraid to take your meds - do you live alone? Do you have family or friends there with you who could help monitor your reaction to your medications? If you live alone, is there a possibility of staying with friends while you start the medications? Going to the hospital while starting the medication regimen is an option, but it may be something that you can do yourself with the support of friends, family, or loved ones. I know it's hard to get over that mental hurdle, but maybe having some company with you would help (assuming you possibly live on your own).

I've been in psychiatric wards a number of times - they can vary. If this is really your goal, I would talk with your doctor about this, and get a referral to the best one in your area, and admit yourself to that location (rather than walking into your local ER, for instance...if you do that, you may end up on a 72-hour hold, and then you'll have zero choices about what hospital you end up at).

Yes, it is possible your roommate could be a different age than you are. I think most hospitals try to arrange roommates that they think will get along okay, and will try to switch people around if they are not getting along okay. The better hospitals have a daily schedule - meals at regular times, group meetings, certain activities (maybe exercise classes, or arts and crafts, or other group activities). You'll probably also have periodic meetings with your psychiatrist, hospital physician, and possibly a social worker, and you may have group classes about skills you'll need once you leave - maybe how to handle stress better, for instance, or how to deal with medications - things like that. Hospitals vary wildly, and some do not offer these things. It pays to ask your doctor for advice, and try to find a good psychiatric hospital if you know in advance that you'll be going.

I wish you all the best with this. Oh - in terms of bringing an MP3 player - hospitals vary on their policies about such things. You might or might not be allowed such things. Many psych wards don't allow things with cords because they are a risk for choking for people who are in danger of committing suicide, so most don't allow it. They are also a liability for the hospital because a lot of things get stolen on the wards. Chances are you would not be allowed to have it on the ward. And for how long your visit would last, it's hard to say....it would probably last as long as it would take for you to get stabilized on your meds, as long as you're not suicidal or something as well. It may even be just a few days, or a week or two - I don't know.

Best wishes - I imagine this is very difficult, and I hope you and your doctor can come up with a good solution to get this worked out.

Take care,
ErinBear