I did Christmas IP once too. And I'm sure it was better than yours but that was not my favorite stay. Although honestly now that I think about it Christmas wasn't what was so bad, it was that I was so sick. They tried to pretend to have a holiday meal. It included "holiday cocktail" which turned out to be the same canned fruit cocktail they served every meal and they had some different meat the usual menu that was impossible to cut with the flimsy psych unit plasticware. That time was the most diverse group I've been in there with and yet it was the only time everyone was there for the exact same reason: suicidal thoughts. Although one person wasn't so I guess most of us were. As usual I was by far the most manic and probably annoyed people. It was pretty boring b/c there weren't the usual groups for several days and this one person wanted to join in if games were played but made them so miserable I pretended to have to nap to end one. He also liked to sit behind people on the computer and read their emails which got you off the computer so he could get on which was not fun. But at least the computer is there.

I had a roommate who I'd actually been in the hospital with before on one of my 2 previous admissions. She apparently likes the hospital and spends many weeks there per year. I do not think it is THAT good. I can't imagine wanting to go in unless I were so sick that I couldn't make it outside anymore. I'm glad it is there if I need it. I never am sorry to leave and do not look forward to going back, ever. Right now the risk is higher and I've gotten used to the idea that it could happen but I still dread the thought.

There is one nurse who dislikes me (she got in trouble my first admission for giving me my bedtime dose of Seroquel at 6:30 pm when I asked for a PRN and wasn't due and then waking me and forcing my crying self to go to PM group and sit for 90 minutes of stupidity (her groups were BAD) and I refused to say why I was crying so then she pestered me in my room until I told her that I had been taught that I was strictly to take Seroquel, get ready for bed and go to sleep when it made me sleepy because I only got one chance at that and now I would have a terrible time sleeping and she didn't tell me I had to go to group or even give me a choice about the early Seroquel. The dr asked about it the next day and started to tell me I was responsible to go to groups but when I explained what my own dr had taught me combined with not being told I had to be at group when I was going to be quite sleepy he said something to her and she's hated me since. Last time I was in she was my nurse almost every evening, one of her 5 patients and 2 or 3 of those were male. Yet the night before I went home she said "Lisa could you get Karen and tell her dinner is here?" I ignored her given that Lisa not my name nor is it close to my name and I assumed someone was behind me that she was talking to. AFter a minute it was clear she meant me. 2 weeks of giving me meds and being my nurse (including one night I was her ONLY patient) and she didn't learn my name (and that was my 3rd admission, 2nd in just a few months). So I hope she's retired before I ever go back. But she's about as bad as it gets. The social worker tends to be unhelpful but again, could be so much worse and last time she didn't get with me after promising for 2 solid weeks and in front of another staff member; I needed an IOP referral outside their hospital system. The OT and nurse managed to get the stuff together for the referral before I left. I couldn't actually go to that IOP but they did try, which is a lot.

You've certainly changed my perspective about that kind of annoyance.