Might be too late to hear from me now

But everyone else covered it pretty well I think. The most likely need for hospitalization with when you are in danger, suicidal. They hospitalize you for your protection while they stabilize you on medication and give you some skills to cope with the depression.

Often you are released from the hospital once the immediate danger has passed and continue in a Partial (Day) program or an IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program). These programs continue to improve your understanding and coping with the illness and might be the most effective part of treatment.

If you are feeling so very poorly, but are not suicidal, a Partial or IOP program might be a good choice. Partial you spend all day at the hospital but you go home in the evening (usually 6 hours as the hospital each day) so you get the benefits of the therapy and doctor's care but without the need for 24 hour supervision. IOP is less, maybe 3 hours per day, which means you could go to work part-time in the afternoons if you are ready to. Just the structure of leaving the house everyday to attend the sessions is helpful.

As things improve you might even drop down from IOP every day to three times a week, to one day a week, whatever might be necessary and appropriate for you.

These are all intensive forms of treatment for people in serious depressive episodes, think of hospitalization not on its own but as the most intense step of all, for when you are in danger or unable to care for yourself.

Good luck, hope you get the help you need.