If you go in voluntarily, you're not "locked up". You're there for help and you can go outside if you wish, at least at my hospital you can. I can stay for 2-3 days and then leave.

If you do something to land yourself in there, that's different. I did that too and had to stay for a week without most priviledges (sp) until I earned them. I couldn't leave till I had worked out a safety plan with my pdoc.

That's why maybe you could go in on your own.