Being an inpatient in a psychiatric facility can be a positive experience, or it can be a negative experience. Some people find it comforting. For some, it allows a reduction in anxiety and a clarification of their thinking. For some, it can result in a referral for some outpatient services that they might not have gotten otherwise. For some, it defuses a crisis that might have had a tragic outcome otherwise.

For some, it can feel like being warehoused. The food might be awful. Some of the staff might not be very nice. There might not be much programming and a person might be left with very little to do except stare at a TV set. Sometimes, people walk out of an inpatient stay not much better than how they walked in. People have been known to walk out and go commit suicide.

Everyone has the right to ask for admission. Intake is decided on a case-by-case basis. One time I was kept for a 23 hour crisis intervention. That led to a very good doctor taking a real interest in me and referring me to a partial hospitalization program. It was a good outcome for me.

Another time I went in with severe anxiety that had me feeling suicidal. It was a miserable experience. After one night there, all I wanted was to get out and go home.

These places are not set up to be like staying at a spa. You're not likely to get in-depth psychotherapy while you are there. Staff tend to be busy and have only limited time to listen to you talk about your issues. That can vary from place to place and, even, from time to time in the same place.

Going inpatient can be life saving, or it can be just a boring, dismal experience. When in doubt, you can always go for an evaluation. Either way, it's not a good longterm solution to anything. It's intended mainly as a way to be kept safe during a crisis.

To the O.P., I would ask: What is your main fear? I doubt that anything horrible would happen to you. And, as I've explained above, it's not common that you would be there for very long. I worked in a psych facility. A guy got admitted who had shot himself in the shoulder. He was released in four days. So that might give you some perspective. No one should try to compare their own experience to anyone else's. The doctors take into consideration a great deal of individual circumstances, and they vary considerably from person to person.

Another consideration is the other people who are your fellow patients. Some are understanding and supportive. Some are incapable of thinking past themselves. Some may be homeless and barely able to function. Some may have a business of their own they need to get back to. There really is no one "type" of person who gets hospitalized. It can be anyone.

Bats, I hope you do have a good heart to heart talk with your therapist.