I was inpatient in April for a week. It was my first time and I hope to God my last.
For the first two days I was in a literal cell - it was all concrete with a mattress on the floor. They brought me food and that was it. No doctors saw me, no nurses, nothing. I was basically left there to rot.
Then I got transferred to a short term psych unit at another hospital. I saw my psychiatrist twice I think for about 15 minutes each time over five days. Other than that there was nothing - no groups, no counselling, no therapy, nothing. I basically slept the whole time.
When I was there they took me off all my meds. Said I don’t need them
When I was discharged they did not give me any resources - said I was not mentally ill enough. My therapist almost dropped me because of the attempt and I would have literally been high and dry.
I suppose if I couldn’t keep myself safe I would go back because that was all it was good for. But I certainly didn’t “grow” or benefit from my time there.