As far as the rules for leaving when you sign yourself in voluntarily, that varies by state. Look up the volutary admission rules for your state online.

There are normally many groups to go to. Sometimes there is individual therapy as well. Groups are normally catered towards short term goal therapy such as coping skills, managing emotions, and that type of thing. There may also be art therapy, music therapy, or other types of expressive therapy.

Are you already on medications? If you are on meds and you prefer to stay what you are on, then no one is going to force you to take anything different. If you are looking for the hospital to be a safe place in which your can start meds or your meds can be switched, then they will do that-- but they are not just going to give you something in order to knock you out!

In the year that I interned at a psychiatric hospital, I only witnessed one person stuck with a needle in order to calm him down. This was a 300 lb man, well of 6 feet tall, who had just punched another patient. Something tells me you will not fall into manner of behaving. Of course, it happened more than the one time I saw it, but all incidents were similar-- AND my view is a little skewed because I did most of my work on the intensive care unit.

It is completely okay and normal to be scared! Call the intake department of the hospital that you would be going to and ask lots of questions. Ask about how they split up the units, ask about what you should and shouldn't bring, ask about the criteria for admissions.

Any other questions, I would be happy to answer.

The hospital is a safe place in order for you to focus on yourself, your treatment, and your safety.