[Justugh]

i have not been in one in years

last time i was allowed a sharps box meaning i could bring in stuff like a cd player and stuff

so what are u allowed to bring in.........figure i am going to be there 3 to 10 days maybe longer

what should i pack other then pills and papers ....and if i drive in will the car be ok or should i look for lift in and out

[wildflowerchild25]

It really depends on the place. The one I go to allows shoelaces and belts and stuff but I've been in some that don't allow strings or jewelry of any kind. Most places will not allow you to keep things with alcohol in them in your room but will have a sharps closet that you can access at certain times. Most hair conditioner has alcohol. I've never been in one that allows electronics as an adult.

Your car should be fine but if you are concerned I would get a ride in. I've always had to go through the crisis center so I've always been taken by ambulance.

Good luck! I hope they can help you.

[Blitter2014]

Hi Just.

Sorry to hear your in a bad place at the moment, but at the same time glad that you can see the need for help and that it is available for you.

In regards to what you can take, are you able to contact them prior to admittance? Otherwise your T or your Pdoc should be able to give you the information you need. Most important is that you get yourself there. All the other things can be brought in later if need be

I hope the stay goes well for you

Just call them ahead of time and speak to them. They'll let you know their policies.

They will go through your stuff and hold anything they don't want you to have. I wouldn't over think it. I always bring comfort stuff like my music and a note book and pens. Comfy clothes. Shoes without laces.

[Zippo]

"Most hair conditioner has alcohol."

I'll take that with me next time then because I like a snifter full with dinner. Do they really think we drink hair conditioner when we're depressed? That's hilarious. Maybe the staff should be medicated for these strange delusions.

[BipolaRNurse]

I didn't take anything with me but the clothes on my back. My husband brought in some stuff for me the next day, which of course was searched thoroughly. The only thing I didn't get to keep was the bag itself---I guess they thought you could hang yourself with the small cloth handles. There was a tablet at the nurses' station that we could use in the evenings after groups were over for the day, so I didn't feel completely cut off from the outside world. But I couldn't have my iPod or cell phone, and that was hard to adjust to because I'm so used to just picking up my phone and playing on the Internet whenever I feel like it.

Also, don't be surprised when they take away your bottles of shampoo and conditioner, and your shaving cream. They'll dole it out to you in small Dixie cups as you need it. You also have to ask for disposable razors that you turn in after using them. Don't bother taking a mirror---anything with glass is a no-no. No shoelaces, belts, headphones with wires etc. Each place is different, you can always call the facility to find out what's allowed, although by the time a person is desperate enough to check themselves into a psych unit, they're usually not thinking about those details. Good for you for planning ahead.

[Justugh]

ok i am in a little bit of trouble

i have 1 pair of jeans and it needs a belt otherwise it will fall off me .......as for shoes i have one pair that has laces but they are tied in away i can just slip on and off

i am poor i live off 400 bucks a month food and gas

so the best answer i see is call them up and ask them about the tablet (has books movies and stuff to do) music and stuff i can load on to sdcards and the tablet will let me listen or play it

but they would let me bring in the little notepad i am using to keep track of the pills and stuff they feed me / all the ppls names and phone numbers

[BlackSheep79]

They took away everything from me. Took my laces from my slippers and my hoodie, my music. I couldn't even have a pen, we had to use markers. We were not even able to have the toilet paper holders that your toilet paper goes on. They provided us with all of our toiletries. It sucked not having my music, that's my escape. My sister had talked me into checking myself in and when they took my iPod away she saw the look on my face. She ended up crying the whole way home. Anyways, I've only been admitted once so I don't know if the protocol is the same for each place or not.