When is hospitalization helpful?

I was wanting to get your thoughts on when hospitalization is helpful. Right now I'm about the following:
Anxiety/dissociative: 75% of day at high level
Work impairment: 90%
Depressed/suicidal: 50%

Would hospitalization be good in this case? What cases is hospitalization good for?

I think it would have a lot to do with if you think hospitalization would be helpful for you! You're the one that would be going through it, getting help (or not) from it.

(((Esthersvirtue))) I'm sorry you are feeling so poorly.

Hospitalization is usually done for those who are a danger to others or themselves. It is a place where you can be stablized on medication, and make arrangements for therapy after you leave the hospital. It can also be a short term relief break from the world when your mental health requires it.

IDK if you've ever been admitted into a lock up ward, but it is a pretty tight run place in general. When you arrive they take inventory of everything you show up with, take away the things you can't have there, and search your luggage and stuff to make sure you aren't bringing in your own medicines.

You wake at a time when they decide, each morning, go through a line for a health check (where you weigh, get BP and temp measured and tell them if you've gone to the bathroom and how often.) You wait for your meds (which can take a full day or two before you get any, unless the doctor sends you with a script or is on the ball with this.) Then you wait in line like everyone to get your meds and have to take them at the window while they watch you.

There are activities during the day that you must participate in, and some you can skip but you can't lie in your bed as they usually lock you out of your room during those sessions. You might see your doctor daily, but generally only every 3 days for psychiatrist.

You every move is recorded (well, not every but it must feel that way.) What you say, what you do, or don't do, how you interact with the other patients, if you were active in the classes... what you ate or didn't eat...etc.

You can't have any "sharps" there... and if you are there long enough to need to shave, you have to wait in line and then be watched by someone while you do. Your cell phone, laptops etc are confiscated and must be used by permission ..if they let you at all.

You go to bed when they tell you too, and they give you medicine to make you sleep at night. If you don't sleep, you might be allowed to watch tv, but won't have any interaction with the nurses etc.

It's really just a safe place to be until other things are figured out...meds and therapy sessions.

If you don't have regular therapy sessions, then it might be something to discuss with your MD or Pdoc if you have one.
Please make the call to your doctor whenever WHENEVER you are feeling that you can't go on.

Sounds like a jail, not a hospital...

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pachyderm said:
Sounds like a jail, not a hospital...

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This was my experience. I was there one night and one night only. I was somewhat admitted by mistake, but I won't go into the details of that here. Perhaps in some situations it is entirely appropriate but it wasn't for me. I have wondered actually if criminals are treated with more respect in jail.

i guess from the posts above it seems like its not helpful unless thats the only option you have. Thanks for the posts.

Sky, I don't know how long it has been since you've been in a psych hospital or a general hospital with a psych unit. What you describe does sound like jail and not at all like most modern psychiatric settings. Some of what you say is true, but by and large it is not that way anymore.

I think a brief hospital stay can be very beneficial and helpful for people, and particularly with the symptoms that esthervirtue is currently experiencing.

I hope you have not scared her away from what could be very helpful to her in the short and long runs.
Take care,
Okie

esthersvirtue,

Hospitalization is mandatory if you have a plan on how you are going to off yourself. If this is the case then please don't hesitate to go to the nearest emergency room. Or call your psychiatrist to have her admit you.

But I am happy to tell you that my 4 stays in a mental health ward were all pretty much positive for me. I came out feeling much better because I was treated with respect, understanding and love.

My psychiatrist came every day. I got up every morning as early as I wanted. (I am an early riser, on the days that I do get out of bed) So that I didn't have to wait in line for the shower. We got to pick our meals and eat as much or as little as we wanted, within reason. we could have snacks between each hour-long class. Our rooms were never locked. We had visitor hours every night from 5-7. We could wear our own clothes or we could wear the scrubs that were provided.

Now I'm not saying it was a party but it was not a horrible place either. Maybe I'm just lucky that we have a good unit in this area. But also i guess everyone that was there when I was was not having as easy of a time as I was. It has always been my and my psychiatrists idea that I be admitted. I never went against my will.

Anyway, do you just need a few days of vacation from work or do you need to talk to your psychiatrist about going to a mental health unit? Thats where you should start. Take Care.

lindee

I was hospitalised back in 2004 for three and a half weeks, in two hospitals (I was sectioned). The first one I was there for three-five days. I was treated slightly differently from the others because I was going to be moved to my local hospital. So I had my own room, I was allowed to keep my phone. My clothing wasn't searched because I hadn't expected I would be sectioned and I had only what I was wearing and they didn't search me. I can't remember it properly now but I know we weren't watched all the time, we were allowed to have baths and visit the toilet unsupervised, etc. _Sky is right about having to wait inline for meds, and they make you take them too, no protests.

When I was moved to my local hospital, it wasn't as modern for a start, and the food was horrible (care of the NHS). The supervision wasn't good either. If I'd seriously wanted to, and if I could have dared to properly attempt it, I could easily have hanged myself there - they didn't take away the girdle of my dressing gown, and the beds had metal frames round them - all too tempting

I was also allowed, since I was feeling antisocial, to go to the sink rooms and go to the end of the cubicles there and read for hours before people came looking for me. I was also caught cutting once, I nearly got away with it but they saw the blood on my arm, and *then* they confiscated my razor and made me empty my drawer and hand in my sharps (idiots). But other than that they were fine, and friendly, and in general we were allowed to mix with other people np. One night I was feeling very anxious and upset and I couldn't get to sleep for hours and hours, and I got to talk with the night nurse, and she was really friendly and calm, and helped me. But yeah. I think that in general, mental hospitals are places to avoid unless you have to go there. But I think since you want to go in voluntarily, you should see if it's possible to look around there first and ask them how they treat their patients, before you decide to commit yourself. Consider your own mental health too, when I was at the first hospial there was an upsetting incident when an old woman there suddenly went mad when she was in the little kitchenette, she grabbed a knife from the drawer (thankfully a food knife and blunt) and tried to slit her wrists, screaming, 'I want to die, I want to die!' She was quickly subdued and she did not hurt herself but it is upsetting to watch such things.

Hi there
Sorry to hear that you're feeling so terrible right now. It sounds like it's really impacting you're life negatively. I'm also under the impression that you'd really like to get some extra help with this and that's a huge positive. I, personally, believe that hospitalization is in the best interest of the patient when they are a harm to themselves or others.

The hospital is a safe place to get the treatment you need. This treatment is otherwise available as an outpatient. When you're well enough to not need to be in the hospital, it can be a really horrible place to be as you're stripped of most of your freedom. It can be very humiliating. Also, when you're with people that are in such a rough place in their life, it could bring you down futher as well.

You're the only one that knows how bad your pain is right now and nobody else can tell you that. So just think about what your needs are at this time and do exactly what you need. You're the most important one and do what feels right.

I just suggest that you be careful with hospitalization. Although I was involuntary what was initally a 72 hour stay turned into exactly 3 months. I've seen a voluntary patient get "trapped" for 6 months. So make sure you know what you're in for and what you want!

Good luck and please take care of yourself!