I am considering admitting myself and any advice would help. Can I bring my own clothes? Do I need to be suicidal? Will I not be admitted right away unless I am baker acted by someone else? Any insight would be helpful.

[Blue_Bird]

I've been a few times, hopefully recently was the last time. You can bring your own clothes, but nothing with strings hanging off of them or anything sharp where you could hurt yourself. If you have a therapist you could tell him/or her your reason for wanting to be admitted and see what they say about it. If you are suicidal then I hope you let someone know or go to the ER and tell them.

[Travelinglady]

No belts allowed either or shoelaces in shoes. So, bring pants that can stay up without a belt! Basically have to be perceived a potential danger to self or others. Yes, go the route of working with your therapist and/or psychiatrist. Sometimes they can have people admitted if they are really having problems such as mania or other major symptoms that need to be nipped in the bud.

What else would you like to know?

Thanks Blue Bird and PAYNE1. Is insurance a big deal. I have Staywell Florida. Does quality of insurance determine how long I get to stay? I am kind of reconsidering, to be honest.

[Blue_Bird]

I don't know if quality of insurance affects your stay but I know they can bill you for later if your insurance doesn't cover it and you can make a payment plan. As far as my experience has been you stay until the psychiatrists decides you're doing better and ready to be discharged

[Travelinglady]

I know insurance does matter. Sometimes the doc has to make a case to the company for a patient staying very long.....

[gayleggg]

If you are suicidal, don't reconsider. Go now. These days most of them are very easy going. You can come and go from your room to the group area where you can mingle with other patients. You will have group therapy, and some have art therapy along with other activities to keep you busy. I, even, carried my special stuffed animal when I went to keep me grounded.

[Yoda]

Take quarters for phone calls. Take a book or magazines. They keep you busy in the daytime but not much in the evening. If you smoke take cigarettes.

[Grey Matter]

I have been in a hospital, and in residential treatment (for depression/anxiety after a suicide attempt). And I can say, both of the rules were really quite the same.

As others stated, do not bring
- Anything with strings hanging off (hoodies, etc)
- Shoelaces (I was only allowed shoelaces in residential)
- Headphones for an mp3 player
- Anything sharp or can be MADE sharp (either by you or another patient)

Know that they will take your belongings (wallet, etc) and bag them and lock them. So don't bring large sums of money or your credit cards just to be safe. They will search your bag, and they may take some things away. But as you move up in the program, some things may be given back before you're released.

Things to bring
- quarters to make phone calls
- flip flops (for the shower)
- a list of your current medications (any medication for any health problem)
- lotion
- a comb/brush

They gave me my own tooth brush, but I bought a small bottle of toothpaste before I entered.

If anything, they will go over a lot of this with you before you're even admitted. Ask questions at any time and they will answer. If you are feeling suicidal, please go to an ER asap.

Please take care!

[Travelinglady]

Nothing with alcohol in it, such as mouthwash. No glass bottles such as ones with perfume in them.

Phones are in the hall and must be shared.....People who call must have been given a special code to give before the phone call will be accepted and passed on. Patients must answer the phones and pass the word on to other patients about who has a phone call. Phones are turned off during scheduled activities. No cell phones allowed.

Generally, no computers are allowed. Permission needed for electronic devices.

Weekends are particularly boring. No scheduled activities. Bring books if you like to read.

Group TV with restrictions.

Some hospitals no longer allow smoking anywhere. Otherwise, it is restricted to certain times and places.

Attending activities such as group therapy and crafts is sometimes considered as part of being allowed to get out.

etc.

Not a place to go unless you do really need help--but go if you do need to!

Yes. A few things - I have heard that it depends GREATLY on where you live on the quality of service you get. Even in the US, can vary greatly.

I am in Wisconsin and it wasn't bad. Food was ok. They do not allow cell phones / internet. THAT was hard.... But then again - if they allowed cellphones I may have never left.

Oh yeah - one more thing (Payne reminded me of it)..... You can shave your beard - even if you offer to do it right in front of staff, UNLESS you have a cordless/rechargeable razor. And I hate electric razors because they do not do a good job at all.

[Grey Matter]

Yeah, in my residential treatment, we had "sharps" days (twice a week) where people were given their razors etc to shave under supervision, but once you moved up a few levels, they didn't supervise you anymore.

[Travelinglady]

Some allow shaving with regular razors, but they watch people who are shaving every second and take the razor and shaving cream right back when the people are done. Yes, shaving is allowed when the staff so wills.

Oh--and at night, the patients have to leave their room doors open, because the staff comes by every little bit and looks in. No visiting in other patients' rooms. Some places have private rooms, others rooms for two.

Very thin blankets!

Some places require patients to keep their rooms clean and their beds made every morning....

Meals are at a set time. People can have some choice in what they get to eat.

Some have laundry facilities for patients to use. Otherwise, bring a bunch of clothes and/or have someone to take things home to wash and bring back.

ALL your stuff will be gone through upon admission. Some even do a version of a body search.

Bloodwork is done, blood pressure, etc.--after all, it is a hospital.

Psychiatrists cruise in early in the morning and in the evening. Generally spend three seconds with each patient. Well, a very short span of time, anyway! They get reports from the staff about what you have and have not been up to. It's best to have a psychiatrist who has privileges at the hospital. Otherwise you get assigned a stranger psychiatrist. (Maybe even stranger than psychiatrists in general )

Pills are brought by nurses or given out when you stand in line in front of the pharmacy area, and patients are watched when they take the pills.

Rooms are subject to search and seizure--and bodies......

Have I about covered it all?

[newtus]

ive been over 13 times.
always have to strip which should be common.

but lately i had to squat and cough too.

[newtus]

Originally Posted by PAYNE1

Some hospitals no longer allow smoking anywhere. Otherwise, it is restricted to certain times and places.

yea i know of one place that allows it. another that doesnt. and another that allows only ecigs.

that one place that does i got free cigarettes ALL the time from people. even though i came in with none.

[Hellion]

I was admitted to the psych ward a few months ago, because I was feeling suicidal. I was allowed to bring my own clothes and some other items but nothing with strings or sharp edges basically nothing that could potentially be used for self harm or harming others isn't allowed.

I don't think you have to be suicidal to go but I am not sure.

[fadedstar]

Four times here - last was 2006 so things may have changed. 1) Avoid the psych floor at your local hospital. You DO NOT want to be there this is generally where the people picked up by the cops end up and there's no differences in level of care. Meaning you might be a rather normal depressed person locked in with detoxing drug addicts with psychotic symptoms. This brings me to point 2) freestanding psych facilities are generally exponentially better. For starters they group similar patients into wards so depressed voluntary admits are generally grouped together - often on a ward that doesn't have "quiet" or isolation rooms. You also, depending on the facility can leave under supervision to go eat meals in the cafeteria, have time outside. Also a larger facility is likely to have a program/counselors on staff for certain issues like abuse, PTSD, dual diagnosis (sobriety) etc. You don't get that on a 20 something bed ward at a local hospital (which are always locked wards you can't leave)

Do your research, see what facilities are near you and take your insurance. Even if you have to go to the ER (for example suicidal) you can request to go to the facility of your choice. it's much easier to transfer a voluntary admit than to get a hold to make someone stay at whatever psych unit is attached to that ER.

My experience: 2 hospitalizations at a private hospital on the high functioning depressive ward where I got the cafeteria trips, outside time etc. A third admission where when they moved into a facility that did not have an outdoors and ended up on a unit where a lot of people were brought in involuntarily. Fourth and final hospitalization was the psych ward at a local hospital horror story I mentioned.

[fadedstar]

Originally Posted by Hellion

I was admitted to the psych ward a few months ago, because I was feeling suicidal. I was allowed to bring my own clothes and some other items but nothing with strings or sharp edges basically nothing that could potentially be used for self harm or harming others isn't allowed.

I don't think you have to be suicidal to go but I am not sure.

Suicidal thoughts and severe depression is enough for an admit. Also any type of uncontrolled bipolar, anything that has psychotic symptoms, schizophrenia (obviously). if none of that is there insurance will usually push for a lower level of care like partial or IOP.

[growlithing]

It was horrible. I was super triggered and desperately upset the whole time. They locked me in my room at night which triggered me so badly and I had nothing to cut with AND no Internet access. Luckily, my social worker noticed that and got me out of there very quickly. Only go if you are in a crisis.

[sugahorse1]

It was beneficial to me. At times a bit isolates. But a good break

[newtus]

i think each city is slightly different. difference is crime rate of the city and size - in what the hospital will be like. thats what ive noticed. ive been to smaller cities and the places were either nicer or the staff was nicer. i goto a big city and its very much worse. very severe or severe drug addicts and homeless people. low crime areas have people more likely to check themselves in so they are less incoherent.

Thanks for the insight everyone I have decided that I can wait a while longer to be seen by a psychiatrist.

[lostincornflakes]

I've been admitted 4 times. This last time was my longest stay. I live in a big city and we have an urgent psychiatric care or as we call it UPC. This is were the police take those needing mental care. You can also go there on your own if your having troubles. And this where you go to get a loved one help. (Two family members needed to do an involuntary stay).

However a few of the larger hospitals have own behavioral health units. Have stayed in one of those for five days, and two stays at UPC. My last one tho was at a big behavioral health hospital. There are 7 or 8 units. Some only women some only men. Most everyone there is by a court order. I was on a co-ed unit. We had activities from sun up til sun down. No smoking. Laundry done by staff. All belongings inspected. Visits allowed during visiting hours. You can eat on your unit or go to the cafeteria. It depended on privileges. There are two public phones to receive calls or make them. The day room was nice with games, crafts, TV, movies. Of all the places I had been this one was the nicest.

Now the parts I didn't like. The biggest one was I was there by court order. I supposedly told one of the cops I was going to kill him. I was having psychosis breakdown/episode. So they consider me in danger of hurting myself and others. Eventually I was changed to a risk of hurting self only.

The other part that was the hardest were the patients that screamed and argued and needed the time out room. My roommate was one of them. She often woke me up in the middle of night naked. Those patients had 24 hr buddies that followed them everywhere.

All in all if I ever have to do it again I would prefer the last one, the activities were awesome. Yoga, rock and walk, and rec where you could p,any basketball or shoot pool. It also had video games and ping pong.

Been sectioned thrice, have had numerous stays in both private and public facilities. All useless. Hope you have better experiences