What's it like to be in a Psych Ward?

You go to psych ward for 3 days, if a weekend is involved, then it is 5 days. They take your shoes from you and schedule you for certain groups they have over these days that you are there. You are made to eat a few bites of each bit of food on your plate if you don't want to eat all the disgusting food. You take a test that takes a really long time because it is so long you have a bad headache even before you take it. That written test determines what your condition is and severity of it. You have to cooperate with everything and everyone or you don't get out on the day you are supposed to leave. They also usually do some IQ testing to see how book smart you are. You know, the basics, spelling, putting together certain little puzzles, math might be in there too, I just can't remember now. You are made to promise the nurses every night that you won't hurt yourself so that you can sleep in your room, otherwise you are made to sleep in the hallway near the nurses station. Luckily I promised every night that I wouldn't hurt myself. Anyway, it's really draining. And yes, you are watched to see that you take the meds they tell you to take.

Been there twice...yeah, pretty much what all the other great posts said, but I will add this:

You will get asked the same question or series of questions by up to 10 staff members daily!!! (I thought...then I asked..."Do you people not even read charts and communicate???)

Also, you may be given a "battery" of tests, (up to 1,000 questions) whereas within these "tests" the same question will be asked to you differently up to 30 times.

The staff may appear as prerecorded robots, as they will sing the same tune to you..."Accept...Cope...Refocus"

You will attend Group Therapy (which I hated)..where they will encourage you to share your story with others....BUT..during admission...they tell you, "Oh..all stuff is confidential." I live in a rural area, so had I shared my story with "others"...I may as well had placed it in the newspaper. Also, and this was a good thing for me...Group is usually dominated by some long-winded patient who can talk the red off of a stop sign....I enjoyed them!!

I think they mean what you say is confidential outside the hospital...like they can't go tell your parents or random people who know you what you say or give them information about your treatment and such.

And I didn't have to take one of these mundane 10000 question tests either time I was in the psych ward...so it certainly doesn't always happen, I think that is another thing that depends on the facility. I personally don't see how a written test like that would be beneficial so not sure why they'd have such a thing for psych ward patients.

What about diagnosing you with depression, or other mental illness?

So, I still go to school. What will they the teachers,will they know.

Sorry, these ,might be a lot of questions, just interested

Thanks to everyone who answered so far

It really depends on the psych ward as one can infer from the variety of responses.

I think the best descriptors are boredom and medication. Those are the only things I got out of my stay at least.