What's it like while admitted in a hospital?

have a phobia of meds...and I have a panic disorder and I have to take Klonopin (.25mg one in the am and one in the afternoon...then a .5 at night for sleeping....and a 10mg Prozac in the am) I'm afraid of side effects and What I'll feel like after taking them...I feel like ..." oh **** I took it now theres no turning back oh no!!"
...I cant take the meds no matter what I do or think about ( doc even said If I dont Hell call the DMV and have them take my license away cause I have a mental illness and Im a danger on the road..and stuff like that ) and I still cant take the med...so I want to check myself in so I can take them and be monitored the whole time...

Whats the treatment like there? Whats it like in general? how long will it last? Can I bring like an mp3 player or a gameboy or something? will they let me do that? Whats the sleeping conditions like is there gonna be people of all ages there? will I be roomed with some 40 year old guy or something? ( I'm 18)

Hi NonComposMentis8,

I'm a little unclear about your post. I know you said you are afraid to take your meds - do you live alone? Do you have family or friends there with you who could help monitor your reaction to your medications? If you live alone, is there a possibility of staying with friends while you start the medications? Going to the hospital while starting the medication regimen is an option, but it may be something that you can do yourself with the support of friends, family, or loved ones. I know it's hard to get over that mental hurdle, but maybe having some company with you would help (assuming you possibly live on your own).

I've been in psychiatric wards a number of times - they can vary. If this is really your goal, I would talk with your doctor about this, and get a referral to the best one in your area, and admit yourself to that location (rather than walking into your local ER, for instance...if you do that, you may end up on a 72-hour hold, and then you'll have zero choices about what hospital you end up at).

Yes, it is possible your roommate could be a different age than you are. I think most hospitals try to arrange roommates that they think will get along okay, and will try to switch people around if they are not getting along okay. The better hospitals have a daily schedule - meals at regular times, group meetings, certain activities (maybe exercise classes, or arts and crafts, or other group activities). You'll probably also have periodic meetings with your psychiatrist, hospital physician, and possibly a social worker, and you may have group classes about skills you'll need once you leave - maybe how to handle stress better, for instance, or how to deal with medications - things like that. Hospitals vary wildly, and some do not offer these things. It pays to ask your doctor for advice, and try to find a good psychiatric hospital if you know in advance that you'll be going.

I wish you all the best with this. Oh - in terms of bringing an MP3 player - hospitals vary on their policies about such things. You might or might not be allowed such things. Many psych wards don't allow things with cords because they are a risk for choking for people who are in danger of committing suicide, so most don't allow it. They are also a liability for the hospital because a lot of things get stolen on the wards. Chances are you would not be allowed to have it on the ward. And for how long your visit would last, it's hard to say....it would probably last as long as it would take for you to get stabilized on your meds, as long as you're not suicidal or something as well. It may even be just a few days, or a week or two - I don't know.

Best wishes - I imagine this is very difficult, and I hope you and your doctor can come up with a good solution to get this worked out.

Take care,
ErinBear

I live with my parents...and I cant take the meds on my own...

I can understand your fear of meds. I took a Trazodone once to see if it would help me sleep. I laid awake obsessing about a drug in my brain. I have finally gotten to the point that I can take an anti-depressant without obsessing about what it is doing to my brain. However, I suspect that your situation is scarier because it involves more drugs than just one.
I researched my drug pretty well so that I would know the side effects. Have you researched your drug? (If you can give yourself side effects by researching the drug, proceed with caution.) I tend to feel less nervous when I know things. If that is the case for you, then it would be a good idea to go to the library and read the Physician's Desk Reference, Pill book or something similar about your medication.
You might also consider starting with the most important drug first. Can you take a dose when you know that your parent's will be home and during normal office hours. Once you have done that a few times, then you could try to adjust it towards what your doctor has recommended. (Prozac will start out with some annoying side effects. But, if you keep it up, you will probably see then decrease or go away in a few weeks.) I am on a different anti-depressant of the same classification. I would talk to your doctor if you decide to try to gradually work your way towards your doctor's orders to make sure that it is okey to try it.
As for the hospital, I have never stayed in a psychiatric hospital and hope to never do so. I think that it might be hard to convince an insurance company of the necessity of such a stay. It is hard to convince an insurance company to okey a hospital stay unless you are suicidal, unable to care for self, a danger to someone else or some other very serious situation. I hope you find a way to get yourself into feeling better without a hospital stay. However, if it is needed, go for it. I would definately want to pre-plan it as the above posting recommends.

My expericnce of pysch ward is awful. I felt more vunrable and at risk "IN" then I do "OUT" unless its a life or death situation, I'd wouldnt go into one.