Does Anyone Else Hate Psych Wards?

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Maybe it's just our general area, but I've spent time in a psych ward again, and they freaking suck.

There was a girl in the ward who said that her family was "dragged into a deep dark place" by her being in the psych ward, and the "professionals" agreed with her! SON OF A--

They also claimed that because I did not finish my breakfast, I must be more depressed [gee I wonder why]. It had nothing to do with the food tasting terrible. Absolutely nothing. NOTHING. [/sarcasm]

I came out feeling worse than I did when I went in...again.

[Also, they had us do art therapy, and I drew a tree being struck by lightning, and they demanded to know why I drew a tree being struck by lightning, and they wouldn't take, "because you gave me charcoal, and I hate charcoal?" as an answer.]

I spent two months at Creedmoor Psychiatric. While I was there I wrote a collection of short stories/fairy tales. Pretty creative time for me.

I've been in once, but that was one time too many for me. I only liked it cos I didn't have to go to school...

When I was first admitted, all the other girls were boasting about how long they've been in there, so that freaked me out cos I didn't want to stay there for a few months like they did. Being a depressed aspie didn't help (although at that time, I wasn't diagnosed yet). There was a lot of screaming and crying and alarms so sensory overloads happened all the time.

The nurses bullied us and treated us like we were all convicts.

(Apparently, one of the girls I was with was in the news for the most number of failed suicide attempts...)

I spent two weeks in psychiatric hospital (UK, NHS) in October/Nov this year due to repeated serious self harm and suicide attempts. The ward had 28 beds - four dorms of 6 beds (2 male dorms, 2 female dorms) and 4 individual side rooms for those who needed more intensive observation.

I spent most of my time in my bedspace with the curtain pulled round occupying myself with colouring in, listening to audiobooks or just sitting. I didn't really speak to any of the other patients who were there - or even most of the staff to be honest.

I struggled with mealtimes because we had to go to the dining room and I couldn't cope with that due to the unknown, the "social" factor and the sensory issues. After two days of not eating because of this, one of the psychiatric nurses had a chat with me, and it was agreed that I could go to the dining room once everyone had got their meals, get mine and then take it to my bedspace to eat.

I found the whole experience actually quite relaxing because I had no obligation to interact with anyone (beyond regular psych appts, and scheduled daily chat with one of the nurses) and could spend the time entertaining myself, without having to worry about all the stuff that makes life stressful.

I think I was lucky that they did not try to make me interact me - I heard them trying to get others to do so, but I think they accepted as part of my ASD that I would not do well with that and needed to do things in my own time.

I did feel better while I was there, but once I reentered the real world it was obvious that nothing had changed for me. Nice respite though.

They wouldn't even let me have paper or a pen! What state is that in?

I spent one day in a psych ward in my university hospital (due to suicide urge). The two things I hated most where that I had to share a room with someone and that I was forced to attend a group discussion just hours after checking in. The bed was hard and unsleepable. And there was only one TV in a gathering room. The only thing I got amusement from was raiding the kitchen cabinets of the individual cereal packs they had stored in there.

It felt awkward because I was clearly the youngest person in the ward (I was there when I was 22) and the only campus attending student where everyone else was age 40ish or older locals. The other patients weren't that bad and they knew I was there voluntarily so they told me how lucky I was that I could leave if I wanted to. Truth be told I wanted to stay maybe a few more days but I got to worried about missing the start of classes (this was a few days before the semester started) and decided to check out later that afternoon. Plus I missed my computer.

Was in one for 2 weeks, I think pushing/stressing you out till you show a reaction is part of the point of these things honestly, I doubt what happens in the psych ward has much refection on real life though, I was never with the idea of being there and turned my life upside down.

I went to one voluntarily in November when I woke up feeling far too suicidal after a particularly bad night. It was for 5 days and though I mostly disliked it I can't necessarily say I hated it as it did sort of help with not attempting suicide that time since I was not allowed to have anything dangerous aside from psych meds....if I had stayed longer and remained on the wellbutrin they gave me they would have had more than they bargained for and I doubt I would have remained voluntary.

I was in one once and hated it. I'd never willingly be placed in one. It wouldn't help me.

I'm not asking you to like this but please hear me out...

If they gave you charcoal, you must have ingested something dangerous. From personal experience, I know the hospital can be a good or bad experience depending on how you handle it. It sounds like you put up resistance to getting help. I know the beds suck, many of the patients suck, the staff can be jerks, and the food probably violates human rights laws, but attitude makes a big difference there.

Since it sounds like you will end up back in a hospital again someday, I suggest you ask around about how to work constructively with the doctors and staff. For starters, talk to them next time and try to get feedback about what they want. They are not looking for excuses to keep you longer. If they can resolve the problem that landed you there they can discharge you or move you to outpatient, which can actually end up being a pretty cool deal!

You need help and people are trying to get it to you. Now is the bet time to take it. It gets logistically harder as you get older and you have more to sort out then too!

No, it was in art therapy. :I They weren't giving me charcoal to eat, they gave us DRAWING charcoal. You don't eat drawing charcoal.

The reason I haven't made more suicide attempts is to avoid the psych ward. I don't want someone walking in on me and throwing me back in there so they can ignore me for a week, or a month, or by the sound of some kids for a year.

I wouldn't try to OD anyway. If I screw up I'm going to horribly damage my organs and get stuck with them.

I've been two times in a psych ward with my brother with LFA (but we were with our parents), we stayed just one hour and half there and we went away because we HATED the place. The food sucked. The psychiatrists looked even worse than the people there with SEVERE mental disorders. There was nothing to draw with exept some dirty papers and a pen, and a psychiatrist told me to do a drawing with them. I remember I closed a door and a psychiatrist got angry with me because of that. No, I will never go to one again.

I would suggest you talk to someone about giving you more discretion to decide what type of help to get. Your doctor, your therapist, your family, talk to them about yot taking more initiative in your treatment because you don't sound happy with how it's going or with life either, and things won't get better unless you can make some changes in both.