Have you ever stayed in a psychiatric hospital?

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When I was having a bout of attempting suicide, I stayed in a psych ward for 24 hrs (though about 12 of those hours were spent waiting in a medical room while the paperwork was being done). I was the only person under 40 or 50 in that wing. I was dragged to come to this stupid group meeting they would usually have. My roommate seemed pretty friendly and most of them only wanted to get out of there. Cant say I blame them and they all looked pretty sane to me. It was also a pretty sad excuse of an environment they were placed in. If they hadnt let me go when they did I probably really would've lost it for real due to the environment that was practically forcing me to stay out of my room and be around a bunch of people way beyond my age group.

One thing to note this was at the university hospital which could explain why it sucked so much.

That is kind of odd behaviour, Fudo. What did you go in for, and what did you tell them you went in for? What did you expect to happen? And what do you suppose would have happened if you had stayed in there and been admitted for evaluation and treatment?

I went to A&E under very similar conditions, had to wait out the night until the psych staff came on duty, and was admitted and treated with great respect. And yes, they did not let me leave even to go to the snack machine (but brought me what I asked for, with their own money).

No, I have never stayed in a psychiatric hospital as a patient.

As part of a college psychology class I took, (Abnormal Psychology), I was required to do volunteer work at one until I accumulated the designated hours I needed.

Yes... 7 long months at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital. I was age 10, and misdiagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was written up as "dangerous" by the principal at my elementary school due to a chain of problems starting at age 6. That was because by 2nd grade, I was so tired of being teased and taunted by the other kids, and was sick of having food thrown at me and rubbed in my hair because I was weird, and the teachers wouldn't do anything to help me. So I got so angry that I threw a box of index cards, intending to just demonstrate my need for help, but it accidentally hit her in the face, and broke her glasses and cut her face. I felt sick about it, and got an assault & battery charge from the Los Angeles Police at age 7. Obviously what I did was way out of line, but it was an accident that I hit her. Even she knew it and wasn't angry with me. But try and tell that to a communist organization like the California State government.

Charles

well i wouldn't call my behaviour odd.. just a natural response.
i went in essentially for ocd, i felt and was told by my mother that i couldn't cope on my own.. i told them exactly the same, being careful to point out i was no danger to myself or others and as stated i asked repeatedly whether i would definitely be able to come and go.. i was lied to, evidently and thus didn't feel safe going back. police were called but all they could do was ask if i was ok. i expected the doctor to be true to his word. best case scenario i expected to be needlessly re-diagnosed with ocd given sertraline or something similar and possibly assessed for cbt, worst case scenario as was threatened by nurses i could have been sectioned and held there indefinitely against my will, sedated and forced to socialise with dangerous patients. i was not in my opinion treated with any respect.. indeed was mocked by nurses for suggesting they had no right to detain me. i never went back so i'm not sure whether there was a huge mistake or whether they usually lie to voluntary patients but i deduced that ill or not, this was not a place of healing and not safe for me..

No, but I've been there to see somebody there though, it was a horrible sad experience having to see the suffering in there.

I've never been in such a hospital, but I did spend a night in the emergency ward of my local hospital. I haven't slept for 5 weeks, at the time. The paramedics asked this girl who called them, who is no longer my friend why they were taking me. Her narrow minded 21st Century excuse was, "She's obsessed with The Kinks!" I'm mo longer friends with that female clone of today's society.

never been admitted. a doc wanted me to go in for 'a few days' for depression but it did not seem like a good thing to do

a zillion years ago my grandmother was taken to a hospital by force, after attacking police with an axe. she had been doing things to me for some time. not mean, hebephrenic schizophrenia was her demon. did not know what was going on then, but i understand now. took an abnormal psych class and wrote a paper about my experiences with her.professor flipped out and wanted me to talk to the whole dept about it. well, no can do, but he did. easiest A ever.

my grandmother went to a horror show. all patients were together. vulnerable depressed girls in with paranoid psychotic wolves. my grandmother hurt someone and she was given strong e.c.t. to control her. it worked. she stopped eating and drinking and died. problem solved. i can only imagine the scenes she witnessed.

this was in the 50's and 60's. that's how it worked then for poor (no money) humans. i learned about this after my brother decided he should tell me....when i was about 30.

i assume things have changed some, after reading some accounts given here. but not enough. i guess it's the same as anything else, money talks.

if a doctor or whoever wanted to admit me, i would think they would be wise to bring a swat team. not going easily.
i have terrible dreams about my childhood and what happened to my grandmother....not going to happen to me.

Once - Horrifying!! !

H.

I did twice for suicide ideation, I basically told them everything that would get me out of there. It worked. I have a huge fear of those places.

I voted no Thankfully I have never been put in there when I was young. That is a World I hope Never to experiance.

No but my parents have threatened it I believe about 3 times. All NOT reason to backer-act/put some in a psych ward mind you. Silly parents.

1) Was trying to buckle the little sister in the truck I yanked the seat belt forcefully OMG YOU SHOULD BE BACKER-ACTED!! !

2) A few days prior I had pushed my step dad. parents were like OMG YOU COULD BE BACKER-ACTED!! !

3) Yelling at the shredder since a paper was jammed OMG I SHOULD CALL THE POLICE HAVE HAVE YOU PUT IN THE PSYCH WARD!! !!


(and yet a few weeks later I hear mom mad at the fax machine) LOL!

Yes twice, both voluntarily, once in the UK (15 years ago) and once in France (3.5 years ago). I was going to go to Germany next and write a book about psychiatric hospitals of Europe

The UK is better than France - I was treated very well there and given a lot of attention (although was still effectively a child so had less issues about losing my freedom as I was used to doing as I was told at that age). France is over-reliant on medication and I saw some other people treated badly. Despite being voluntary (although I didn't really have much choice), I was unable to leave due to them confiscating my flat keys and debit card and being on a locked ward (albeit with occasional permissions to leave when they felt like it). They were all locked wards in France and there was nothing to do apart from wait for mealtimes and pace the courtyard (at least the weather was nice in the south of France). Improved my French no end though - always a silver lining!! !! (I am being ironic)

I've never stayed in one and judging by other people's experiences, don't want to be in one, either.

Used to teach in one. I wouldn't like to be a patient there, because it would be boring, even for someone like me. The staff and the patients were nice, though.

I have been in the hospital around 5 times (I think) the most recent being last week. I was extremely depressed and felt numb. At first when I entered I actually didn't know what I was feeling and was in for self harm. I even was hitting myself in the head with a hammer. This so happened to be the shortest episode in my life (the entire thing from beginning to end lasted only 2 weeks) and stayed in the hospital around 5 days. I usually stay a week. My first time ever in the hospital was when I was only 13 years old. I had a psychotic break and back then they thought I either had bipolar or schizoaffective disorder. Even though in my adult life I have been diagnosed with schizoaffective I am leaning toward bipolar disorder and the more depressive side of it. I hardly have hypomanic or manic episodes. I did for one day in the hospital for some reason. Since it only lasted a day, it doesn't really count. The hospital is very boring. There are groups that help me but the time in between the groups is the most boring. The last time I was in at first I isolated myself in my room but then I started opening up myself to the other patients and even made friends. This time I was lucky. There was a time around my birthday a few years ago that there were bullies that hurt me verbally and talked with groups about me and wanted to kill me. Not just one bully but several. I ended up more suicidal getting out of the hospital than going in. If I remember back then I pretty much lied to get out of the hellish bullying. Anything to get out.