Inpatient mental health treatment

[Concernedgal]

Has anyone here ever been in a inpatient care facility? I'm strongly thinking about admitting myself but, i'm scared. If anyone here has ever been in a mental health care facility, will you please tell me what it was like? Did they help you?

 

[janemariesayed]

About twenty years ago, my friend was admitted to a mental health hospital. She was suicidal and she did, in the end, commit suicide. Although that happened once she had left the hospital. They took good care of her while she was there. They made sure she had her meds but could not force her to eat. She saw a therapist while she was there but it was no help to her.

I would go with the therapy first and stay at home with your hubby.

 

[Concernedgal]

I feel as though I am near a nervous breakdown though. Day after day I feel as though I just can no longer take it. Today I thought I was ok but, while at work ... my knees felt like jello which to me meant that my anxiety was flaring up again and I get that feeling that my knees are going to come out from under me and that's very uncomfortable. But, I tell myself... at least my hands and feet aren't tingling and at least you don't feel breathless or your heart is about to beat out of your chest. And that gets me through the episode. All I want is some peace in my life and me being out here, no medication and no therapy.... besides this place I feel as though here at home I don't have the help that I need.

 

[Jonathan Maxwell]

Please see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Overall, I have known of people who have been admitted, and they were treated fairly well. It is important to have a healthcare professional to followup with once you do leave the facility to make sure you are getting the care you need.

 

[Concernedgal]

You see the thing is. I've been trying to see a psychatrist for months and there is always a freaking waiting list. It's not fair. Why is it that when a person finally admits that there's a problem and they need help. .. it still doesn't matter because your always put in the back burner. Like you don't matter ir your problems mean nothing. It seems that way to me lately. This place has been my 1 source of support and I appreciate it. I just wish the rest of the world could be as supportive as you guys

 

[janemariesayed]

You see the thing is. I've been trying to see a psychatrist for months and there is always a freaking waiting list. It's not fair. Why is it that when a person finally admits that there's a problem and they need help. .. it still doesn't matter because your always put in the back burner. Like you don't matter ir your problems mean nothing. It seems that way to me lately. This place has been my 1 source of support and I appreciate it. I just wish the rest of the world could be as supportive as you guys

It was the way with me too, getting therapy. Now I wait for this final assessment for long term therapy. No one would go near me and I've been trying to get help since January. In the end, I freaked out and one assessor told me to phone the crisis team. I didn't call them, then another assessor told me to call them so I did. I called them and freaked out in front of them. That worked! Now I have pills and upcoming therapy.

Being in a mental illness hospital is not a great place to be @Concernedgal and I seriously think you are better off at home with your husband and family.

The crisis team was an alternative to being in the hospital. They came to visit me every day at first, then every couple of days till it went down to twice a week then they gave me closure. They sorted me out with pills and they sorted me out with the long term therapy that was so hard to get.

Before you admit yourself to the hospital, please find out your nearest crisis team, whoever they are and get in touch with them.

I told you my friend was in the hospital and she was treated well, but that isn't it. When you come out you are then afraid to mention it to anyone and some of them, wrongly make you feel ashamed. Treat hospital as the last and final step. Do the crisis team first and bawl out your eyes to them that no one wants to help you and they will find you help.

Another thing you could do is change your doctor. Go and see a different doctor and tell him the problem you are having finding meds that suit you. Tell him the problems you have with them so far and they should have a good idea what med to try.

 

[Concernedgal]

Ok. I'll.try it. I hope it works. This isn't cool . Today I feel anger. Anger about it all. All I want to do is punch the wall, scream, and force those that don't understand to understand. It is so hard to be misunderstood. I just said to myself 1 night" screw it, if the only way they will listen to me is to be in a mental hospital then so be it" . I just want to be heard and I just want to be helped.

 

[janemariesayed]

Ok. I'll.try it. I hope it works. This isn't cool . Today I feel anger. Anger about it all. All I want to do is punch the wall, scream, and force those that don't understand to understand. It is so hard to be misunderstood. I just said to myself 1 night" screw it, if the only way they will listen to me is to be in a mental hospital then so be it" . I just want to be heard and I just want to be helped.

That was exactly how I felt. That no one was listening to me. I felt that I was screaming at the top of my lungs 'help me!' and I was getting nowhere. It seemed that there was no help for me anywhere to be found on this planet. So, in the end, I started losing it with the assessors of these various therapist agencies who told me to ring the crisis team. In the end, I did and it was them who helped.

Try to find your nearest crisis centre and call them. Who do you call in the US when someone is feeling suicidal? We have the Samaritans and it was the first that I had heard of the crisis team, but it was the best thing that I had done.

I know you are not feeling very good @Concernedgal and my prayers are with you to get help. I hope admitting yourself to the hospital is the last straw.

Then again, if you can't find any help from any crisis team as such, then it may be your only option. I just hope that isn't the case hun!

 

[Concernedgal]

Your right about 1 thing. Admittance into a facility was my last resort.

 

[janemariesayed]

Your right about 1 thing. Admittance into a facility was my last resort.

I do think it should be. But remember I'm here to support you whatever you decide. You know yourself, and you know what is best for you.

I'm just worried about the stigma that is attached to staying in one of these mental hospitals. You know what I mean. It's not something you would want your neighbours knowing about as their gossip can be cruel. It seems that one of the first things people think about when someone mentions a mental hospital is that the inpatients are all ga-ga. Or doolally. Those not suffering it think we have a screw loose kind of thing and I would just like to protect you from anything like that. At the same time though, they can be really helpful, and both you and I know that the inpatients in those facilities are not necessarily ga-ga or doolally! The same stigma was attached to seeing a shrink until recently.

Something interesting I can tell you is that I researched the history of the hospital I was born in. It turned out that a hundred years ago it was a mental facility. Then it changed in the 1960's to become an unmarried mothers home, which is why I was born there. Apparently, there were still some mentally ill patients there at that time.

 

[janemariesayed]

Ha ha, then maybe if reincarnation is real, then I could have been a nutter who died in the mental department and nipped over to the unmarried mother's wards to take host of another body!

Then out I came Whhhaaaaaa!