My stays have been rather peaceful. They divide the wards by diagnosis, then security/threat level.
I spent most of my days chainsmoking and watching tv while knitting.
There was one guy who scared me, because he’d talk to himself in different voices. One deep one that yelled a lot, and a light one that cried and Whimpered.
But he was harmless and unaware of other people, he walked around in his own little bubble.
All my stays have been rather unremarkable. All have had decent food, none of the hospitals I stayed in had gyms or exercise areas so that part sucked. The psychiatrists were okay but I did get a bad one during one of my stays last year. I hated him, needless to say next time I went back to that same hospital I made sure I didn’t get assigned to him again. Never been put in seclusion or isolation or whatever you call it, I guess I’ve never needed that. My most recent stay was August 2019, and I’m hoping I don’t have to go back in anytime in the near future.
I was in two private hospitals first and they were awesome. Good food, friendly staff and occupational therapy.
Then I went twice to state hospital. It wasn’t too bad. Also had good facilities and therapy activities. I was pretty out of it on the second occasion though and was discharged after five days to continue treatment at home.
Then seven years later in 2013 I went to an open therapeutic ward at another state hospital and it was good too. Lots of activities and I benefitted a lot from that stay - five weeks with weekends at home.
Sixth time was at a general state hospital in a locked psych ward and it was incredibly boring and then I was transferred to the same state psych hospital I was in but not the therapeutic ward this time but the locked ward. Then went to two wards after that. Had to wear hospital clothing like prison almost. This stay (my sixth) was ok but I was scared in the locked ward as there were patients really out of it. One lady kept undressing herself and some others got into fights but fortunately not with me. The other two wards were nice. Got bored though as there wasn’t a lot of therapy.
The seventh time was a brief stay in the general hospital overnight ward. Went home after four days.
Eighth time was back in general hospital in psych ward. Incredibly boring and there was this lady who freaked me out looking at me with near threats. Fortunately I was transferred soon after to the state psych hospital where I spent five days in locked ward. More naked ladies and this elderly lady who kept on screaming at people “F*** you!” if they came too near to her.
And finally ninth and tenth time in same general hospital psych ward. One of those times there was another lady who stood over my bed and watched me freaking me out. She had to be restrained as she was irritating everyone else.
All in all I felt hospital was a safe place but sometimes scary especially when I was very ill and frightened and missing my husband. And very boring indeed.
I was there for three days observation. Some staff members called me into the office and told me I don’t belong there. I agreed with that. They released me and I was shocked that the diagnosis was psychosis.
One time I woke to find my slippers had been taken, later in the day I saw this crazy girl wearing them I started to walk over to her to ask for them back and she jumped out of them and ran away. This girl attacked a dude that she slept with because he hit on another girl later. This girl had to be restrained and put in solitary because she was so violent but when I stepped to her to get my slippers she ran. I thought damn I must look pretty scary. It really changed the way I viewed myself. But I felt safe knowing the mean girl was afraid of me. And no one messed with me. The old ex druggie dude that sort of controlled what was going on in the day room took me under his wing and got me introduced to all the guys in there. They were less drama then the girls. When I left I had the man that was giving me a ride swing by Walmart and pick up some clothes for the old ex druggie so he would have something to wear, he only had ward clothes that didn’t fit him well and I wanted him to have something nice for when he got out. I also left a pack of smokes for this other dude who was obsessed about where he was going to get a smoke when he got out and I got hugs and kiss when I left.
Another time I was in bed practically the whole time. All I wanted to do was make it all go away. I just was closing my eyes and trying so hard to sleep to make the time pass until my 5150 was up but it was so noisy. There was one voice above them all. It was a delusional. He was spouting things about Jesus and aliens and conspiracy and I couldn’t tune him out. He was really triggering me. I had this really young, sweet roommate who couldn’t really talk very well, only whispers. Well this delusional keeps at it and keeps at it and pretty soon I come flying out of my bed and tell him to shut up and this little roommate of mine come up to me and I’m standing in my doorway, and he’s in the hall and she’s right beside me and she whispers “he touched me” and gestures to her privates, well I come totally unglued and go tearing after this guy right when this huge orderly, I kid you not 6’ 5" at least catches me and stops me dead in my tracks. I’m ranting and raving and the orderly is just staring at me like I’m totally insane. It took awhile for him to get me to calm back down and go back to bed, but it did shut up the delusional for awhile. Then days later when I was getting meds I had a migraine, the worst headache I’ve ever had and they wouldn’t give me anything for it so I called 911 and tried to get an ambulance to take me to the hospital. That didn’t go over very well. On the day I was leaving I was in line to get meds and that delusional came to the front on the line where I was and started talking and I pulled back my fist and said “if you don’t shut the ■■■■ up I swear to God I’ll punch you in the ■■■■■■■ mouth”. Which immediately shut him up but made the meds nurse tell me that’s not the way to get to go home so I needed to be nice. Whoops. But they let me go anyway
That’s a crazy story. Last time I was hospitalized, and I checked, it’s over two years now… but I was in a horribly overpopulated hospital section that was essentially a hallway, with two rooms at different points of the hallway. There were at least 15 of us, and I was unable to sit still because of the powerful new antipsychotic they gave me when I got admitted. I started having an episode and asked for some earplugs, tried using them but it didn’t help. Some of the larger patients were getting angry at me for not sitting down, but I swear I couldn’t help it, it was the akathisia.
Anyway I begged the nurses to help in any way they could, and they decided to transfer me to another section, also for mental health, but that was populated by people with less severe symptoms. They didn’t have a bedroom available on that wing, so I slept in a bedroom in the overpopulated wing and then every morning they’d transfer me to the smaller area. I quckly made friends with the 5 other patients there, and we sat at our own table at lunch and got along really well.
I was always just chomping at the bit to get released from those places, because I hate being locked in an area I can’t get out of, even if it’s for my own good. Anyway, on my way out I found the nurse who helped get me transferred and thanked her like a dozen times. That was my last hospitalization and it was near the end of 2017.
Other memories from prior hospitalizations include seeing one girl’s butt and two men’s penises, thanks to either being flashed or my roommate just deciding to strip completely with me in the room, and also a dude who wore diapers. I felt bad for him with his symptoms, but the smell was so horrible.
It wasn’t something I would like to repeat.
My new nike shoes were stolen by a big black tattoed prisoner, he stayed more than 15 years in prison for crimes. He’s used to steal. I am sure he’s faking his mental illness to get out of prison.He looked like a psychopath and a drug addict, he smelled marijuana.
I didn’t bother with him, I gently asked security and they brought me my shoes back. The prisoner looked me in the eyes mad without saying sorry. I didn’t care because there was security guards.
Diapers lol I wasn’t going to say but a girl really pooped in her room on the floor and it smelled disgusting. Thank god she wasn’t my roommate.
Some people were in the bathroom with the door open, some were taking a dump with the door open. I think they were mentally disabled.
I went to the hospital a lot. The last time was greater than 40 years ago. It sucked.
Where did you stay in Canada? I stayed at a hospital in Calgary.
I’m sorry that you had an experience like this, but I personally had a good experience in the mental hospital. People were mostly kind and the nurses were very gentle on me.
My stay was okay- I was only tied up once, which terrified me, but the nurses didn’t aggressively tie me.
So overall my stay in Canada was good.
It was interesting and at the same time, boring. I stayed for 5 days, was forced to stay extra because no doctors worked on weekends. The main thing i remember is the security guard being bitten by a neighboring patient. The patient also kept slamming his head against the doors glass for about 15 mins.
The weirdest part was the no locks on the bathroom doors and the 15 minute check ins by a person with clipboard at night. Theyd shine a flashlight on your face.
Anyways, some of the people i met there only stay in the psych ward because they have no where else to go. Personally i think the psych doctor overreacted to me confiding in him. But what do you expect from someone that works with prisoners most of the time. He probably gets sick of people. It was like a soft prison imo.
OH man, that was long ago.
I try to avoid The ward.
I liked both stays. You got a time to speak with people, and develop friendship, laugh, watch TV, no phones, you can really relax from all problems.
Food was great, minor things like people freaking out, just ignored. No attacts, no quarels.Only thing that bothered me was you get bored after some time,and wish to go home but you are locked.
Mine too didn’t have locks on bathrooms. Its to prevent bad events like rape, murder, suicide and drug use. There was a young girl who asked me to smoke weed in the bathroom with her. I refused. Her friends brought her weed to the hospital, unbelivable. The bathrooms always smelled weed or cigarettes.
Oh I see! I guess the care is different than in Calgary. I’m sorry that you had a horrible experience there.
I was in multiple wards but hospital stays are horrible because they’re terrifying due to psychosis.
I was in hospital in ondon back in 2002 …it was dogyd…also I had a bad experience in brussels
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