From my experience the mental hospitals are a really tough place. Sharing a room with ill people, lots of scary people and a good distance to the nurses made me more feel like prison. Even if we were allowed to pretty much do whatever we like to. The food was very good though.
What experience do make in other countries especially the US ?
Last time I was in the hospital a young girl tried to shank a nurse
Was right next to me but I did not know what to do
She had it held onto her throat before she was tackled
Feel guilty not doing anything but I didn’t know how to react so sort of froze
Also the first time I went there in 2004 they had an indoor smoking lounge
Now you cannot even smoke on the grounds!
They used to be therapeutic but now just holding cells
I go to the VA hospital and it’s boring, nothing to do except lay around and wait for food. The staff is very nice and they seem to care. Boring place.
My longest stay was at a state hospital. I was there for two weeks and a day. Once got woke up to go to group. Had to listen to message in a bottle by the police at 630am. Prison food. Was like that. Back when you were allowed to go outside and smoke cigs. Thunderstorm came overhead. Flash and then boom they all ran inside.
Yep. They are awful. I agree. I’ve seen too much ■■■■ that I very much wish I hadn’t. In public, private, and state hospitals. Longest stay was in a state one and maybe 3 or 4 months.
Violence and aggression and disgusting behavior and disgusting/dirty surroundings. By fellow patients and staff. You’d be surprised. No cell phones, no internet. Having to share rooms and bathrooms and sharing a public phone.
It’s been maybe 6-7 years for me since I’ve set foot in one. Luckily olanzapine keeps me rational enough to not have to be ordered again back into one. Thank goodness for that med.
I was only twice in hospital. In 2011 and 2012. Both in Belgium and the US.
I liked the people better in Bellevue Hospital in NYC. In Belgium the facilities were better with single rooms and private bathrooms.
The food wasn’t great in either.
In the US they are more strict. No cellphone or laptop and when you want to shave someone needed to supervise.
So far my comparison of the Old and New continents.
I have been involuntarily committed once I didn’t want to go but eventually gave in I had no choice in the matter was po at the time but anyway I was there for two weeks for observation, and meds and I went to group therapy a few times and hated it and wouldn’t talk at all about my problems to others waste of time for me I am more one on one just my psych Doctor or Nurse Practitioner and I Iike face to face none of this virtual crap or telehealth I don’t like it either I like to go to the actual office and talk and face to face with someone and besides they always mess up and don’t call me either for a phone appointment I always tend to miss them somehow.
Doing art therapy and guided relaxation sessions in the psyche ward were worse than the symptoms themselves.
Look, I don’t want to cut out pictures from magazines and tell a group how it makes me feel. I don’t want to draw anything. I don’t want to pass around a rock and describe the sensation on my skin. Screw that.
I don’t want to be awakened at 8:00 am every morning and sit through group therapy and than afterwards have some nurse come in and make us lay on the floor while she plays water sounds. And then have us tense every part of my body and then relax it. It puts me to sleep but were not supposed to do that.
When I’m inside the ward all I want to do is play pool, eat and pace. It’s that simple.
When I open my own psyche ward that’s all it’s going to have. No nurses or doctors, just a pool table, food and long, straight hallways.
I’ve been to many hospitals. In all I’ve been hospitalized 40 times. Some hospitals a number of times. The food was good in the Adventist hospitals. My last hospitalization was my last ever I dearly hope. It was bad. Screaming people bad. I got emotionally involved with the patients because I had thoughts of being compassionate. Big mistake, it made me crack up and start screaming myself. The psych techs didn’t know what to do with us? I don’t know what they could do but chastisement isn’t the answer. I’m too sad today to be punished.
In the UK you have you own room, with own toilet and shower, you have a fob to open your door, they have activity coordinators on the wards Monday to Friday. The wards are spacious and clean, The ward I was on you had separate lounges so if you needed quiet space you could go in there, you can make your own coffee or tea from the drinks machine anytime you want. It was chaotic though but it wasn’t too bad.
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