Normally I stay out in the day room as much as I can and talk with the other patients, but I haven’t really done that the last two times (I’ve been in psych units eleven times now).
When I was in the hospital a few weeks ago I didn’t socialize at all. There basically were two groups of patients. There were “the kids,” as I called them; they all appeared to be in their early twenties, and I just don’t hang around people that young. Then there was a group of older patients; I probably would’ve fit in better with them, but one of them was completely off his rocker and very angry, and I just couldn’t deal with him. The rest of the patients just sat alone in the day room, as I did when I started coming out of my room.
The time before that I was all doped up on Librium and just slept most of the time I was there.
I was like a mom magnet. All the young people seemed to gravitate to me. Maybe because I have teenage and young adult children. There really wasn’t anyone there I didn’t get along with.
Yes. Unless they have like 12 people packed into one small area. Last hospital I was in was overcrowded and had some patients who scared me, didn’t socialize at all. I brought it up to the nurses and started having panic attacks so they transferred me to a ward with less people.
Smaller ward had four people in it other than me and they were all friends, I got along really well with them and we had a decent time and a lot of good conversation. I told the hospital several times while I was leaving to thank the nurse who got me transferred to the smaller unit.
Crisis care (a program in my area) is a different story, people who go there usually do so voluntarily so they are generally friendlier. When I am doing bad I go to voluntary Crisis Care to avoid hospitalization. It’s basically the same thing with a lot more freedom. I find the people at crisis care very fun to socialize with… in part due to a great staff and also a great house.
The last time I was in the hospital I was very timid. The only thing I did was sit in the TV area with a bunch of people and just enjoy the company but didn’t talk to anyone.
One time when I was in the waiting room at the community mental health center I saw a guy hitting on a woman who was sitting by him, just waiting to see her psychiatrist or therapist. That struck me as odd and kinda ■■■■■■ up, hitting on a woman at a mental health clinic.
Well it happened every time I was in the hospital and a lot. Doesn’t happen as much when I’m out in society though. Funny how that is. Or I just meet a******s
It’s a group home where patients stay for a period of up to three weeks. A psychiatrist visits twice a week and can make med changes and write prescriptions as needed for any patient who needs it. They have a daily schedule including group therapy and medication time. You can request to be sent there during a mental health emergency instead of a hospital.
@agent101g did not know that, most excellent of an idea. thank you.
@freakonaleash i’ve been in the psych ward 3 or 4 times. just like irl i keep to myself. as long as someone isn’t being a complete d-bag then if they walk up and talk to me i try to hold my own in a conversation.
mostly it’s just me filling the time, reading books and trying to stay distracted. i’m one of those if there is enough room i walk around the hallways a lot too.
I like the shared rooms more than the closed rooms but luckily I wasn’t in the other room bc the guys were all talking to themselves out loud in there, I made a vow to myself never to get that bad after seeing that,
My roomies were nice though I had no socks so one of them gave me some socks lol, we talked a bit in the smoke room but I did my own thing too, I liked getting out eventually so tried to get a few people together to come out with me to a cafe and I ended up getting papers in the morning too,
I have never just sat down and accepted the enevitable, was looking for distractions even then lol
I like my alone time but I socialized here and there. The unit I spent the most times in was super annoying about socializing. If you kept to yourself they would treat you like you weren’t trying to help yourself or you had problems with social skills and they made you work on it. You would get out faster/deal with less ■■■■■■■■ from the staff if you interacted with people even if you didn’t find them interesting at all.
It’s years since I’ve been in. From what I remember there was a small group that was often in when I was in. I socialised a bit but not much. I never knew what to say and didn’t initiate conversations .
When i been sectioned i prefer to stay alone. Sounds a bit harsh and selfish but i dont want to be caught up in other peoples mad crazy behaviour whilst im trying to get better. Had it before when some crazy woman was convinced i was her husband and kept haressing me.