hi all. i’m considering hospitalization, and i’d like some advice.
so, some background information: i hear voices that often tell me to do bad things, such as hurt people. one voice in particular, who i’ve named ashtele, is very persistent in giving commands. now, i would never ever follow these commands; i don’t want to hurt anyone. however, the voices have been getting more persistent lately and so i’m considering checking myself in to the local mental hospital.
i’m not sure if this is a good idea though; i’ve heard bad things about mental hospitals in general. additionally, i don’t really know how they work.
so, does anyone have any advice on whether or not i should go, or just how hospitalization works in general?
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I think the hospital is a great idea for you. My advice is to wear comfy clothes with no strings, including shoelaces, bring a book, and if you have a stuffed animal or other comfort object that is soft and has no strings, bring that as well. I would also advise bringing a trusted family member or friend to support you through your evaluation. The hospital can be a scary step to take, but it is usually the first step towards treatment.
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Alien the man in my head does that a lot too - telling me to hurt myself or other people or animals. It’s very distressing. So I can understand to some degree the stress you are under.
I think going to hospital can be a helpful thing if you feel unsafe. I’ve been 10 times in 5 different hospitals, both private and public psych hospitals and in psych ward.
It can be scary and boring but if one is in distress it can also be a relief to feel safe and helped.
Experiences depend on what hospital you are going to. Each one is slightly different. The private ones are much nicer but even the public ones are ok if not a bit boring. But they do care.
Good luck and I hope you get relief from your voices. They can be distressing.
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You sound relatively put together. I’m thinking an appointment with a psychiatrist and some medication might be enough. Do you have insurance?
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i do have insurance. also, i did go to a psychiatrist, who prescribed me geodon, which i’ve been taking for a couple days now. it was actually my therapist who first suggested i think about hospitalization
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I take Geodon. It helps a lot. I’ve been hallucination-free for three years! If you’re already on medication, there’s really not much the hospital will do for you. The primary reason to go is to get meds immediately.
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Don’t stress about the hospital, it’s a safe place that will help you get your head sorted and get you back on your feet sooner. Good luck and welcome to the community.
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If you feel unsafe with yourself at home, the hospital can help. But if you just started meds, my prediction is they will just send you home and tell you to give your meds more time to work.
If you’re feeling unsafe around yourself or others, the hospital is a great place to stay until you stabilize. But you already seem fairly stable, so it might be a good idea to just wait and give the meds a few weeks to kick in.
Are you taking your Geodon with at least 500 calories?
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@Ninjastar i’m taking it with 350 calories. should i be eating more?
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@vesper, I think advice on hospitals is more accurate if we know what country you’re in. In my area of the us, there’s one hospital that’s really bad, but the rest are fine. There’s also one hospital where they keep you safe and give you therapy but they’re hard on you and judgmental. But the other hospitals aren’t like that. So they really do care at most hospitals in my area. Also where I’m from, Michigan, if you’re delusional, almost all doctors put you in hospital until you’re no longer delusional. But in the UK, you’re only hospitalized if you’re a danger to yourself or others. What country are you from?
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@LilyoftheValley i am from the u.s., arkansas specifically
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Hopefully someone from Arkansas sees your post and responds specific to your area. I think hearing voices telling you to hurt people is enough for hospitalization in the us. I know it is here in Michigan.
The hospital may not let you have your cell phone so if you go, bring a list of phone numbers with you so you can call them from the phones they provide.
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Yes. You need at least 500 calories, otherwise it won’t be properly absorbed.
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Some hospitals are nicer than others. And some hospitals are not as safe as others.
In my experience, what they all have in common is that they are boring. A lot of them have pool tables or ping-pong tables but you can only play so many games of pool until it’s not fun anymore. Some have groups or activities or informal classes. In my experience they really frown on sleeping in your room during the day but I usually do it anyways.
In most of them if the nurses or staff aren’t busy you can talk to them and they are mostly friendly. I’ve always disliked being in any hospital but if I have to go in one, I will.
Someone mentioned bringing someone with you; that’s a good idea for support and if you’re not a big talker your family member or friend can help you with checking in and expressing why you’re there. When you enter they will have someone who works there interview you to find out why you’re there. It’s not hard or difficult, they don’t know you so they just want to get a general idea of your mental state.
Personally, I never go in a hospital until the last minute, until I’m at the end of my rope and I’m close to going off the deep end. I don’t mean I get violent, I mean I just always wait until there’s no other option. Lots of people though go in way before then, when they are still relatively lucid and in control and don’t wait until your mental state is in crisis. I think that’s a better idea to go in while you are still a little in control and just need a tune-up and a little rest and safety and time to get better so you can face the world again.
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I live in Michigan too. May I ask which mental hospital that you don’t like?
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I really think they should let you use smart phone for distraction so you don’t pay that much attention to yourself.
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They don’t want you to have contact with the outside world. That’s why they don’t allow cell phones.
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What city you are living in? I live in Madison Heights.
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Maybe you could talk to your pdoc about increasing your dose of Geodon and adding Seroquel to your med’s. Just a thought. I’ve been in a lot of mental hospitals, and none of them were bad. A couple were pretty drab, but that was all that was wrong with them. I heard stories about Terrel, a public mental hospital in Texas that sounded bad, but I’ve never been there, so I don’t know for sure. If you end up in an environment in which you’re not comfortable try not to awfulize. Try to make the best of your situation.
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I’m not willing to say what city I’m in. Sorry.