What is the adult ward like?

[spacemonkey]

Due to my current mental state along with my living situation, I am considering putting myself in the psychiatric hospital again. I don’t want to get too deep into what’s going on, but I will say that I have been having suicidal thoughts that aren’t getting any better and I’m currently in a very hectic living situation that I can’t get out of since I’m under adult guardianship due to my disabilities. The only way I feel like I can be safe with myself is if I turn myself into the hospital, as much as I don’t want to do that.

The only two problems are that I’m conflicted because I have a lot of good things happening for me soon but I can’t keep tolerating my situation, and that I’ve never been to an adult ward. I’ve been to child and adolescent wards as a youngster but I’m 19, going on 20, and I’ve never been to the adult ward. My behavioral consultant is fighting to keep me out of the hospital, but I feel like going to the hospital is inevitable with this situation that I’m in.

If you’ve been in the adult ward, what was your experience like?

[MisterCrowley]

Everywhere is different so depends on country and area with covid there will be strict social distancing. In South Africa been in both government and private wards.private is nice government sucks.

[ninjastar]

Ive been in both in the US and they were pretty much the exact same.

[77nick77]

Well, I’ve never been to a kids ward so it’s hard to compare. But I bet one thing they have in common is they’re boring. That’s what every ward I’ve been in is like. You can only play so much pool or ping pong before you get tired of it.

IDK, When I’m in the hospital, I usually sleep a lot. Other folks sit around talking. They usually have a TV. One ward had a basketball court out back. I spent some time out there shooting hoops by myself or more people came out and we had teams or played horse.

Som hospitals held classes or had art therapy. Personally, I’m not a big fan of art therapy or meditation classes. Some hospitals let you out for 15 minutes to take a shower all by yourself. Like I said, I’ve never been in a child’s ward.

[ForlornSaint]

It’s like the teen ward but different lay out and groups. The food over here in the adult ward is different than the teen wing. I was in a state hospital for a month or so and it is very boring but the food is good especially with the meds, it just makes you always want to eat. We have a little refrigerator that had a bunch of snacks and a vitamin water dispenser. It wasn’t too bad, I was just very homesick most of the time.

[Tulane]

I’ve never been to a teen ward, but the adult ward I was in sucked big time. As in, incredibly boring. I just paced the ward for 12 hours a day (I’m not a big napper, which would be useful in the ward). I would go to bed at like 7:30 because I was so bored. Luckily, I had my folks bring in some reading material. The other people in the ward were a mixed bag – old, young, loud, quiet. Really just depends on the ward, but I think you’ll be fine if you do decide to go. Good luck

[Clevelandguy]

I think going in should be your choice, not your consultant’s. You know better yourself what your needs are.

Don’t think that you don’t know what an adult ward to stop you. If you think you need it, just go!

[ThePlagueDoctor]

Woooo boy, time to dig deep into those memories. Here’s what I can come up with off the top of my head, having been in both children’s and adult units.

Adolescence: Everything had a rigid structure and schedule. After morning meds, vitals, breakfast, and hygiene time, was school until 2 or 3. We’d then go back to the unit, and have a form of therapy, which differed based on the day. Some days it was group therapy, some days it was art, some days it was music, and some was outdoors teambuilding exercises. We had a TV and a radio we could use as long as there were no huge blowups over it - in which case, nobody got to enjoy it. Dinner was followed by unstructured time such as playing cards with the staff, chess, or rec yard activity. Food was universally decent at worst. If someone acted out on the unit, we’d all be sent to our rooms while the upset individual was handled. We’d then come back out. Some units had both males and females, and some were totally segregated.

Adult: Again, the same rituals of meds, vitals and breakfast. Obviously, there was no school. Lots of free time spaced apart around random forms of therapy. Not much diversity in day-to-day routines. Got boring as frick quickly. Now there’s a hurry to stabilize someone in 3-5 short days and street them. A lot of these folks are frequent flyers to the psych unit. In for 5 days, out for a day or 5, and right back in. A lot of this is a combination of the stingy insurance coverages, and a need for beds. I’m sorry, but there’s no way you can reasonably stabilize an adult in 3-5 days, just jerking around meds that any outside pdoc can. It’s actually a real shame. I think stays need to return to the 2-4 week time span.

Hope this helped.

[ForlornSaint]

It should be! In my case they considered me completely disabled unable to take care of myself so they sent me there, as soon as I started a good regime of medication they had me out the door. Yeah, it was a dark time in my life where I was at a breaking point! A police liaison project contacted me incase I ever get those horrid ideas again.

[lekkerhondje]

for me the first time in psych ward (adult) was annoying cause i felt i had to fight all the time because the therapy sessions worked on my nerves so it was stressful time but the second psych ward i was in was better… I have never been in a teen psych ward though so i don’t know how much it’s different. I’d say that it’s prob easier in adult ward cause adults are not so judging like kids are…