Hi /adv/
Has anyone ever been to a mental hospital?
I'm wondering if staying for a few days would help me in any way
It seems like I'll go in...then come out feeling exactly the same and that's pointless
I have semi-decent health insurance but no money
Dont go unless you really feel suicidal. They are the most depressing and bizzar places you could possibly imagine. They'll overmedicate you and room you with someone out of the twilight zone.
>>17263152
Well I've been trying to kill myself on and off for a week now; I've tried a number of times in the past; but after a break of a few days, I decided I was going to try more violet methods in the hope that'd I'd be more successful.
However it occurred to me that going to the hospital might be something worth trying
>>17263160
Go into a hospital. It might help,but if not you lost nothing.
That place will scar youre mind in ways you cant imagine. Beware...
>>17263379
>you lost nothing
except the hospital bill
>>17263411
Like what?
>>17263379
Okay
>>17263148
My grandmother went to a mental hospital 3-5 times and still ended up killing herself. Its not worth it OP
>>17263766
Right this is my thinking, I'm still planning to kills myself so what difference will it make?
How did your grandmother do it?
I've been trying to suffocate myself with a plastic bag but I keep ripping it off before I die; even when I attempted to restrain myself so I couldn't do that.
I have. It was more boring than anything else. You're essentially treated as a mix between a child and a rabid dog. The days are rigidly structured, everything has its place and its time. Some might find this comforting or reassuring, but I personally just found it claustrophobic and mind-numbingly dull.
I did see a guy threatening to kill himself by jumping off the roof, though. That was pretty funny. There were ambulances, police, and a guy with a megaphone, just like a movie scene. They kept at it for hours. Pretty much the highlight of my stay.
In all seriousness though, it depends on what kind of person you are and what your problem is. If you need some structure, or just to be around people, it might be a good idea. But don't expect it to actually change you in any meaningful way. Instead, try to consider your existing support network - are there people you know with the time and inclination to keep you company for a time? Somebody who'll keep on being a part of your life afterwards and who can keep on supporting you and helping you? If yes, contact them.
>>17263797
Kek the jumper thing seems like a hell of a scene
While I have MDD and I guess I'm suicidal I don't think I'm being impulsive or anything, I feel like I'm in my perfectly sane, right mind, so I probably wouldn't like it.... Structure would be okay it wouldn't hurt me but a regular psychiatric hold is 72 hours? So meh I doubt that does anything
>consider your existing support network - are there people you know with the time and inclination to keep you company for a time? Somebody who'll keep on being a part of your life afterwards and who can keep on supporting you and helping you? If yes, contact them.
No, I don't have anyone, and especially no one I can trust
That +no money+ horrible living situation/faux homelessness makes it more stressful I guess
Thank you for replying anon
>>17263808
In that case it might actually help. It would give you some relief from the constant stress your near-homelessness and lack of money gives you. Best case scenario, it allows you to have a breather for a few days and gather your thoughts. You might even get some good advice from the staff regarding practical issues, which seems to be a major source of stress for you.
>>17263827
Hmm
Well, when you phrase it like that maybe it is worth a shot?
I just hate to go check myself in and spend three days for nothing to change
>>17263839
I mean, it's not gonna magically fix all your problems. It will, however, allow you to put yourself in a different context for a while, which can be valuable in and of itself because it allows you to think about things without having to worry about practical issues or everyday stress.
>>17263853
Okay anon good point
I'll call and find a place to check myself in tomorrow then...
I went because i was gonna kill myself, and came out feeling way worse, no paycheck that week, and now i owe $2k to the hospital.
i have debt collectors calling me everyday, and im probably still gonna kill myself. Definately not worth it.
would they let you play video games in those mental hospiitals?
i just want free drugs all day and video games
I was in a mental hospital 3 times in 6 months about 3 years ago for depression I still struggle with. In fact, I look back at those days as some of my happier, as I am much more suicidal and destructive than I was back then. There are a few hospitals around here, the only ones worth going to being the ones that will completely indebt you, and they all do just as little as the next. You go in, you tell them how you feel, they attempt to medicate you and make sure you dont hurt yourself while feeding you useless garbage in substitution for actual rehabilitation. After 3-5 days (since you are broke like 90% of everyone else in the place) you will be kicked out, told to keep on the meds that aren't doing anything at all for you, tell you to go to NA/AA meetings for drug problems which do very little to nothing to keep you clean or empower you and then finally hook you up with someone that you can talk to, but for a price of course. Nevermind having someone who genuinely wants to help and listen to how you feel.
I suggest you make a desperate attempt to find something worth living for in this life, something intrinsic and meaningful to you.
Was in a private hospital for 3 months (October through to January, Christmas and New Years was a hoot I tell ya!) after getting caught trying to an hero by my mother, then proceeded to have a mental breakdown which lead to my mam finding out I self harmed.
Was shoved into a hospital within a week (a months wait in Ireland if youre not suicidal) the place seemed like another planet to me, a cocoon to the rest of the world, a safety blanket to the public and when I was outside I felt like an Alien and that everyone knew I was fucked in the head. My mother persisted its nothing like the movies, although she had to go through her mother being in and out for schizophrenia and wasn't paid through insurance, so it did for her.
I was 18 and in an all girls ward, there was about 9 girls I stuck with (17-25) and it was like they tried to out do everyone with their problems, a fucking nightmare, so I stayed in my room to stay away while I waited for the half hour check-ins by the nurses. I had to see about 3 different doctors a week while doing the default YAP (young adults program) and seeing that the other girls had better programs to attend.
My advise to you OP, is to make a fuss. I never want to burden people with my problems so I never talked and kept saying I was fine to be polite. What one reply here is true that they overmedicate you because I don't remember much of the first 3 weeks of the whole ordeal.
Being in that place was a waste of my time, friends abandoned me because I couldn't go out and drink with them, I had to repeat my portfolio course to get into art college, constant worry from parents. All I got from that place was an A4 page of how I felt from the CBT therapist and some meds.
I'm probably worse off now than before I went in because now I know that not even paid doctors care that you want to die. Now I'll watch my mother walk in next Wednesday for PTSD while already spending 100 days there last year hah
>>17263148
if you want to kill yourself there is no few day treatment that will make you feel better.
if you are truly depressed it takes time to get out of it. it was a slow process of over two years.
think of it like working out your body. you give your body what you know it needs every day. you dont wake up ripped one day. it slowly happens. you are less depressed. then you are depressed but also happy sometimes. then you are happy.
im not saying dont check yourself in, im just saying its the beginning of ground work to improve your entire life. your brain isnt wrong (usually) its just the world around you that is wrong. sometimes your perception of it as well.
it takes time.
>>17264293
I don't think you can even watch TV whenever you want
>>17264419
>I suggest you make a desperate attempt to find something worth living for in this life, something intrinsic and meaningful to you.
I've tried that for years
I want to be dead, and if I wasn't broke I'd have more money to spend on suicide.
I've been unable to procure cyanide; the other methods I tried have left me alive (obviously)
I'm tired of suffering
>>17264802
>your brain isnt wrong (usually) its just the world around you that is wrong
Well I have the chronic genetic depression that never goes away; but my life is absolutely shit, and it has been for years.
I've tried and tried to fix or change things to no avail; so really I'm ready to die. Practical help could be useful, but end of the day, I don't want to cope better, I don't want to go back on meds, I want my life to be tolerable, or I want to be dead.
Checking in just seems like it'll be a few days lost only to return to the hellhole that is my life
>>17264780
>My advise to you OP, is to make a fuss. I never want to burden people with my problems so I never talked and kept saying I was fine to be polite.
What do you mean?
My parents are aware I have a mental illness they just don't care/still treat me like shit, and my mother has been abusive my whole life and that's never going to change since she sees nothing wrong with any of her behaviour and tactics
I'm 24 so everyone's response to me is "go live somewhere else/move out" but finding and keeping a job is hard due to the depression , plus I live in a costly area and have no transportation which makes everything even more difficult.
There aren't any social services here in the US I can't take advantage of that I know about
I've tried for years to pull myself up by my own bootstraps as the saying goes but I always fail and my parents don't help at all; in fact my mother kicks me out all the time( I'm kicked out right now actually)
I can't remember what my point was, sorry
>>17264282
Did you have health insurance?
I got 5150 after I was raped. I had panic attack so bad I lost it and started screaming and pulling at my skin and wouldn't calm down.
The places are awful inside and you don't get any sort of talk therapy or anything. Interestingly enough, I had not had my period in months due to stress and they gave me a shot of sedative and within 15 minutes I got my flow back.
They had me wait about 3 hours, I was briefly interviewed, told them I was not suicidal just anxious they gave me an oral dose of sedative and released me.
It was worth it to me because obviously a sedative injection calmed my nervous system enough to trigger my period. I know doctors say somehow it "doesnt line up" but neither did losing my period and they were at a loss to explain it. Sometimes you just know... I know that did it.
>>17266162
That sounds terrible anon but at least you got your period back /:
>>17265576
Don't be sorry anon. I can't imagine what you're going through ATM while dealing with your own demons. You can check yourself in and see what its like, soak up all the CBT sessions and hours with the doctors like you're a sponge on how to deal with depression n stuff. You could actually really benefit from it even if it is for a week, but like others said, it will take time. Treat going in (if you decide too) like school, and when you're out you can put everything to test.
Your mam sounds like a jerk
I go through suicide attempt binge weeks too, and put myself in a five-day coma once from an attempt.
http://www.madnessradio.net/madness-radio-freedom-center-mental-health-show-9-20-06-kate-bornstein-hello-cruel-world-101-alternatives-suicide/
If it offends you, disregard things to do with gender and listen only to the parts about the meaning of suicidality and what to do instead.
The book they're discussing has actually kept me alive, or at least helped me make decisions that make me happier, many times. I've been hospitalized six times. I can't say it was helpful directly, but in many cases, it made me frustrated and desperate enough to try options I thought were ridiculous or useless or out of reach that panned out. And I met a few cool humans.
>>17266540
Thanks anon ;-;
I'm just very lost rn; I was going to check myself in today but I've been trying to get a job so I can idk not be homeless sooner rather than later, and I got an email about a job interview Monday so I should go to that; which really derails going to the hospital since 3 days from today is Monday afternoon at the earliest
Ugh
Yeah my mom sucks I'd love to see her burn alive or something she's frankly pretty Terrible; at least in the way she treats me and some other people
>>17267102
I'll check it out anon
A coma?? What did you do? The worse I've gotten was sickness from trying to OD in Tylenol or aspirin
>>17267144
I hung (well, strangled) myself.
Uh, also, if you have an abuse history (I mean any kind--emotional, sexual, neglect, separation from parent, physical, whatever) I highly recommend looking into working on that when you can and I bet life will become a lot easier for you. It has for me in the last year.
I've been in inpatient 3 times within the past 6 months. I agree with what everyone else was saying though. It is just a crazy but overwhelmingly boring experience. Don't expect to talk to an actual psychiatrist for more than 15 minutes a day, because that's all they do. The only thing they do is try to start you on medication, and then make sure you aren't going to kill yourself as soon as you leave. They also help you get set up with outpatient therapy which is nice.
The only thing I've gotten from my experiences is meeting other patients. There are some crazy interesting people, and some really nice people. I've just had so many unique experiences that I don't regret going in. Even if it was fucking the most boring thing in down time.
>>17267160
I also recommend calling a suicide hotline, keeping in mind that they are obligated to report you if you state a clear plan or intent (and probably a very recent attempt). So if you're not comfortable with the potential of hospitalization, just say you're suicidal but have no intent and discuss your problems. If you do want them to make that decision for you, then tell them everything.
If the person you get is a dud, hang up and call another suicide hotline. Keep in mind that the national one often has long wait times.
>>17267144
I don't know what the US is like for benefits, but here if you're too sick to work you get money (€188 a week) and if you're renting you get rent relief. Google your options about signing onto the dole (what its called here) because you're clearly not fit to work. Surely the doctors there arnt THAT bad to not help you be homeless if/when you discharge from hospital! And about the Monday interview you can ask for a day leave, giving proof of interview time ect. Or else they'll think you're going to run away hah. I was out of the ward in the pottery room they had (I want to go into a model making course for as long as I remember so sculpting is my niche) I spend hours in there and get regular phone calls from the ward asking where I would be lol
Maybe shes upset that she's old, or have schizophrenia. Either way she a cunt -_-
I knew a few guys who did it and they said it was totally fucking insane and they left not having changed their opinions whatsoever. The way most countries deal with mentally ill folk and so forth is awful, and from my experiences you are a million times better just working within a small comfort group or yourself to make everything better, like making necessary changes to your life and stuff to make you feel well. What is it you feel like you need help with, anyway?
>>17263148
Circumvent the ward, go straight to a psychiatrist (thats where you end up anyway.) You skip the unsettling atmosphere, legit crazies and those who might lash out, and you get to sleep in your own bed.
The meds are also less extreme, and you get the help you need.
(I was briefly suicidal/panic attacks and was asked if I was safe, said I didn't know and there was this sort of mutual understanding that the ward was needed for a few days. Spent 4-5 days there, medicated, barely felt different for the most of it, but the fact I was finally getting help made me relax and de-stress just enough to realise the wards are shitty as fuck for someone in their right mind.)
It should really only ever be a last resort.
