Help Considering Admitting Myself - Any Advice?

[birdie8]

Hi all, I hope you're doing as well as you can. To be honest, I am holding onto a bit of hope that I can push through and get better. I was wondering if I could get some insight on what it's like admitting yourself? I know it varies wildly depending on location, but I would have no idea what to expect. I'm kind of hesitant about it and afraid it would be a step back instead of forward. I just don't feel comfortable being alone or left to my own devices anymore. I do see a therapist and am medicated, but I feel like I really do need more intense care at the moment. Anything helps!

 

[SchizoPolyGymnast]

Notify all your employers, friends, family, etc before admission because they will probably take your phone.

Bring reading material, games, anything that's non-electronic to entertain you. You will probably be in the ER in "the tank" for awhile.

No hobbies that involve sharp objects (ie crochet)

Comfy clothes with no buckles or drawstrings

Take your meds ahead of time. You may not have access to them in the ER.

Be honest and don't be a dick.

 

[Rynalia]

A lot of the important ones already mentioned but here are a few extras:

- If you can research where you're going in advance, it might allow you to bring more, else, assume that you can bring only bring the basics.

- If you don't have phone numbers memorized, bring a list of em so you can provide updates to folks (if you want to) via ward phones (unless the place sucks and doesn't even have them).

- Medication list / empty bottles and if the place can get you said meds, you might be able to get them (if lucky)

- For the love of everything... If you aren't like me and able to sleep through anything and everything.

BRING (FOAM) EARPLUGS BECAUSE SHIT GETS LOUD

Ideally ones that they can inspect at a glance and you won't miss if you aren't allowed to have them (like disposables)

The worst that could happen is that they just don't let you have them.

- BRING YOUR INSURANCE CARD

- MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF VALUABLES YOU BRING AND TAKE NOTE OF WHAT YOU HAVE

 

[GeminiButter]

Hi all, I hope you're doing as well as you can. To be honest, I am holding onto a bit of hope that I can push through and get better. I was wondering if I could get some insight on what it's like admitting yourself? I know it varies wildly depending on location, but I would have no idea what to expect. I'm kind of hesitant about it and afraid it would be a step back instead of forward. I just don't feel comfortable being alone or left to my own devices anymore. I do see a therapist and am medicated, but I feel like I really do need more intense care at the moment. Anything helps!

Where are you in the world? I can give you my advice if you're in the uk as I did this a few months ago (and was very glad I packed some of the stuff I had).

 

[lemonandcapers]

Definitely do your research into the facilities around you. I have had a mutual friend get admitted into a facility and come out with more trauma than they came in with. The wrong facility can make things worse

 

[birdie8]

Where are you in the world? I can give you my advice if you're in the uk as I did this a few months ago (and was very glad I packed some of the stuff I had).

I'm in the US, so I know it's gonna vary depending on where I'd do it cause mental health care is a joke here lol. Even so, how was your personal experience? Do you feel like it helped you?

A lot of the important ones already mentioned but here are a few extras:

- If you can research where you're going in advance, it might allow you to bring more, else, assume that you can bring only bring the basics.

- If you don't have phone numbers memorized, bring a list of em so you can provide updates to folks (if you want to) via ward phones (unless the place sucks and doesn't even have them).

- Medication list / empty bottles and if the place can get you said meds, you might be able to get them (if lucky)

- For the love of everything... If you aren't like me and able to sleep through anything and everything.

BRING (FOAM) EARPLUGS BECAUSE SHIT GETS LOUD

Ideally ones that they can inspect at a glance and you won't miss if you aren't allowed to have them (like disposables)

The worst that could happen is that they just don't let you have them.

- BRING YOUR INSURANCE CARD

- MINIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF VALUABLES YOU BRING AND TAKE NOTE OF WHAT YOU HAVE

This is super helpful, thank you!

 

[GeminiButter]

I'm in the US, so I know it's gonna vary depending on where I'd do it cause mental health care is a joke here lol. Even so, how was your personal experience? Do you feel like it helped you?

Ah yes it's very different over there - hopefully you might be able to find some posts here or elsewhere on the internet that can give you an idea of your options, I know it'll depend a lot on insurance and that kind of thing.

My personal experience was bad, and I ended up leaving before I really wanted/needed to because the environment was so bad for me and was actively making me worse - combination of not enough staff, not enough for us to do, the risk rules meaning that I couldn't have stuff like my knitting to keep me occupied, some staff were awful (but some staff were really great). I found it very, very hard, and most of my energy in the months since has been put into trying to stay out of hospital - but in the uk it seems less often that someone goes in as a voluntary patient compared to being in on a section. From short conversations on here, people in the US seemed shocked that people in the UK usually have their phones when in hospital, idk if it's a rare thing over there.

Things like earplugs, an eye mask for sleeping, short charging cables (long ones had to stay with staff), comfortable clothes, some shoes without laces, noise cancelling headphones, a tablet/ipad/something to watch tv on - these things saved me while I was in there.