Help is hospitalization worth it

[philia]

i'm currently going through a really tough time, about which i wont give that many details as this is the recovery section but,
long story short i'm going crazy and the idea of recovering is sounding nice to me but i don't even know what to do
i thought hospitalization would be my best option but i've heard many bad things about it. is it even worth it? has anyone had any good experiences?

 

[MyTimeIsUp]

No is the short answer. I've been voluntary once and sectioned once, because I refused voluntary (voluntary my arse, they'd section you if you refused).

If you are asked to go to hospital though (meaning voluntary) say YES. I regretted voluntary in a heartbeat. VERY different. Your rights and freedom is taken away, literally. And privacy.

 

[:)0=]

Hello!

It depends on in which country you are. As I see you are from Portugal... My experience in my country isn't good. I heard some negative stories from USA citizens. But it is considered that the best situation with mental health treatment in Nordic countries... So, maybe, it's a good idea to know more about treatment specifically in Portugal.

 

[Hvergelmir]

While hospitalized you're very unlikely to hurt yourself or anyone else. They'll also make sure that your basic needs are met - food and shelter.
If you don't need that safety, you might be better off just looking for regular therapy. Maybe hospitalization can help expedite things, though.

I speculate that most traumatic experiences boils down to complicated and escalating situations - toxic mixes of difficult patients and inadequate personnel. If you're cooperative and docile, you're unlikely to attract extreme interventions.
As previous poster said: Expect some variation from country to country.

 

[scarlet-pixie]

I got hospitalised for self-harm last year and I wouldn't really describe my experience there as positive. The other patients in the ward were really great although that was really the only good thing about it. My experience with the POs who brought me in was just straight up traumatising, and my impression of the hospital staff wasn't great either. I wasn't a victim myself but the behaviour I saw/heard towards some of the other patients frightened me quite a bit. They were also just kind of incompetent and annoying, I had to argue with them a lot because they kept administering my own medication to me incorrectly and then told me I was the one who was wrong when I pointed out that it was the incorrect dosage etc.

My stay there personally didn't help me in the slightest, all it's really done is just make me anxious of hospitals. I would've been better off had I just been allowed to go home like I wanted to.

It's really up for you to decide in the end, whatever you choose I hope it goes well <3

 

[broken_stoic]

So I don't have a ton of experience with this, but like previous members mentioned, it depends on several factors (what country/area you are in, how severe your situation is, how much support you have, etc).

Personally I would be wary of a mental hospital if you are doing reasonably well and not likely to be in immediate danger if you have better options. Hospitals can be traumatizing by themselves, though your mileage may vary.

If you can get to a psychiatrist/therapist quickly, that would be a good option. Another option might (depending where you live) be to look for a crisis stabilization center or a "step-down" clinic. These can be community resources that will likely be much better than a hospital, but they can still work with you on meds, counseling, and group therapy.

One thing to note, if you do either and refuse meds (I can't say this is a right in every country but at least some it is) you may complicate things for yourself. So if you do plan to go, be ready to be put on meds and get assigned an outpatient center afterwards.

There are alot more if-ands-buts, but it really depends on where you are.

 

[celestialstarzz]

i'm currently going through a really tough time, about which i wont give that many details as this is the recovery section but,
long story short i'm going crazy and the idea of recovering is sounding nice to me but i don't even know what to do
i thought hospitalization would be my best option but i've heard many bad things about it. is it even worth it? has anyone had any good experiences?

I think it depends. I know a lot of people who had bad experiences, but mine was mostly positive. I made friends with everyone in my unit and it built up to a support system. I was put in involuntarily (police drove me there, so despite me coming forward, it was involuntary), so I did get pretty bored, especially when we weren't allowed to have crayons during free time because someone ate them. Even the people I shared a room with were nice. I know some hospitals are stricter and won't let you touch others at all, which was kinda true with the one I went to, they just didn't care as much, unless it was pretty constant. The bathrooms had an open bottom like public bathroom stalls in america, if you're from there, but otherwise we had that privacy.