Michigan psych wards

[citrusfruit]

I may be at the point where I will not have a choice in going to the psych ward but I might have a say in where I go.

My biggest fear is that I will be locked up until I tell them I'm better with no real therapy or help at all. I know this is not the case at every facility.

I was admitted to Mott's children's psych ward at u of m in 2018 and my experience was great as far as psych wards go. It really was like a "grippy sock vacation" (I hate that term but sometimes it's applicable). Staff genuinely wanted to help me but I refused all of it. I had a friend who went mid covid time and all they did was lock him in a room with minimal interaction and a therapist visit every few days.

I know covid has changed a lot about the healthcare system and also I know that adult wards are totally different from children's.

Is there any hope that I can find a facility where I actually receive treatment, retain most of my autonomy and dignity, and are within an hour drive from home? I live metro Detroit. I'd say I don't want to go further west than Ann Arbor, and no further north than Flint.

I would think that umich would be the best out of all but I've heard that the adult ward is completely different from the children's . I also hear it's difficult to get a bed, but they do give you a little bit of a say in where you want to go instead. I've heard the trinity health st Joseph's in ypsi is good too.

I also know that I would have to present to umich's er as they only accept from their own er.

I hear that id want to avoid stone crest in Detroit and havenwyck in auburn hills at any cost.

My fear is that I go to one of the rarified "nice" psych hospitals and they have a completely full ward but I've said too much to be trusted to go home so they just pack me off in an ambulance to anywhere that will take me.

 

[paradox_panic]

I don't have much information on most michigan wards but yeah stay far the hell away from havenwyck and stonecrest I have only heard horror stories come from there tbh. They have been described to me as more like prison than anything mental health. I used to work for CMH in lower michigan but I only had experience in substance abuse and Intellectual / developmental disabilities. I can however say Umich ward / BHU is top notch compared to many places I've seen or heard of. Tbh going to the ward is a traumatic event and I would try to avoid it if possible, but this is just my personal opinion based on limited experince.

I would also recommend looking for intensive outpatient therapy or services if possible for you, even contacting a local CMH help line may aid in that.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask, my experience as a "mental health professional" is a shareable resource while I'm still here.

Good luck friend!

 

[KlixxFoxe]

Sorry, I can't say anything helpful in your situation, but I'm just curious, weren't psych wards banned in the US like a few decades ago? Because it's like a jail for people with mental illnesses and I doubt it can help at all, especially the state owned ones

 

[EternalShore]

Sorry, I can't say anything helpful in your situation, but I'm just curious, weren't psych wards banned in the US like a few decades ago? Because it's like a jail for people with mental illnesses and I doubt it can help at all, especially the state owned ones

Unfortunately not~ :( in fact, usually, they're low on space due to everyone's mental health deteriorating~ :(

to CitrusFruit, I'm really sorry to hear about your situation~ >_< I really hope you will be able to avoid going to the ward again, and if you do have to, that it's one of the comfier ones that won't hurt you~ :< also, that it's not too much of a strain on your finances and will help you, rather than hurt you as many wards end up doing~ >_<

EDIT: I think you might be referring to asylums, which were closed, yes~ :)

 

[paradox_panic]

Sorry, I can't say anything helpful in your situation, but I'm just curious, weren't psych wards banned in the US like a few decades ago? Because it's like a jail for people with mental illnesses and I doubt it can help at all, especially the state owned ones

The old institutions were largely closed and practices changed from mostly physical barriers / restraints to chemical restraints. That being said mental health hospitals, facilities, and wards still exist and are generally "short term" care solutions to stabilize and release or refer to more long term care (group homes, CMH monitoring, etc)

This is just my experince and knowledge working in the field! They definitely should be banned or at least heavily reformed imo they seem to do more harm than good and I've seen people struggle after release to connect back to natural supports and the community.

 

[DeadManLiving]

When you say you may not have a choice, do you mean on your own vollition as a personal choice out of self-concern?

Or not having a choice as a in feeling compelled by another into coerced treatment imminently should you choose not to admit yourself voluntarily?