Since this is an international forum, wondering what psych wards are like in other countries.
I can tell you, unless you're rich, the psych wards in the U.S. are awful. First, they take your phone so there is nothing to do or talk to. Obvious they don't want footage of what goes on made public.
Then you are assigned a room with another person, which sucks if you or her is a loud snorer/lightsleeper They give you crappy hospital scrubs and uncomfy underwear. Shoes with buckles aren't allowed. Then there are no doors on the bathrooms.
I was admitted under false pretenses. They were desperate to fill beds and put words in my mouth to make me sound suicidal, which I wasn't at the time. I went there for outpatient counseling and they forced me to go inpatient for "observation."
The energy sucks the life out of you. The docs don't give the meds you are normally prescribed by your regular doc, they give you some other crap like gabapentin, seroquel or hydrozine that doen't work. They refuse to prescribe benzos or zolpidem so I didn't sleep. Even 50 mg of seroquel wouldn't knock me out.
They will keep you for two weeks because that's what insurance will pay for. I was told I would be thete for a few days. Lies! Fortunately patients can present an AMA form which the doctors must legally sign within 24 hours (weekdays). They will try to talk you out of it. Also the docs promise to get you other kinds of treatment like TMS or ECT, but they lie.
And the nurses are grumpy and you better kiss their ass otherwise they won't get you anything.
You're cooped up in a small space and get claustrophobic. There is no exercise room. They keep it cold so you're freezing
The food wasn't bad. There was group therapy daily and puzzles, games, and pictures to color.
Anyhow it felt like prison and I was more traumatized going out than I was going in.
I can tell you, unless you're rich, the psych wards in the U.S. are awful. First, they take your phone so there is nothing to do or talk to. Obvious they don't want footage of what goes on made public.
Then you are assigned a room with another person, which sucks if you or her is a loud snorer/lightsleeper They give you crappy hospital scrubs and uncomfy underwear. Shoes with buckles aren't allowed. Then there are no doors on the bathrooms.
I was admitted under false pretenses. They were desperate to fill beds and put words in my mouth to make me sound suicidal, which I wasn't at the time. I went there for outpatient counseling and they forced me to go inpatient for "observation."
The energy sucks the life out of you. The docs don't give the meds you are normally prescribed by your regular doc, they give you some other crap like gabapentin, seroquel or hydrozine that doen't work. They refuse to prescribe benzos or zolpidem so I didn't sleep. Even 50 mg of seroquel wouldn't knock me out.
They will keep you for two weeks because that's what insurance will pay for. I was told I would be thete for a few days. Lies! Fortunately patients can present an AMA form which the doctors must legally sign within 24 hours (weekdays). They will try to talk you out of it. Also the docs promise to get you other kinds of treatment like TMS or ECT, but they lie.
And the nurses are grumpy and you better kiss their ass otherwise they won't get you anything.
You're cooped up in a small space and get claustrophobic. There is no exercise room. They keep it cold so you're freezing
The food wasn't bad. There was group therapy daily and puzzles, games, and pictures to color.
Anyhow it felt like prison and I was more traumatized going out than I was going in.
