Voluntarily going into psych ward to socialize?

[spanishguy22]

Hey guys. So I have nobody in my life since too many years. I crave social interaction. There's no other way for me to socialize than to go to a institution where I can interact with people with issues. I am too anxious and depressed to go to normal hobbies.
Is it a good idea? Or will I regret it? Can I leave as soon as I want as itd voluntary? Thanks

 

[ron_g]

I wouldn't go to a psych ward. Find a peer support group. You may have to go to a larger city to find one. There are groups for people with depression and anxiety without "professionals". Some even organize outdoor activities.

If you absolutely want to go to a psych ward, you should research carefully which one is good because they vary in quality to a great degree. There have been cases of voluntary patients getting locked up.

 

[NoOneKnows]

Ultimately its up to you, it may help you for a while, I am isolated too. I dont know how it is in your country, but here once you got into psych ward, you remain labeled for the rest of your life. Moreover the information of the patients hospitalizations (diagnosis) are visible to every departement within that hospital, the medication taken is visible to every doctor in any medical centre who works with insurance companies (they say its for caution for dangerous drug interactions) . And the plan is to make everything even more interconnected between hospitals and transparent.

 

[spanishguy22]

Ultimately its up to you, it may help you for a while, I am isolated too. I dont know how it is in your country, but here once you got into psych ward, you remain labeled for the rest of your life. Moreover the information of the patients hospitalizations (diagnosis) are visible to every departement within that hospital, the medication taken is visible to every doctor in any medical centre who works with insurance companies (they say its for caution for dangerous drug interactions) . And the plan is to make everything even more interconnected between hospitals and transparent.

Fuck. Feeling this trapped is something most people won't ever experience.. thanks dudes.

Ultimately its up to you, it may help you for a while, I am isolated too. I dont know how it is in your country, but here once you got into psych ward, you remain labeled for the rest of your life. Moreover the information of the patients hospitalizations (diagnosis) are visible to every departement within that hospital, the medication taken is visible to every doctor in any medical centre who works with insurance companies (they say its for caution for dangerous drug interactions) . And the plan is to make everything even more interconnected between hospitals and transparent.

One question. Is regular psychiatric treatment a mark forever in your history? Like psych ward stay? Or is it different? Because I had the former so if it's the same it wouldn't matter anyway

 

[NoOneKnows]

Im sorry hugs. It may be different in Spain

 

[TiredHorse]

I know here in WA the psych medical system is atrocious, one of the worst in the country, so taking that as a model, I'm not sure any benefits you got from the interactions you might have wouldn't be outweighed by the trauma of being subjected to a badly broken system. Which is to say, if you decide to explore that route further, look carefully at how patient-friendly the system is that you'd be subjecting yourself to.

And as @NoOneKnows says, it may go on your permanent record.

 

[Roberto]

Hey guys. So I have nobody in my life since too many years. I crave social interaction. There's no other way for me to socialize than to go to a institution where I can interact with people with issues. I am too anxious and depressed to go to normal hobbies.
Is it a good idea? Or will I regret it? Can I leave as soon as I want as itd voluntary? Thanks

Can you tell me which place you want to go? I have a similar problem and I find it a good idea.

 

[headinghome]

Hey guys. So I have nobody in my life since too many years. I crave social interaction. There's no other way for me to socialize than to go to a institution where I can interact with people with issues. I am too anxious and depressed to go to normal hobbies.
Is it a good idea? Or will I regret it? Can I leave as soon as I want as itd voluntary? Thanks

Are you crazy… You realize you have to pay for this don't you?

 

[Tortured_empath]

I've thought of this too, but psychiatric hospitalization almost always implies you have to take medications, right?

 

[spanishguy22]

I've thought of this too, but psychiatric hospitalization almost always implies you have to take medications, right?

yeah, i was guessing so

 

[Walilamdzi]

Honestly, if you want social interaction, I would go to a place where you can meet people in a healthy way, through an activity. You won't have good social interactions in a hospital, and will mainly meet equally troubled people. Being in hospital was the worst thing I've ever experienced.

 

[Onomotopoeia]

being isolated myself i can sympathize but as someone who has been in a psych ward multiple times i can tell you it is unlikely to give you what you want.

You dont mention where you are my experience is in the USA so it's all i have for reference

It's boring, I mean really boring. No phone, no internet, limited to no TV which you will share with others. Sometimes people there with you are violent, others are just odd. Most of these places are designed to bring you past a crisis and nothing more, so no therapy really except likely some "group therapy" that lacks any meaningful connection or even actual therapy.

In the US it cost thousands, and thousands of dollars and insurance here is much more likely to deny an inpatient mental health claim than any other type of claim ( work for an insurance company)

Being suicidal sucks, being lonely sucks, but there are people out there with mental health issues even more difficult to understand, and often this can make them difficult to interact with anyway, most of these people are in and out most of their lives. Once you are in even if it was "voluntary" if they think you may be a danger to yourself or others they can keep you anyway.

They cant really force you to take medication, but it probably would not go well for you. There are better options

As someone in a similar situation i also know those options kind of suck/are not really options with issues of your own, but this is unlikely to get you what you want anyway and comes at great expense.

Find a local support group, use meetup.com, hell go to an AA/NA meeting, do anything but this, it's just not worth the headache

 

[spanishguy22]

being isolated myself i can sympathize but as someone who has been in a psych ward multiple times i can tell you it is unlikely to give you what you want.

You dont mention where you are my experience is in the USA so it's all i have for reference

It's boring, I mean really boring. No phone, no internet, limited to no TV which you will share with others. Sometimes people there with you are violent, others are just odd. Most of these places are designed to bring you past a crisis and nothing more, so no therapy really except likely some "group therapy" that lacks any meaningful connection or even actual therapy.

In the US it cost thousands, and thousands of dollars and insurance here is much more likely to deny an inpatient mental health claim than any other type of claim ( work for an insurance company)

Being suicidal sucks, being lonely sucks, but there are people out there with mental health issues even more difficult to understand, and often this can make them difficult to interact with anyway, most of these people are in and out most of their lives. Once you are in even if it was "voluntary" if they think you may be a danger to yourself or others they can keep you anyway.

They cant really force you to take medication, but it probably would not go well for you. There are better options

As someone in a similar situation i also know those options kind of suck/are not really options with issues of your own, but this is unlikely to get you what you want anyway and comes at great expense.

Find a local support group, use meetup.com, hell go to an AA/NA meeting, do anything but this, it's just not worth the headache

Thanks bro. I won't go there. What's AANA?
Cheers again hopefully you find someone too:)

 

[TiredHorse]

AA/NA = Alcoholics Anonymous / Narcotics Anonymous.

Hell, even joining a local knitting group would be better than a psych ward.

As supportive as this forum is, broken people like us will probably not grow less broken by recreationally hanging out in person with other broken people in an environment specifically intended to focus on our brokenness. Just sayin'...

 

[Onomotopoeia]

Thanks bro. I won't go there. What's AANA?
Cheers again hopefully you find someone too:)

AA is a support group for alcholics
NA is a support group for those addicted to drugs

If you dont have these issues it's probably not for you but i mention them only because someone once told me i may benefit from going even without those issues, it was not for me though.

They have "open" meetings so those without personal issues are welcome to go.

AA/NA = Alcoholics Anonymous / Narcotics Anonymous.

Hell, even joining a local knitting group would be better than a psych ward.

As supportive as this forum is, broken people like us will probably not grow less broken by recreationally hanging out in person with other broken people in an environment specifically intended to focus on our brokenness. Just sayin'...

well, i agree i do not think a psych ward is the way to go.. however, I think given the actual opportunity broken people spending time together can be exactly what mends them,

sure it CAN be a shitshow, and probably has for many of us, but not always, and really everyone is at least a little "broken"

 

[TAW122]

I don't recommend a psych ward, mainly because they keep records on whether you have been there or not (even if it is only within their systems) and that's not good to have things inside their databases, which may affect you later on in life. Also, I have heard stories of people not being able to leave on their own once they voluntarily admitted themselves to the ward. Pretty scary stuff.

 

[AveryConure]

Even doing what the protagonist did in Fight Club and basically just going to random support groups just for the hell of it is honestly a better idea than this, but I can sympathize.

 

[TheDevilsAngel]

I think the benifets of being in a ward is not feelin alone like others are just feeling like you..ive thought of doin this too but its my kids i dont want leave them and have to face everyone once im out...

 

[drakewantstogo]

Are you crazy… You realize you have to pay for this don't you?

We have public healthcare.

 

[Xaphous]

I can totally see why you would think of doing that as I'm horribly lonely myself, however they are quite awful places in general and the 2 times I've been in one we're bad experiences. They seemed to always have the radio and tv on at the same time, there was always noise, screaming, people talking to themselves. A lot of the staff seemed drugged up themselves and we're no help. No freedom to go out when you want, boring drab environment etc.

 

[EddieAllenPoe]

I don't recommend going into a psych ward unless you have to. I'm kind of glad to have had the experience of going into several of them though. I'm not glad I have problems... just glad to have had conversations with people in them. You'll run into a wide variety of people. Some people seem like they're hopelessly gone.

I'll never forget when I was 22 and I was venting to someone else on the ward I was on. I said something like: "It sucks having these problems. I always feel like shit. I'm severely depressed all the time. I can't sleep. It's fucked up everything good I've ever had... I'll never have a normal social life. What's worse is knowing I'm always going to be poor because I can't hold down a job."

I'll never forget their response because I thought this person would at least show some sympathy. From what I saw of them on the ward, it seemed like they were worse off than me. They were often hunched against a wall and clasping their head and going through psychotic screaming fits.

You know what they told me? "What the fuck are you talking about? You think I can't support myself? I made 6 figures last years. I have two daughters and a son. I'm just sick of feeling like shit."

I'm almost certain I later went on to work with them ten years later. I can't be too sure but it seems like I recognized their face from the ward. Anyways, it's not like I immediately took what they told me as some kind of pep talk. I still stubbornly clung to the belief my life was hopeless for a long time after that. But I remembered what they said in the back of my head. The point of my story is just that it can often feel like you're the only person in the world with your problems. Especially when you're young... it seems like NOTHING can get better. It does actually help sometimes to look around at other people.