Who here has ever been to a Psychiatric Ward?

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I have been to one 3 times, and it's the only place I have ever felt safe and secure at. There is a schedule you adhere to, and it seemed to be the perfect place for me.

I was once, long-term; I hated it as there was no privacy. Then, two other times short-term. But I've been completely out of the psychiatric system for 10+ years now.

I don't like strict schedules, but I see where you're coming from. Sometimes, I wonder whether I wouldn't be better off there...

i like that there are no surprises.

What's it like in the psychiatrict ward? What do you do there?

I have. The place was a jack-off job. Anyone who forced someone to be there should be jailed for cruelty.

You're supposed to sit and take in stupid "conversations" with the other patients/inmates and the guards/nurses. You're supposed to answer to meaningless psychologist's test etc etc etc...

The last time I was in hospital for three months, maybe that was because I didn't participate in their activities and I slept all the time.
So I had ECT as a last resort.
I understand why people feel secure in those places sometimes. You don't have to decide much for yourself, meals are made for you and every day's predictable. I've heard of people faking mental illness just to go to hospital for a "holiday".

I may have to try several times to say anything that sounds sane and gets the message across. Their idea of "socializing" with the other jerks on the ward sucked. They were inane, cruel, and motivated to cause serious mental and, if they could, physical harm.

Psychiatric wards are such a waste of time IMO. All they do is pump you with more meds, take away all your freedoms, attend pointless group discussion that I derive no personal benefit from, and meeting some of the freakiest and scariest people I've ever met.

Jman sums it up well, though he left out the perverted male psychiatrists part.

I think I might need to be in one, for a short while.

I think it is rather pathetic but I enjoyed my stay in psyc wards because the other patients were really nice to me....they thought I was "insightful and funny"....I was almost popular....it was a weird feeling but I liked it....(If I needed down time from socializing ,I could just go to my room....granted I was labeled "anti-social" for this,but they let me do it)The first 2 times,I was only 17 and it was the first time people seemed to enjoy my company(other then a few people in drama club in Jr High)I also had free time to read and write poetry with out my parents yelling at me for not "doing something" and I was interested in hearing what people had to say about their "feelings"....maybe why I went into psyc when I went to college.The "locked ward" with really "crazy" adults sucked because of the smells,crying,yelling....but I was only there for a week and unconscious most of the time......The food was horrid and I missed being out in the fresh air,that was probably the worst part.When I went through CD "treatment" I hated the rigid schedule(I like to stay up late and sleep late)but we got to do Yoga and weightlifting...that was fun.

Starbulin....please dont be offended at my comment about it being pathetic....
I am only referring to my "real" life sucking so much that a psyc ward seemed "fun" in comparison

They didn't medicate me. I made friends there and they were nice.

When I was 14 I was on one for three months for depression. i never discussed the incident that really pushed me over the edge, with anyone, even the doctore on the ward that i liked, I only discussed it in my 40's for the first time with a friend, after a scene in a movie upset me and he was relentless in digging for the reason I reacted so strongly.

I was insulted at first when I was committed, but later found it to be a very interesting environment and in fact relished the routine and security which was lacking in my home. It was an invaluable experience for me, as far as learning to get to the bottom of my feelings, their true source etc. If I had had the proper counseling initially, I would not have ended up creating a scene that would end up with me on the inside. I was desperate to get the help I needed. Asking didn't make it happen, my behavior became more and more extreme in an effort to get someone to realize I was in need of help. Finally, I got help in the hospital. It was there that I developed the ability to see things more clearly and allow myself to accept my anger and not manifest it in unrelated ways. It's an on going effort of course, striving for self awareness and self control, but it was a start in a better direction.

It was a weird place though, not the best, as i was thrown in with adults, both men and women. That was in the early '70's though. I was introduced to cheap highs and pot while there, but that would have happened eventually anyway, as it was part of the times.

Sorry for this longgggg babbling answer.

I don't think I need to spend time in one, any more.