Have you ever been committed to a mental ward?

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Police is not a great way to get sectioned; it hasn't happened to me, but I've seen it in the ward. The police act as if they're just sick of it.

I'm thinking of commiting myself, but not being cured. In a way it is utopian. Like Plato's Republic being watched over by authortian all-powerful guardians who are trying to fix you. There is complete equality, all your needs are met without work, and no private property. The trade of security for freedom.

I had to spend the night in emergency, three weeks ago, and I didn't even need to be there. Some friend of mine admitted me to emergency, because I'm obsessed with my favourite rock group, and believe me, the obsession isn't as bad as she made it out to be. I just told the two paramedics that I was going to give mainstream society a run for their money.

Noo.. one girl I went to school with did because she swallowed glass, and we were all kind of impressed, especially when we got news of her escapes. It seemed exciting.
But we were all in a special school which I guess was a little like a mental ward because we would get restrained and put in a little room and stuff like that, and we all got really good at escaping and became really fast runners and climbers, hehehehe. Maybe that makes it sound kind of like a bad place, but it wasn't, it was a great school and I was so sad to leave.

Yes, I was stuck in one for two weeks until last friday to be exact...
I can say this, It WAS NOT fun, there were NO other aspies, but I did make friends with someone who's brother is autistic, and a lady who was a reader for the blind, and there certainly was a schedule... though you had to share EVERYTHING, and if you went to be by yourself they had this ANNOYING habbit of asking "Eilidh, are you upset, or anything? You're not out there with the others..." and I said "Duh... think about that, NOISY!"
~Eilidh

I haven't, but my Mum was. It was a fairly open minded place, they let us visit every day. Even so, it smelled of urine, flatulence, and other people's sweat. My mum just lay there looking sad, until they let us take her home. Then she got better.

Not fun.

Yes, although it was in England, which may explain some differences. I was there for 3-4 months a few years ago, because of co-called hypomania. It wasn't too bad, although there wasn't really much actual help & they did pressure you to do the, for me, almost meaningless activities. However, I was able to talk to most of the other 'inmates' & got on OK with them & it wasn't too difficult to persuade the psychiatrist that I was near enough normal to get out again.

I always wondered about that test, and what my reaction meant.

Merle[/quote]


look up the autokinetic effect - that was all it is. why they had you do it, i cannot begin to figure out! It is not like it is therapeutic...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autokinetic_effect

Oh yes.

Oh yes.

Yes. Psych wards are crap. Actually the adolescent one I was in was fairly clean and had school lessons. The school lessons were very easy, but it gave me something to do. The nurses were mostly kind and there was a Playstation there. But that was 2005-2006. My recent visits to psych ward were in an adult ward and that was horrible. The whole place stank of urine, it was filthy (I was wondering what I would catch each time I had a shower or went to the loo) and there was often nothing to do. Although we did have dance movement therapy, yoga and massages, as well as jewelery making, each once a week. The good thing was that I eventually got loads of leave from the ward when I got better and they also provided me with supported accomoodation which I now live in and is very helpful.

I've been in a secure unit three times though on section and that was horrible. No activities at all. Everyone just watched TV all day, smoked and got restrained. The nurses there were good though. I did have to spend a whole day in seclusion after the police took me there though.

Seven times hospitalized for depression. 5 of them involuntary. I have met very interesting people and have made long term friends. Also I have gained perspective by being a patient, being stigmatized for having mental illness, and by being treated against my will. But, I am not dead so the hospitalization did something for me.

My seclusion room experience was actually very humane. They gave me apple juice, milk and ice water (I don't THINK the ice had any sharp edges). The room was large. It had a stainless steel toilet and sink combo like they have in the jail. They made me pick an antipsychotic to put me to sleep, because they were stressed and had no time to watch or talk to the psychotic in the seclusion room in the ER; they had tons of other patients. They gave me a sandwich too.


Oh, and the guard outside the door was not allowed to leve. He had to stand there the whole time holding onto the latch. If he stepped away, the latch would release and the door would swing open. This is the law; it has to be that way.

I've never been to one, but I know that I'm becoming more of an irritable, angry person, so I know that one day I'm going to scream from anger in public, then get carted off to the mental home.

This terrifies me - anyone got any ways I can stop myself from involuntry building up an unwanted anger in public?

1 day

I almost got hospitalized once for threatening suicide.