Psychiatric hospitals?

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Yeah, making up your own would be better. My classes were not that interesting.

I have been in the psych ward many, many times. I am talking over 6 times. The first time I went was about 15/16 years old but I had symptoms since 12/13 and had warning signs for years before that. I remember the mental hospital the first time I went there. I remember this one person who thought they were a monkey but I didn't understand delusional behavior back then so I was hyper with her but depressed otherwise sleeping during the day. I missed most of the classes the first time I went in. I would sleep most of the day because of the medication and depression. Then I moved away from there. I was only in about a week though.

That caused me to be in a special school for people that suffer from mental illness. I was in there for about a year before I moved. I was fine for a few years after the move because the stress lessened and I got out of the stressful situations. Then after I graduated college it started all over again. Actually a couple years before graduating I wrote about some of the delusions but didn't tell anyone. I also started to get depressed again. So, I went every year since 2006 into the hospital and a couple of the years I went in more than once.

I have gone into 3 different hospitals. One was in Oregon, the other 2 in Washington State. I am not going to give the exact location for security reasons of course. One of them in Washington state was awful. I would get a different psychiatrist everyday and they didn't believe a word coming out of my mouth. Actually both of them in Washington didn't believe a word coming out of my mouth and downplayed everything. In Oregon they believed everything and in the report made me sound crazy and out of touch with reality. In all 3 different hospitals I had classes. I enjoyed going to the classes because it was something to do. Otherwise it was so boring there. No, they didn't let me have any electronics such as my iPod. I wouldn't even bring my headphones with so I don't get what the issue even is. No cords people! So, how can I commit suicide with an iPod? I would just play games on it to kill the time.

Most of the day I would sleep unless its class time or a meal. I hate my doctor at one of the hospitals there because he basically accuses me of faking everything and said I would do things for attention which isn't true since I have the symptoms in my room and don't go to people every time I have symptoms unless its extreme and need an anti anxiety pill. That is the only time I am asking for help. I guess that is attention though.

The other time I went in was a low class hospital because its only for people that have medical coupons. That is the one that is awful because I was yelling at people and the thought insertion and they still didn't believe me. I scared other people to death because of the yelling and acting weird. I didn't hear voices until believe it or not after I was released from the hospital. What is weird is that it looked like I had a miracle pill that worked in a few days but that is impossible. It turned out it was fake and I got worse outside of the hospital. Then I heard the voices.

I have been hearing a lot of voices in the last few days and weeks and sometimes I feel like going back to the hospital. I hate going though. I just go in for safety. I have been cutting myself because of the voices and depression. In the low class hospital it was for extremely severe cases so I don't know why I was there and they were so strict when my parents would visit me they couldn't bring their cell phone and had to be searched every time they visited. Most people there were schizophrenic. I have been crying everyday in my room because of everything that is going on. Outside I appear "normal" and not even depressed because I don't want people to know. I told my psychologist though but not my psychiatrist I don't more poisonous pills. Right now my pills are dangerous. It is poison but most of the time I take it anyways. A few days ago I took extra anti anxiety pills I am supposed to take up to 1 a day and I took 6 at once. Actually 2 and then 4 more around an hour apart. I felt like taking the whole bottle though. The voices and anxiety was so severe I was just yelling at everything in sight. I hate the hospital. So that is my experiences.

I've been hospitalised four times (I think, I have a bad memory since I started electroconvulsive therapy). However I was each time in open hospitals, we were alowed to go out whenever we wanted (most patients at least), except after curfew of course, and had a lot of freedom. We had internet access, there was a café, a swimming pool, an area for ball games, tennis, etc. The last time I even had permission twice a week so I could take the bus home and feed my poor cat that was alone home D:

Sounds like I was on holiday, not in a mental institution.

You sound like you want to write about a closed ward, so I'm not sure I can be of much help.

If you change your story from a state hospital to a regular hospital that's fine. There are some important things to remember, though.

Regular hospitals, being very medically related, will have uniformed nurses and aides and doctors and psychologists and housekeeping people and visitors and volunteers and several kinds of therapists (speech, occupational, physical) floating around. Rooms may or may not be shared by one or two people and you may not have access to your electronic devices because you're still in the new acute observation stage.

In psych hospitals you don't see all these ancillary staff. You'll see a doctor, nurse only at Med times, and several circulating aides, all of them in street clothes.

Nothing to be proud of, but I was hospitalized for short term psych issues in a regular hospital and for two months in that psych hospital I'd mentioned before. Also, to add insult to injury, I am a nurse.

Well in that case I'll tell you about the time I stayed in the psych ward when I went in the hospital. It all started last summer.

I was extremely depressed over a break-up and also feeling like a failure in life. I was lonely, miserable and I just moved back in with my parents after living in a different province. I started going crazy and throwing things around and I couldn't stop crying. My mum made me go to the hospital and we took a taxi to the nearest hospital. That hospital didn't have a psych ward so I got transferred by ambulance to the nearest hospital with a psych ward. I had to wait in emergency for a long time. I couldn't stop shaking. A psychiatrist finally talked to me and decided that the best thing for me was to stay in the hospital for awhile. I had to sign some forms and my mum went home to get some stuff for me. A nurse came in and took my blood pressure, took a blood test and gave me some ativan to calm me down. She made me change into a hospital gown. Later, a nurse came with a security guard and walked with me to lock-down.

Lock-down was intimidating because as soon as I entered that place, I could see that the rooms all had glass walls and I saw a young girl looking out from one of the rooms and she was screaming. I had to give my purse to the nurse and the nurse said that my mum came by to deliver my stuff but it wasn't visiting hours so she couldn't stay. In lock-down I was only allowed having one thing in my room at a time. We all had to eat in the commons room together at a small table for meals, that's also where the television was. My psychiatrist adjusted my meds while I was in lock down for three days. I wasn't allowed using my flat iron or razor, they had one big shower room and two washrooms in lock-down. The nurses were really nice, whenever a new shift started, they'd introduce themselves and try to have a conversation with you about your problems. I was allowed visitors during visiting hours but I could only have one at a time on this side.

After three days, I got transferred to the other side of the psych ward where I got more privileges. I got a room with which I shared with another room mate. I got my own closet where I could store my clothes, a bedside table and drawers. The only things the nurse kept behind their desks that I had to ask to use was my flat iron, shaving cream and razors. I didn't get outdoor privileges right away but I eventually did. Outdoor privileges consisted of the group of people being allowed to go downstairs for 15 minute breaks. There was more stuff to do on this side. There was a tv in the dining room, games and puzzles. There was also another tv room where you could watch movies as well. I met some friends on this side. Also, I could have more than one visitor during visiting hours and they could stay longer than 30 minutes. I had group therapy everyday, anxiety classes every other day and a few meditation classes. The nurses were amazing. I stayed on that side for about one week and a half and then after I got released from the hospital I participated in a 7 week day program for outpatients.

The day program had different classes such as psychotherapy, community services, meditation and other fun classes. I made a lot of good friends through that program. I learned a lot of grounding exercises and ways to cope as well as relaxation techniques.

@iheartmegahitt - do you have a synopsis of your story? I'm anxious to know what it's about.