Mental Illness and the Psych Ward

[Psykhronic]

So I was going to wait a while before making this thread but decided what the fuck, and thus here it is.

Who here has a mental illness (and is willing to admit it)? Ever been in a psych ward or institution of some kind (i count rehab)? Have any stories?

In a period of about 6 - 7 months, I was admitted to the hospital three times for psychiatric care. The first time I had been "sectioned" (meaning forced there against my will) for paranoia, which arose from hearing voices, which arose from a medication increase. Might I add it was one of the few times I have yelled at nonfamily -- my psychiatric nurse really pissed me off, however I adored the ambulance driver. In any case, I had no clue I was actually in a hospital for most the time, thought I was still on campus, and talked aloud to my voices AND STILL convinced the doctor I was just talking to myself. I only stayed for three days, the minimum a sectioned person can stay. Managed to get more of the wrong pills again too.

So the next time I was hospitalized, I got home for winter break and could not concentrate on anything except blaring voices, everyone in my life took turns talking and I thought I was getting in trouble with the government or some bullshit, thought I had a warrant out for me, etc. My parents dragged me to the hospital and I was admitted voluntarily. This hospital is in Rhode Island, not my native home Mass, by the way. And it SUCKED. First they gave me an antipsychotic called Zyprexa before I even got onto the floor, and I did not even know what I took at first. A nurse handed me two pills, said what they were, I did not hear, and just downed them because drugs. In about an hour or two, I started seeing VIVID visual hallucinations which were not present in the same way at all for my entire psychosis. I call them the stupidest hallucinations ever, because there were choppy, 2 fps animated symbols over lights and shit and some other dumb shit. They did not believe me in any case. This fed my delusions -- I reacted badly to an antipsychotic so I am not psychotic, and they do not want me to change meds, THEY WANT ME DEAD. I got out of the hospital in like five days and AGAIN managed to get more of the wrong kind of medication from a post-psych-ward psychiatric appointment.

Some fucking how I ended up back at school, still under psychosis. However, my voices were changing to more informative about made up events and were downright hilarious at times. I ended up dropping out by february though, and my parents did not know how to handle me at all. I was saying some bullshit about college students dropping out everywhere, some ridiculous shit going on, etc. In Spring I ran way to go to some different plane of existence or some bullshit. I DID plan some of my trip, so fuck you to people who think crazies cannot plan. Fast forward a couple days and nearly dying of hypothermia, I found a hospital, which was about thirty miles way from my home, and slept in the restricted section. Doctors woke me up, admitted me, and in a couple days a psychiatrist (who, easily, is the coolest person ever to exist, I called him Dr. Badass cuz he had a huge green trench coat) told me to admit myself for psychiatric care. Thus I did. He did it so cooly too. He excused himself, walked out of the room, then half-ran back in and was just like "THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD" and I agreed immediately.

At this other psych ward, I had so much fun prancing around all crazy-like and singing. The psychiatrist there actually realized, oh shit she will not take zyprexa so there is no fucking point, and prescribed risperidol, which I started taking the day before I left because a friend told me to. Let me tell you, fuck new anti-psychotics. I was so fucking depressed for the rest of my stay until I was about to leave. I stayed at a friend's house because I thought my parents did some ridiculous bullshit to me as a child, but after about a month I came out of my psychosis with like no emotion. Fast forward to today, I'm not on RISPERIFUCKINGDOL anymore and am on an old anti-psychotic that kicks ass.

I shortened my story a lot. Did not include a lot of what happened at school. Please ask any questions you want. And I really look forward to reading other people's stories. :3

[fr0d0]

We've had similar threads. No need to feel alone

I was an outpatient for a summer in my very early twenties. Voluntarily, although the worst of my symptoms had passed I think... a sorry catalogue of mild malpractice in my opinion. It was at this time, and when very briefly on some 'upper' that my emotions outed. Quite shook my Dad that. I found it a positive experience: it lead to some positive steps... although my full recovery involved a few beautiful people over the follownig 5 or so years. Once I regained my senses I became a Christian of course... but that's another story

Bring on the crazies!

[Psykhronic]

Glad yo story has a happy ending, even though it involves CHRISTIANITY OH GAWD. You know whats funny? Under psychosis all my voices were telling me theres no God hahah

And I definitely dont feel alone, hope you dont either, fuck yeah crazies.

[TaraJo]

I spent most my teen years in psych hospitals. It wasn't pretty.

[Psykhronic]

3:

Never went in a teen ward before, must have been rough.

[Faith No More]

I was hospitalized for depression when I was 16, and was subsequently hospitalized 7 more times, the last being 5 years ago.

[Psykhronic]

I was hospitalized for depression when I was 16, and was subsequently hospitalized 7 more times, the last being 5 years ago.

Thats a lot of hospitalizations. About how long did you stay in the hospital each time? Did you find any of them helpful? Actually, I'm gonna ask everyone the same -- did the hospital ever help?

Ugh, those group therapy meetings -- life cannot be reduced to a drawing of a pizza.


Also have a kinda funny tidbit from when I ran away, forgot to mention it. At one point I realized I had enough money for a cheeseburger at McDonalds, so I walked on the side of the highway towards one of the "Food exits" and (as I suspected would happen) a cop car with two officers pulls up. Mind you, I'm starting walk a little off due to muscle degeneration, dizzy due to a little dehydration, not speaking too clearly because of it, had voices all around me with some visuals, AND had two knives and a bowl piece in my bag. They drove me to McDonalds and told me to stay away from the highway.

[Rev. Rye]

All right; I've been diagnosed with depression, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (which I knew about for a long time), and PTSD (due to a horrific grade school experience.)

I only got diagnosed with everything but the ASD in April; I had to go to the office because one of my teachers reported me to the Office for Student Relations; After a 50-minute interrogation from the people at the college, I was told that I couldn't go back to school until I got a note from a mental health professional that said I was fit to go back to school; I only missed about half a week, although unfortunately, one of those days I missed was Toms' One Day Without Shoes, and, as someone who likes to see girls' feet, missing that meant a lot to me. I was put on Viibryd and Abilify. Eventually, my relationship with my Psychiatrist and me soured because he turned out to be a complete drip. The final straw came when I confessed that a teacher was stressing me out to the point where I contemplated suicide, and he upped my dosage of Abilify. While, normally, the Viibryd and Abilify had no effect whatsoever on me, the increased dosage of Abilify made me disoriented, and I could neither hold down food nor stand upright for too long. I haven't seen him since; for all I know, he probably thinks I jumped off the Michigan Avenue Bridge. I have since cut down on the Abilify and Viibryd; and, since my finals week, I haven't taken either one; according to my therapist and my Dad, he has seen no sign of anything different since I got off them.
I'm currently going to see a Therapist in Northbrook and things are good with her.
I have never been forced to go to a mental hospital.

[Faith No More]

Thats a lot of hospitalizations. About how long did you stay in the hospital each time? Did you find any of them helpful? Actually, I'm gonna ask everyone the same -- did the hospital ever help?

I spent anywhere from 2 to 12 days each time. The time I only spent 2 days was actually only 1 of 2 involuntary hospitalizations. I was still reeling from dealing with the death of a good friend, and I went to my psychiatrist to tell him that I was in a bad place. Given my history, he thought it was best to hospitalize me, but I was able to convince them to let me go, even though they are supposed to keep you for 72 hours as you said.

How much I gained from each experience really depended on what hospital I was in. The first one, which was strictly for kids under 18, was quite beneficial, but that was mostly due to starting anti-depressants combined with the fact that it was basically a twelve day vacation from the daily grind. Most of the time I was put into the psych ward that my psychiatrist whom I saw for outpatient treatment ran. It was a mess of a place where the staff was over-worked and under-appreciated, and most of the patients there were very low-functioning people that had been dumped there due to the fact that the people taking care of them in the real world couldn't take it anymore. Because of that and the fact that I was as high-functioning as the patients got, I didn't get as much attention as others there. It helped me, however, since I got a break from the real world, and they made sure I took my meds every day, which is something I was terrible at.

I could ramble on more about another hospital, but this is too long already...

Ugh, those group therapy meetings -- life cannot be reduced to a drawing of a pizza.

Group therapy was the worst, and it seemed the only point to it was to look around and see that there were people whose lives were just as fucked up as your own. At one hospital the group therapy was run by this dumbass therapist that loved cheesy sayings and pop psychology. He used to quote Dr. Phil. Fucking painful that was.

---

Bring on the crazies!

Found 'em...

[Shell B]

I have OCD and probably GAD, though the latter is kind of redundant when you have Pure-O. I have had to go to the hospital a number of times to treat dehydration from being unable to eat and drink, but that is about it. They had to put me in the weirdo half of the ER so that I could be processed by a therapist once. It was totally my choice. While there, a fucking totally creeptastic hairy guy wearing only pants kept walking past my room to the bathroom and staring at me. Finally, he started trying to walk through my door and the totally awesome guards (who kept bringing me magazines and helping me with my equipment so I could go to the bathroom. I was the only person there who was being treated medically as well) got up and made him go back in his room and leave me alone. That gave me an anxiety attack, but said awesome guards kept checking in on me. I was only there for two hours while I talked to a lady so they could be sure I wasn't going to hurt myself and they finished hydrating me. I avoid going to the doctor like a plague most of the time. I tend to research shit and try my own methods of coping.