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Mental hospitals
Thinking about the answers people gave me on my previous question, I'm thinking about asking my therapist to send me to a mental hospital. Does anyone know anything about them? And do you think it would help me?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Mental health?
You don't need a mental hospital. If you're thinking of something like a movie with all types of violent people or extremely psychotic -- it exists but is usually for criminally insane people or those with violent behavior that can't be helped conventionally.
That's not where you need to go. You need a mental health assessment and perhaps placement on a regular ward where they treat depression, bipolar, schizophrenia like any other illness. They get you well and send you home.
It's NOTHING at all like you may be thinking and they only put you on the ward if they feel it's harmful to you otherwise. They let you out. A
This is like a normal stay in any hospital on a ward with doctors who treat regular mental health issues and keep you there until well and then release. It's all treated like it's any other kind of illness.
As far as a therapist goes ditch them and their advice. The only person who can tell you if you are mentally ill or not and assess you and care for you is a shrink. The therapist can't put you anywhere much less here because they have no authority or medical background to do so.
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All phychiatric hospitals vary but the reasons for them are the same. They are primarily there for people with moderate-plus psychiatric illnesses that NEED round the clock psychiatric care and observation. These needs vary but the common denominator is the escalation of one's psychiatric illness to the extent that the patient has very little to no control over their mental state.
The other reason why one would be offered a place as an inpatient is for respite. This is generally short term. It takes the patient out of everyday life and gives them time to rest, do some intense therapy and re-learn many things. It takes a good amount of responsibility from them to lighten the load for a short while and teaches them how to better help themselves when they leave to go back into society.
All hospitals will have a hierarchy of professionals who govern patient care and will also run worksops such as distress tolerance, anger management, social skills etc as well as encouraging positive and productive activities that engage a patient, has the potential of sparking a passsion for the activity and also proves to be a good distraction technique.
There are also daily routines, medications, one to one sessions and a lot of personal hardship.
However, it all depends on the hospital, the kind of services it offers, whether its an adult, adolescent or a childrens hospital. Only by knowing the details can you get a particularly detailed picture.
Whether you need it or not is another story. Like prison, the longer you're in there the harder it is to integrate a person back into society. The aim is not long term unless necessary; only to treat whatever needs immediate attention and then move one to an outpatient or a day patient, or perhaps another unit better suited to one's needs.Being an inpatient should really only be looked upon as a last resort. Being out in the real world and learning to deal with one's problems in the most normal environment as possible is every genuine professionals preferance.
Ofcourse you get establishments that are private which demand a lot of money for treating the most minor mental ailments. You find many celebrities in both past and present have had anxiety difficulties or simply need a break and will check into a psychiatric unit. These places are not for the mentally disturbed, people with severe psychiatric problems.
It's important to see psychiatric hospitals for what they really are and find something suited to your needs. If your therapist thought you needed such intense care then it would have been presented to you as an option, and if your mental state was considerably severe then i think by US law, a parent can force psychiatric help upon you.
Instead of asking for a referral to an inpatient hospital, bring the subject up with your therapist of potentially taking your therapy futher. There are still many centres and units depending on a persons mental problems from day units and groups to centres specifically targeted toward people with psychiatric difficulty that need respite. Discuss with your therapist your current mental health state and your options. Ask your therapist for their opinion and hear what they have to say.
People get different things from different help. I personally avoided a major depressive illness because of forced inpatient care which im appreciative of yet the day services made me digress more than anything whereas others could say the exact opposite. Your care needs to be tailored to your needs.
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