Question by Rainbow™: Experiences at mental health clinics?
I am interested in hearing about people’s experiences in mental health clinics because i have a feeling a might be going there soon. i have some questions that need to be answered. please feel free to tell me all about your stay at the mental clinic.

1.Are you locked inside all day?
2.What happens if you refuse to eat for a long period of time?
3.Can the people sedate you if you have a panic attack?
4.Can you bring personal items in with you?
5.Are you required to talk to a psychologist while you are there?
6.What happens if they catch you cutting/any self harm?
7.Do you have to take medication when you are there?
8.Do you have to be watched constantly?
9.How long is the stay?

please tell me all about your stay. longest and best answer gets 10 points extra.

Best answer:

Answer by swimmer
While I stayed in the mental health hospital we were locked on our unit, but if we were able to behave then we could go off the unit to get meals, and if we had a group that was in the gym where we played some type of game, if we had off unit privileges our parents could also take us on a walk outside if we would like to. You are in groups all day so it’s not like you sit there and do nothing all day. If you refuse to eat for a long period of time it is considered self harm and then they usually will give you a feeding tube. As far as I’m aware they will not sedate you if you have a panic attack- they may put you in a room where you can be safe until you calm down, or if your doctor has ordered a medication if you have a panic attack then they can give that to you. You are allowed to have some personal items, but there will be many things that you can not have on the unit- such as razors, strings longer than 5 inches, sharp objects, etc. this will depend on the facility that you are at, but most of them have similar contraband items. You will work with a psychologist while you are staying there. You will work with the psychologist on whatever brought you in so that they can get you back on track and ready to go home and function properly. You aren’t going to be able to self harm very well because almost anything you can self harm with isn’t allowed on the unit, and if they do catch you trying to self harm then the some of your privileges were taken away. At my facility they also searched the rooms at least once a day, and sometimes more if they felt the needs to so they could check for anything potentially dangerous to the patients. Whether or not you take medication is up to you (and your parents if you are a minor), they usually do reccomend it though. You are watched all of the time. A typical stay is anywhere from 6-8 days. Good luck

Answer by lonely and sad
To answer your questions: At one of them, you were locked inside ALL day. At another one, after a certain amount of time, you got privileges to go for a walk on the hospital grounds. If you tried to escape from their they called the police. You also got to go outside for a smoke break.

If you refuse to eat, you went to another floor. They had different floors, and the floor I was on, was for patients who behaved themself. Other floors you could hear the patients screaming and swearing. They had patients who would urinate on your bed, in your clothes and that sort of behavior.

I am not certain about number 3.

At one of them, you could have your personal items, but they went through them and if it was anything that could harm yourself or you could harm others with, you needed permission to have them and could only use them under supervision.

Yes, you have to talk to the psychologist, or they would send you someplace else. The reason is, if you don’t want to talk about what is going on you can’t get better, and why allow someone to take a bed, if they are not willing to help themself, when there is waiting lists for people who want to get better.

If they catch you trying to cut or harm yourself, you were either put under 24 hour observation, which meant you could not even go to the bathroom alone. They had someone watching you sleep too, or at another hospital you were sent up to the “bad” floor.

You have to take the medication prescribed to you. At least at the ones I was at. If you refused, you were sent up to the “bad” floor, or put in another facility.

As far as being watched constantly, it depended what level you were at. They do checks like every half hour through the day. If you tried to hurt yourself, yes you were watched constantly. But, they also have video cameras through the free area to monitor you.

The stay varies. Sometimes, I stayed for three days, another time it was three weeks, and then another time it was for five weeks. It depends on the type of hospital and your insurance. There were some that after 10 days, they are put on a waiting list for a state hospital.

I am basing this on a couple hospitals I was in. All of them vary, and it really depends. I hope this helps. At one of the hospitals you were not allowed shoes with shoe laces. At one I was allowed my iPOD and laptop, and at another one, I could not have either item. Some hospitals you have to ask for permission to take a shower, and some are free standing. Some check ingrediants on your personal items such as shampoo, conditioner and so on.

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