When should one admit themselves into a psych ward? Is it even worth going?

[dumblosergirl]

Genuine curiosity. A part of me wants recovery and to live a better life but the other part of me wants to just end it all. Life is getting too rough and I'm scared.

 

[etherealgoddess]

Genuine curiosity. A part of me wants recovery and to live a better life but the other part of me wants to just end it all. Life is getting too rough and I'm scared.

Depends on where you're at. I highly suggest not going unless you truly think you're going to kill yourself. Psych wards aren't the best place for real recovery. They're more just to get you to a point where you won't kill yourself when you leave. I highly suggest not going there. I've been in a temporary stay ward, and you gotta remember you're talking to other people who are struggling. It's not the best way to get out of the slump you're already in.

 

[Jack_Nimble]

If recovery is your goal I don't believe there is ever a good time to go to the psych ward. There is nothing treatment wise they can do in the psych ward they don't already do for you outside the hospital. Going to the hospital typically only get's you either put on meds, or if you're already on meds they will change up your meds. If you're lucky you'll get individual talk therapy, but that's not the normal. All it is is being locked up and being given meds. This can make many worse as the human scenario goes of being locked up and some people in charge. In this case the nurses. Some nurses are great. But psych wards often have quite rude nurses! Even if you get a great staff though. It's a real expensive way to get the same treatment already available to you at an office. Which is meds, maybe therapy. They'll do group stuff. But will teach nothing of value. Just basic coping skills you've already read on the internet or heard elsewhere.

 

[sadidiot0328]

I would strongly recommend not going to a psych ward. Most do the bare minimum of making sure you don't die without any counseling or therapy during your stay and then after a week or so you go home and that's about it.

 

[Changedmymind]

Maybe (most likely) the level of psych ward care is different from country to country. I'd say that if youre not completely down in the hole (like you said), in the ward you might see that there are people who are a lot worse than you are and still going on. Altough it might seem selfish to feel better just because others are worse, that's how it seems to work in the world. I was there recently and I am proud to say that a book that I hold in my hand, is indeed a book and not a fractal universe.

 

[Linda]

Genuine curiosity. A part of me wants recovery and to live a better life but the other part of me wants to just end it all. Life is getting too rough and I'm scared.

If part of you wants to recover then you should definitely try to recover. (If you fail, the option to ctb won't have gone away).
If you live in a country with very good and humane health care services, such as some Scandinavian countries, then checking yourself in to a psych ward might be a reasonable way forward. But, like the other people who responded to you, I would be wary of doing it in most countries.
Can you get therapy that doesn't involve a stay in hospital? If you can, I think that would be a safer way forward.

 

[Onelegman]

I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. Although there are countries where mental health is taken seriously. You'll be there just long enough until your bed is needed for someone "more sick"

 

[Jack_Nimble]

I just want to add that I had hopes of hospitalization leading to alternative treatments. But nope, not even that. I agree with the person who said they do the bare minimum. It feels as if they do nothing and do their paperwork to say they did their job and collect payment.

 

[bed]

i'd suggest going for the purpose of receiving more resources if you don't already have these options, such as outpatient therapy or a therapist, a psychiatrist etc. once you're out since you'll be bumped ahead to the top of waitlists. that was the best thing i got out of going. being in there was pretty neutral experience although it is boring and basically a timeout from the real world.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

Voluntary admission is always preferable to involuntary admission.

Ask yourself: What do you expect from the psych ward and the treatment there? Can they fix your MH issues? Do you know what MH issues you have and what triggers them?

It's probably trial and error.