/feels/ - any1 with psych ward experiences?

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any1 with psych ward experiences? Anonymous 09/27/26 (Sun) 09:38:41 AM133532

Curious if anyone else has been to the psych ward/ mental hospital. TBH i don't know the difference. I guess some sort of admission to a mental place.

Right now i have stayed for 4 weeks and have 3 more to go. Life before is such a blur. It's so nice that we are kept busy nearly the entire day with all different sorts of therapy. And that there is always someone checking in and available to talk if you need it. I'm going to miss the other patients so much though. In our free time we sit in the common area together, each doing our own thing, but it's nice being together with other people. We play games and talk to eachother. It's very special to see normally depressed people open up and laugh so much. I feel sad for them that they struggle so much…
Anyway, though i really love my fellow patients I'm also aware of how much we are just in a bubble and influencing each other. Being around so many people with problems can't be good either. You are who you surround yourself with and stuff. For me I've been influenced seeing the other people's scars to fall back into old habits. I want to hurt myself and now I do because it seems so normal and it's a way to get attention from staff and for them to take you serious. I know that's my own responsibility but yeah. On one hand its so good but also damaging. I often hear people banging their heads against the wall. When I first came it was just 1 person but now it's 3… I have a strong feeling the others might have also been brought on that idea because of it.

I wish we could live together and just play games together and stuff. its different from having normal roommates because there is already an unspoken closeness knowing youre both struggling and in it together i guess. sometimes i talk to my old friends about things happening in the ward and they find it so shocking but tbh it's just normal and more like a funny story to me. but i guess thats stuff being normalized in my head…

anyway curious if anyone else might be in one rn or has any experiences they'd like to share

Anonymous 10/02/26 (Fri) 12:25:02 PM133564

I've wanted to see what it's like to stay in one, but I don't think I'd be able to put up with the nightly checks since I'm a light sleeper. And the banging noises would drive me up the wall

Anonymous 10/06/26 (Tue) 05:00:09 AM133591

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I've never been but I drove there once and sat in the parking lot sobbing because I really needed help but I was scared of who I would have as a roommate and how I'd be treated if I got admitted. My friend just got sent back to the psych ward due to another suicide attempt, I've known her since 4th grade and this is her 3rd suicide attempt in her life (one in high school where she took a bunch of pills and drank bleach, one in college where she slit her wrists, and this most recent one where she overdosed on pills again). Last month she was in the psych ward too due to having a psychotic break, she thought she committed a cybercrime and threw her laptop and phone out her car window and was just driving all over the state. She is a people pleaser like me and now I feel like whenever I would communicate with her she'd be masking. We were emailing back and forth between her two psych ward stays and she seemed happy and motivated to put her life back together. I never asked her how her psych ward stays were, she always referred to it as "the looney bin" as a joke and showed me her grippy socks. I don't feel like I've ever been a good friend to her. I don't know when she's going to make it out this time and how to support her when she does. I'm so scared for her. She was still having paranoid delusions before she tried to kill herself again. Idk how we can ever trust that she won't try to kill herself after all this

Anonymous 10/06/26 (Tue) 05:30:10 AM133592

>>133532
What got you admitted nona? It's comforting to know that it's not a scary experience and you feel a sense of community with the other people there and you get lots of therapy. Truly I think my friend needs to stay at an inpatient facility for at least 7 weeks like you if not a few months, and then hopefully get on disability afterwards. I'm remembering now that she told me she felt like she didn't need her antidepressants at all while she'd been unemployed the past couple years. And then the second she accepted an offer for a new job last month all these problems started happening.

Anonymous 10/07/26 (Wed) 12:40:46 AM133596

>>133532
I was in a psyche ward for 4 months. I met a lot of nice people there. That was definitely the most helpful part in recovering, socializing with all the other patients during our free time. Most of the actual "program" though (group therapy, one-on-one therapy with the psychiatrist, physical therapy, art therapy, workshops, city outings, etc etc) didn't really accomplish much though.

Anonymous 10/07/26 (Wed) 12:03:49 PM133601

>>133591
>I don't feel like I've ever been a good friend to her
im sorry to hear you feeling like this. I hope you know you are not responsible for how she feels!! I wish it were that easy, I also don't like seeing my friends having problems- but it's their battle to fight at the end of the day.

>how to support her when she does
Honestly ask her if u can do anything! Say u are available if she wants some distractions and do something fun together. Nothing major, maybe a game, a walk, drawing, etc… Any hobbies she's into? and nona it sounds like you're struggling a lot too. I hope you also take care of yourself and your feelings!! If it get's to much (with her) it's totally okay to take a step back and give yourself some space!

>Idk how we can ever trust that she won't try to kill herself after all this
u can't. im sorry but being in the psych ward has also taught me how some people are just hopeless. I do believe everyone can get better- but they have to want it. And unfortunately people who are suicidal do not want that. Your friend can get better but it will require intense treatment- not this short visit which is only meant for while she's in active crisis. I'm talking a LONG admission. especially delusions and psychosis are very very difficult to learn to live with.
The issue there isn't (and this has to do with that some people are hopeless) always that help available, or financially possible. and again, people can only be helped if they WANT to be helped. Nd your friend does not seem like she's in that state of mind right now.

Anyway, I can tell it's taking a toll on you so pls take care of yourself!! wishing you both lots of strength

Anonymous 10/07/26 (Wed) 12:21:43 PM133602

>>133592
My ward has space for crisis patients (short visits to get you stable enough to be on your own) and longer admissions for treatment/stabilization or for observation/diagnosing.

I was first there as crisis patient bc i was really suicidal. We looked at options because i was really struggling with it, and they offered me a longer admission. A month later I came back and I'm here in the group of observation/diagnostics- which is shorter in comparison to the first group. I agree with you, i think for most people they will need much more time to really stabilize. it is normal in my ward to stay for 4-5 months if you're in the first group. In the ward next to us it is between 6-9 months. In the ward next to it is for very complex patients a year to a year and a half is normal. Keep in mind this is for very intense stuff though. For example someone is there right now after being a victim of sex trafficking.

So it all really differs from what your needs are/what responsibility you are able to have. Obviously it also really depends on the ward- like im sure it could also be a scary experience. and its hard work participating each day. i wish your friend goodluck!!