What Is It Really Like to Stay at a Psychiatric Hospital?

Most of us have very specific, vivid ideas about what staying in a psychiatric hospital looks like. These ideas have likely been shaped by Hollywood or sensationalist news stories. Because how often do we hear about someone’s real-life stay at a psychiatric facility? If going to therapy is rarely talked about, the conversations surrounding psychiatric hospitals are virtually non-existent. So we tend to imagine wild, worst-case scenarios. To provide a more accurate picture, we asked several individuals who’ve been hospitalized to share what it was like for them. Of course, every person’s experience is different, and every hospital is different. After all, not all medical hospitals, medical professionals, and psychotherapists are created equal. As Gabe Howard, a mental health advocate and certified peer supporter, noted, [hospitals] range from quality care to overcrowded warehousing of sick people—and everything in between.” Below you’ll find different stories of hospital stays—the realities, lifesaving benefits, surprising experiences, and sometimes the scars a stay can leave behind. Jennifer Marshall Jennifer Marshall has been hospitalized five times. This included stays in October 2008 for postpartum psychosis and April 2010 for antenatal psychosis when she was 5 months pregnant. Her last hospitalization was in September 2017 following the sudden death of her co-founder at This Is My Brave, a non-profit organization that aims to bring stories of mental illness ...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Disorders General Stress Suicide Treatment Bipolar Disorder hope Hospitalization Inspiration Manic Episodes Psychiatric Hospital suicidal Source Type: news