# Experience of Psychiatric Unit



## 14448 (Jun 14, 2006)

I ended up in one a week ago. I have social anxiety disorder/agoraphobia that I'm waiting to see a psychiatrist about. Anyway, after days stuck in my flat I decided... whilst under the influence of too much codeine, clonazepam, lorazepam and cannabis... to take a bus to a nearby seaside town! It was about 10 pm at night but I don't remember much about the trip, only walking on the seafront in the dark totally spaced out, and then a woman taking me to the police station, an ambulance taking me to hospital, and after being quizzed in A+E, discovered to have high levels of drugs in my blood and refusing to give my details in case my family was contacted... I was taken to the secure psychiatric unit!!I was too dazed to answer most of the questions, but they put me on a ward with some other women, then moved me to a private room. Most of the nurses were men. Every 15 mins, including at night, someone shone a torch on me to check I was still alive. My handbag was searched and everything potentially dangerous (deodorant aerosol, make-up compacts with mirrors, aromatherapy oil, keys etc) was removed. Then the police came to question me about why I was carrying a knife and some strange 'herbs' in my pockets (the herbs were cloves and the knife my multi-tool camping knife I carry everywhere but they didn't seem to believe me). I refused to give my details because if my parents found out about this they would probably take me out of uni and lock me up at home!There was no privacy on the ward, even when I was in the bathroom a member of staff would bang on the door every 10 minutes and shout 'are you ok?' I didn't dare eat or even drink water since I arrived in case it caused an IBS attack. Also, there were half-naked, shouting patients wandering everywhere trying to escape. It was a nightmare. I lay on my bed for 3 days trying to visualise myself somewhere else, then finally cracked, told them my name and address and gave them permission to call my boyfriend. They said I couldn't leave without being assessed by the doctor, but he took a day and a half to matertialize, by which time my boyfriend had arrived with a notebook, all ready to fight and get me out, and the consultant interviewed him, then me, then said I could go. I've never been so relieved as walking out of there!I know these places have to be secure to protect genuinely insane or suicidal people, but it's scary how easy it is to get trapped in one! I still shudder at the lack of dignity and how helpless and desperate you feel inside, especially when the doctors are elusive and the nurses treat you like a difficult child.Has anyone else had experience of a Psychiatric unit/ mental health ward?


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2007)

Yes I have and some of what you said rang dangerously true - I was (briefly) sectioned under the Mental Health Act because I attempted suicide and spent 6 weeks altogether getting myself back into some sort of mental shape.I must admit that yes, there were I think 2 people who I would consider to be very, very unwell - one woman - who just prior to my "release" I was put next to - not a nice experience - I had my own room but came back from the bathroom one night to find her standing beside my bed - just staring into space - yeah, not great I'll grant you - but I think, and I know this sounds bizarre - you have to have abit of a sense of humour (black I'll grant you) about it all - personally, I am very honest about my breakdown (if you want to call it that) - and yes, I've been there with the suicide watch - torch shining - surrendering your razors after a bath, cardboard coathangers - though how I was going to do away with myself with a coathanger - well beats me kiddo!!!I really feel for you - but at t'end of the day - they are asylums aren't they - thats how I looked at it - I actually made friends in there and we kind of clung onto each other and my bracing northern sense of humour fairly quickly came to my rescue but being parted from a little girl of 6, 2 very confused teenagers, a desperately worried overstretched husband, my doggie and all the wonderful things I took for granted - no Suks no a picnic.I really know how you feel - if you want to talk more - do PP me and I'll do my best to support.Sue xxx


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## 21185 (Dec 31, 2006)

Yep, me too. I tried to commit suidcide and the ER doctors referred to a psych ward. I was there for a week.Horrible. I was never so ashamed. But I had hit my rock bottom. The staff was pretty nice, but the patients were certainly scary. I looked around and went wow, I must be pretty **cked up to be here.Don't plan on going back any time soon and it was not one of my most shining moments in my life that I like to look back on, but it's part of my life.I'm sorry times are tuff. Get the support you need, okay.


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## 14486 (Mar 20, 2007)

I can relate to all of you. I have been hospitalized in mental health units 3 times for anxiety at 3 separate places. The last time was last year when I had hit rock bottom and took two bottles of pills. I found some friends there yes, but the thing that amazed me is that the staff there just wanted to keep you calm. Crying was a no no and they didn't want to hear about any type of physical pain (IBS) that was causing the anxiety that brought me there in the first place. Very humiliating and frustrating experience. I too have two small children and a husband who have had to endure so much through this whole battle. Every day I relive the nightmare in my mind of how my kids had to watch me go to the emergency room and be admitted to the hospital. They even visited me in the hospital - an experience which I hope their tiny little minds will someday be able to forget. If anyone wants to talk more let me know because I don't like to talk to my family about this anymore. It just upsets them.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2007)

Oh hun - I've got kids too - mine were 15, 13 and 6 - the babby really doesn't remember anything about it but my 2 biggies do - I touch lightly upon it sometimes "oh yeah, we used to read Heat in the loony bin" - etc so that they know, that yeah, it was a horrible 6 weeks of our lives - but now, mercifully in the past.I must admit my experiences of all but one total ###### in the psychiatric unit were incredibly positive - may I mention one Auxilliary - Karen - who was a total breath of fresh air - as Manc as you like but she was on most evenings - and she'd get out her nail polish, beading, anything - and we'd sit around a big table in the dining room (not the most therapeutic place in the world - a lovely shade of vomit green!!!) and slowly put our damaged minds back together - I actually have quite fond memories of the unit from those latter times with Em who was a very poorly but incredibly brave manic depressive.Phew, glad its the spring of 2007 and not the spring of 2006 though!!Sue


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## 14486 (Mar 20, 2007)

I was in three different hospitals' psych wards. Two of them were at lot better about having mindless therapeutic activities - like you said, beading, playing games, crafts, watching a movie and just chatting. That did help. The other place I made no friends. They were really cold to me. That was at the time when my husband had been through the mill and was almost ready to leave me. Could have used a friend then. I've definitely decided that a psych ward is not what I need ever again. And yes, I too am soooo glad it is 2007 and not 2006 (Worst year of my life: 2006).


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## Guest (Mar 23, 2007)

Oh bless you mlr - still, here we are very much alive to tell the tale - so for folk at the bottom of the trough - please do take heart - things work out in the end - tiny baby steps though!!Sue


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## jodie (May 3, 2005)

I was in a psy hospital 3x in 1989 for depression and the psy could not help me, so I went in 3x volunteerly..The first experiencae wasn't so bad, it was like a rich man's hospital, except the doors to get out were all locked, and I left in 4 days, the 2nd time, and the third time was terrible, felt like a prisioneer, lelf quickly also.jodie


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## 14486 (Mar 20, 2007)

Jodie,I was in voluntarily the first 2 times and the second because I took a bottle of pills. I don't really think the social workers or doctors helped me much. Here I am a year later and I'm still having just as much anxiety as before. Only I know I will not go to a hospital again because it did not help and I don't want my kids to have to see me in there again. Did you gain anything positive out of your experiences there? I kind of thought the doctors, nurses and social workers had it in their mind that we were crazy and that it was our fault we were there and that was that. I think they need to change their approach. I did feel like a prisoner - especially the third time because I was in the ICU trapped literally in a bed for a week and then in the psych ward for a week.


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