Considering mental hospital - experiences?

It was difficult to decide the proper forum for this post.

I have been flirting seriously with the idea of checking myself into a mental hospital, not because I feel I have a problem or a need to but because I think it would be an interesting experience. I have several concerns though, and I was wondering if anyone has done this before or has specific knowledge that can help me.

All I know of these things comes from movies, and I'm sure you all have seen the same movies. So although I appreciate your help, if your advice is based on only movies please don't respond.

1. Most importantly, will they force me to take any drugs I don't want to take? What condition could I say I have in order to commit myself in the first place that would help me avoid this unpleasantness?

2. As a voluntary committal would I have *any* problems whatsoever checking myself out when I want to?

3. If you have any real experience with a mental hospital (again not movies) please share it!

 

When I checked myself into a mental hospital voluntarily, they sectioned me when I tried to leave but then I was in some kind of altered state so perhaps this story from the Guardian will be more relavent. I read it a while ago so the details are hazy... bear with me.

The story goes, that in the 50's a group of perfectly sane people got together and decided to test the mental health services. They dodn't wash or brush their teeth for a few days then went to a hospital and asked to see a psychiatrist (each one went to a different hospital).

When asked, they reported hearing the word 'thud' in their head from time to time. They didn't act bizarely in any way, just said they heard the word 'thud'.

They were all sent to hospital, voluntarily, and got cleaned up when they arrived. When they asked to go out they were refused. When they asked why they couldn't go out, they got the reply "Because you're unwell." And when they asked when they could go out, they got the reply "when you're well". They were medicated and left in the hospital for some amount of time (I forget how long but probably a few months, maybe), until they finally came clean and said it was a hoax. Of course, a mental patient saying "I've just been playing a trick on you, I'm not really mental." Is always going to be taken with a pinch of salt so it took quite a long while before they were actually released but in the end they were.

The point is that, apart from telling the psychiatrist they were hearing things, they were acting perfectly normally and not a single member of staff in any of the hospitals noticed(!). Interestingly, a lot of the patients didn't believe the subjects were insane, some thought they were there to spy on them.


The experiment was repeated by the Guardian journalist more recently. She got prescribed a wide variety of meds by the doctors she saw but was not hospitalised.


The first story was in the states, the second England.


I wish you luck in your endevour, if you still plan on doing it. Mental hospital is enough to send anyone round the bend in my opinion, but good on you for walking in shoes that most will never walk in. May I ask what your motivations are?

 

i also did it volentary........ they kept me for 4 to 5 weeks when i was told i was going to leave in 48 hours...it was an unpleasent experiance. VERY UNPLEASENT!!!

 

I'm sure you have though of this but just in case remember it will be different from country to country and prob even state to state so make sure it applies where you are if you go through with this. I've heard of people doing this for research on novels and papers but be careful b/c those places can be pretty ugly and things can change in some places once you are inside. I knew a guy from school who checked himself in b/c his nerves were really getting to him due to a messed up family and stuff and it was voluntary. But while he was there another patient in his room started a fight with him and the doctors did not discriminate after the fight was broke up. He went from a quiet resting area into the pit of the place to find himself so drugged up he didn't know where he was b/c they decided he was now violent when all he was doing was defending himself. About a year later he was out but so messed up on their drugs he killed himself. Hell man we all knew the guy and other than suffering from a little breakdown I swear there was nothibng wrong with him before that. I know I can't see inside his mind or ever know the whole truth but the whole thing is pretty scary. Sorry I don't have any real info for you on the day to day as I never got a chance to see him there. But please be very careful dude. And if they ever find out what you are doing it could be trouble as they consider faking it a form of illness. I know I'm prejudiced b./c of that story but wouldnt want to see that happening to another.
peace
Gentle

 

Having read your thread about wanting your parents to die I would definitely not recommend checking yourself into a mental hospital. They will definately consider this a symptom of your illness should they find out about it, and they will not believe the part about you not wanting to kill them.

 

Testing a psychiatric facility? Though it is a good idea, in the sense that, because we are only human, there are many cons and room for abuse, I would certainly not advise doing so. Even by voluntarily signing, you waive your rights.

 

Wow.. you are an ass if you want to check into a mental hospital just for the "expericance".

Mental Hospitals aren't toys. You don't check into them for an experiance, for something to do because you have nothing to do for the weekend.

Mental Hospitals are full of people who need help. You don't seem to get that.

I was commited twice. It wasn't "fun", a "party" or a "lark". It was gut renching, and heart breaking for me and my entire family. I had/have mental disorders, which I will have for the rest of my life... and to be honest, I doubt I would be here if it hadn't been for my stays in the Mental Hospitals because it was there that I learnt how to deal with my problems.

You saying that you want to check into the Hosptial for fun is the same as you saying you want to undergo cancer treatments for fun. It's insulting, flippant, self absorbed and completly ridiculous. Mental illness is AN ILLNESS... and you checking in because you what a funny story to tell might take up the space needed for someone who is actually sick.

Can they force you to take drugs? Yes... there are doctors at the hospital, and doctors can write prescriptions. Because you are in a mental health hospital, they can consider you as being "unstable mentally" and make you take drugs because they "know whats best".

Might you have a hard time checking out? Yep. Why? Because they don't usually let people wander out whenever they want. You will have to be cleared by the doctors. And, if I was a doctor who you told that you were just there "for the experiance" I would think you had to be crazy, as only a crazy person could logically be such a total and complete asshole.

If you think that you actually need help and this whole tread is just a cover story for you asking what to expect if you do end up in a hospital, then see a cousellor. They will refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist as the need be. Don't just check
yourself into a hospital, as you might be doing more harm that good.

 

Hey IceT, you following me around? Nice to know we have something in common - especially this.

One thing I would say is this, I know you'll take it sensibly: I was diagnosed schizophrenic and told I would be on meds for the rest of my life. At the moment, after a long slow reduction (with the agreement of my psychiatrist), I am off my meds and stable and have been for about half a year.
Obviously it doesn't work out like this for everyone diagnosed with a mental illness but if there are negative effects from your medication... never say never - except in the phrase "you never know". Like I say, I'm sure you'll be cautious.

If you don't mind me asking the standard mental patient question, what you got? PM me if you don't feel like discussing it on an open forum.

 

I PM'd you with the muddy mess of my mentalness. It's one of those things that totally sane people don't often understand, so I don't usually talk about it in mixed company... lol.

 

that is absalutly right, they did infact drug me up on resprital, xanax, trazadome, stretara, this that this that.....it was not fun, i dont belive anyone should be checked into a mental hospital, its not the right place for anyone at all. It is infact scary...i went to horsham clinict and kids ran the place, and i had some hindu as a psychiactric evaluator.
i could say "I hate my parents" and they would keep me for another week, due to violent thoughts or some shit....they realy stretch it.... and its not right.
This one HOT ASS portorican girl was in there for excesive fighting, but she was a realy sweet shy girl, Normal as can be...They did not like her at all. they kept her for months, and i didnt see why. When i was in there my mom snuck me a condom and me and the portorican girl fucked during quite time Staff knew it too...but had no proof, so i would always symbolicly relate the time when we fucked....and staff would get pissed, cause i would be meaning 2 difrent things if you know what i mean...heh Horsham is a joke, they think they got shit on lockdown. If i wanted to i could of killed massive, and escape without trace.

 

You are the person who was saying they want their parents dead? Then yes, check yourself in right away. Hopefully they will keep you for a very long time.

 

I think his post about wanting his parents to die was bittersweet, I didn't find it strange at all. He was just saying that he can see they've fulfilled their life's journey and there isn't anything left. ...at least that's how I interpreted it. I've known older people like that; who live day to day, with nothing to give and nothing to revieve, and they want to die, you can see it in their eyes.

Anyway, with regards to the hospital... I say it's only worth it if you are going to go in for the full experience, and that may mean taking drugs. And then of course you'd have to write an expose and send it out to all the newspapers and such to show what it is like. Go as a journalist.

My aunt was in a mental hospital and she hated it. She liked the drugs of course, what she hated was the "group time." I guess she'd just sit by herself and play cards the whole time because she didn't want to talk to anyone. And then she'd have emotional outbursts when they asked her to be social, and then they'd extend her stay. haha.