In TV, movies and books, psychiatrists are depicted as places with padded rooms, patients who hallucinate and claw at the walls, and an overall dark tone to it.As an adolescent, going to a mental hospital can be frightening.These types of hospitals aren't as bad as the media portrays them to be, and there are ways to cope with being in a teen psychiatric ward.
Step 1: Understand what mental health wards are.
There aren't many people banging on the walls screaming at the voices in their heads at mental hospitals.Some people go for suicidal thinking or suicide attempts, others go because of eating disorders, some go due to their mental disorders causing problems in their life, and some just change their medication.Good people are a lot of them.
Step 2: Know the type of facility it is.
Eating disorders are one of the things that some mental hospitals are dedicated to.Residentials are meant for stays of a month or longer.The adolescent unit and adult unit should not be mixed.
Step 3: Think about why you need to leave.
Determine the reason you're going to a psychiatric hospital, because they only take patients who are at risk of causing harm to themselves or others.Don't be ashamed.You're strong enough to get help if you go to the hospital for mental illness.
Step 4: You should research the facility you're going to.
Do some research on the facility you're going to stay at before you leave.Knowing the general quality of the facility can be a motivator in getting out faster if you can't change which one you're going to.
Step 5: Know that you are not crazy or weak.
Due to the stigma of mental illness, psychiatrists have a reputation of being filled with crazy people, and there's a common stigma associated with going to one.You are not crazy or weak for having to go to a psychiatric ward.It isn't your fault that you have a mental illness.You're asking for help when you go to the hospital because you know that your mental illness is too much for you to handle safely.
Step 6: Prepare to be searched.
If you are found to be at risk of harming yourself or others, you will be kept in the ward and evaluated.Depending on the ward, you will either be allowed to keep your clothing or get clothing from there.Anything with wires in it, such as underwire bras or cables, will be seized.
Step 7: Know the admission process.
If this is your first stay, you'll be asked questions about yourself.If you've been diagnosed with a mental health problem, the questions are limited to your physical health.Lying about it can cause a lot of problems later on.If you didn't have your blood taken at the emergency room, you're likely to need it at some point.If you're afraid of needles, let them know so they can help you.During the night, the nurses may wake you up to collect blood samples.You will have to give a urine sample.
Step 8: Take a tour of the hospital.
You may be allowed to learn the way around the hospital, or you may have to go straight to bed.Know your room number and where the patients gather during the day, and be aware of the rules regarding rooms in the ward.Depending on the ward, you may have to stay in the common room all day and not be allowed in your room until after the sun goes down.You can stay in your room on other wards, but nurses will check on you occasionally.If you don't feel like getting up, the nurses will not let you stay in your room all day.
Step 9: Know the quarters.
You may or may not have roommates in the hospital.The number and age of the roommates will vary, but try talking to them a bit.Even if you can't talk about why you're there, having someone to chat with about the hospital can be a huge relief.Roommates will be of the same sex.People with the same sex are more likely to get rooms alone.If they're a different sex, people who aren't in your room are not allowed.The consequences of violating this rule can be decided by the nurses in charge of the ward.
Step 10: You should know the schedule for the day.
Usually, psychiatric wards have a set schedule for the week.Bedtime in adolescent units is usually between 8 and 9 PM.
Step 11: Be aware of what's considered wrong.
Patients who don't follow certain rules may be placed on line-of-sight, meaning that a nurse has to be watching them at all times, or take a medication to knock them out.Even if it doesn't seem fair, explain calmly and patiently as you can, and know that if the nurses made the decision, they likely made it for a reason.If a patient is trying to flee the hospital, they will be given a drug through a shot in the bottom."booty juice" is what it is sometimes referred to as.If you come to the point of needing to be knocked out, take the medication willingly; when getting the shot, you're restrained to a bed, and many patients are in pain for the following days.
Step 12: Know your daily routine.
Normally, patients wake up, get their vitals checked, take their medication, and eat breakfast.You're likely to have groups.Every hospital's schedule is different.You can find the schedule in the common room.
Step 13: Follow the schedule.
If you stay in your room without eating or participating in groups, you're more likely to stay longer than you want to.If you follow schedules, including showering when shower times are available, you're more likely to be discharged sooner.
Step 14: Know about drugs.
The psychiatrists at the hospital will try to start you on medication if your parents approve.If you haven't already asked about the medicine, hospitals may assign you the wrong one to begin with.When you need them, they will be kept at the medicine counter and given to you.If a medication you are taking is making you feel worse, tell your doctor as soon as possible.They can take you off the medication and give you a new one.
Step 15: If you can talk to patients.
Some wards are so strict that you can't talk to patients or tell them why you're there.Some people take advantage of talking to the patients.You can learn stories of the ward by befriending it.Many patients have been in hospitals multiple times, and they may share their opinions on certain hospitals and the nurses there.Exchange phone numbers when you or the other person gets discharged.Maybe you made a good friend.Some of the teens will keep to themselves.You can talk to them, but you may get different results.Every psychiatric ward has rules against patients touching each other, so you won't be able to hug other patients.If you want to hug someone goodbye, the nurses may look the other way.Patients are not allowed to have romantic relationships with each other on psychiatric wards.If you're caught holding hands with another teen in the ward, the nurses will likely put both of you on watch to prevent you from getting close.
Step 16: Know the discharge process.
When you're deemed safe to return home, your parents or guardian will usually check you out of the hospital.You should take advantage of the time you have left because this can take some time.
Step 17: Get your belongings back.
Your parents should get your belongings from the front desk, and you should take your clothes and other items from your room.If you can, leave your room and check for your things in your section of the room.If you want to do this, you should strip your bed.It makes less work for the nurses.
Step 18: You should know the recommendations after you leave the hospital.
You may have to see a Psychiatrist after you leave the hospital.If the sessions aren't beneficial, make sure to find good fits for psychiatrists and therapists.
Step 19: You should be prepared to talk with your parents.
"Why did you do it?" can be a question from your caretakers after you've been hospitalized.Make sure that they understand that you're still sensitive and need to refrain from yelling during these heated conversations.
Step 20: Keep an eye out for warning signs.
Some teens have to go to a ward more than once.If you're one of those teens, it's important to keep an eye on your behavior and your thought processes, as you can't control your mental illness, and if you fail that, you could be getting to a bad place.You might not want your parents to know that you're struggling.Most parents want their teen to be healthy and happy.They'd be more focused on making sure you're safe if you told them you were having suicidal thoughts.Just because you're in a bad place doesn't mean you have to go to the hospital again.If you and your parents agree to do certain things, it's possible to develop a safety plan.If you agree to sleep in your parents' room, they will remove potentially hazardous items from areas accessible to you.