Is hospital the right place for me at the moment?!?!

I have been struggling for months with severe depression and anxiety as a result of losing my job. I have been struggling more and more to keep safe and the mental health team are doing all they can to help me. They have mentioned possibly staying in hospital for a short time under voluntary section however they have also said how scary and upsetting these places can be. Does anyone have any experience of this? I don't want to leave home but I am struggling more and more each day being on my own 24/7 with my thoughts and my thoughts alone

I had 5 days in one once and I found it beneficial. But, it was a very small unit, very local to where I live. It was 22 years ago and doesn't exist anymore which is a terrible shame. They changed my meds, talked to me and I spent time with other people who were struggling. To be honest one of the biggest things for me was that it got me over my fear of being crazy. Even though I saw some things that I hadn't seen before, which I admit did scare me a little, I was relieved to find out that the vast majority of 'crazy' people were actually just ordinary people who were struggling with their mental health at that time.

I have visited bigger units as part of my job and I think I would have struggled if I had been in them. Some rooms were shared, which I think is difficult and it was often difficult to find the staff. But, a friend had a prolonged stay in the same hospital and she found it helped her a lot.

I'm probably not being much help, but ask for more details of where you would be put, size, level of care given, other residents etc.

I would say though that mental health beds are like gold dust these days and they do try and keep people out of hospital as much as they can.

Twice in the last 6 weeks if they said come on we've got a bed for you I would have gone in, but it doesn't work like that.

My son spent 3 months in an NHS psychiatric unit under a section last year. He was very ill but I wouldn't recommend it as it is very disturbing and disruptive and not for people with anxiety and depression alone.

It's very hard to get admitted too and a section is serious stuff.

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Originally Posted by Sugarrush

I have been struggling for months with severe depression and anxiety as a result of losing my job. I have been struggling more and more to keep safe and the mental health team are doing all they can to help me. They have mentioned possibly staying in hospital for a short time under voluntary section however they have also said how scary and upsetting these places can be. Does anyone have any experience of this? I don't want to leave home but I am struggling more and more each day being on my own 24/7 with my thoughts and my thoughts alone

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Not personally, but my mother did a stint in a mental hospital and the day soon came when she told my Dad she'd divorce him if he didn't fetch her home! That was in the 60s though..

Having a mental illness and being around mentally ill people are different experiences. Some folk are more 'vocal' than others for a start. How would you cope with the distressing scenes around you?

Some people don't have the choice when it comes to being sectioned, but you do, so think carefully. You don't want to be making things worse for yourself..

You can be a voluntary patient on a psych ward (very hard to get admitted) but I've never heard of a voluntary section. Sectioning is a legal act and not taken lightly.

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Originally Posted by pulisa

You can be a voluntary patient on a psych ward (very hard to get admitted) but I've never heard of a voluntary section. Sectioning is a legal act and not taken lightly.

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I stand corrected. Most unlike me to engage gob before brain. :roflmao:

According to Mind - you don't have any choice when sectioned. You can also refuse medication whereas it can be forced on you if you're sectioned. Bit too 'One Flew Over...' for me, but needs must and all that! For some poor folk, it's the only option.

Maybe take a look at the MIND page about it SR? There are advantages and disadvantages to being a voluntary patient...

I've been a voluntary patient on an NHS psych ward and discharged myself after a week because I felt very unsafe there. From both the patients and the staff. This was many years ago but things didn't appear to have changed much when my son was an inpatient there last year.

Thank you all for being so honest and up front with me. I am going to try and stay at home and access support from their it helped being able to discuss it on here and hear others experiences thank you so so much everyone