mental institons?

Question

just wondering, whats it like in a mental instituation?

Answer 1

It's usually a ward in a hospital where they lock the doors.
In most cases, the rooms have 2 beds and a bathroom. Nothing sharp and the windows have bars.

There is a recreation room, with TV, VCR, and maybe a ping-pong table. You get 3 meals a day, 4 snacks.

There is therapy, and group therapy, and meetings with pyschiatrists. There is also recreational therapy and games and crafts.

There may be more than one ward ~ for example, the addicts might be on one ward, the depressed/bipolar people on another ward, etc. But the door are locked in between so the people can't move around.

You are watched. If you are suicidal, they watch you every 5-15 mintues at night. If you are suicidal, you can't have your own room.

It's no big deal......

Answer 2

I've been in two psychiatric wards. (I am sixteen years old and have been in them within the past year) The units are usually locked down so that only staff can get in with special keys and passwords. It is very strict in there. Boys and girls can usually not sit together at the same tables for meals, activities, or anything else. There are usually two beds in a room (hopefully you get put with a congenial roommate) and depending on the facility, you may have your own bathroom that is conjoined to the room. Boys and girls are usually put on the same unit but not in the same rooms. There's usually not anything actually glass (even the mirrors in the bathrooms are plexi-glass). There is basically no way in hell to possibly harm yourself in there. There are often different units for the different types of mental illnesses. Suicidal people cannot have their own room and they are watched to the extreme. Each day you are served three square meals (the food is not very good at all...ewww) and between 2 to 4 snacks. If you are an adolescent/child, there will oftentimes be parent visiting sessions and family therapy. No matter what age you are, you will participate in therapy sessions of all sorts. There are group therapies, individual therapies, and one-on-one psychiatrist sessions. You will also usually have a talk with whatever staff person is assigned to you while they're on shift. There are very often recreational activities and crafts that you get to do to lighten the mood and keep your mind of problems you may be having. Overall, psychiatric wards are not too bad, it's just kind of boring and trust me, you will want to go home after awhile. Your stay is usually not very long unless you are in residential care (usually a 6-9 month period). Hope this helped!! =]

Answer 3

frightening. there is no other place like it. locked doors, plastic cutlery, no one has shoelaces, random outbursts of anger or tears, the all too obvious isolation room with nothing but a matress on the floor, worse than any of that is the suffocating helplessness, you look into everyone's eyes and it is a desparate broken look that haunts you long after you leave. Tragic looking around realising they are all just like you and me but for some reason they are in so much pain. Stifling, you breathe in their pain. Crushing, you meet people that are lovely, truly amazing people but so young and so ruined. Distant, you look in there eyes so many have given up and are not there anymore. Heartbreaking walking out of those triple locked doors and turning around to see your loved one standing in the corridor tears filling there eyes as they try to stay strong and watch you leave. Clinical and suffocating, always being watched always white and empty. Frightening.

Answer 4

when i was in one for suicidal thoughts they took away my shoe laces,my belts,anything i could possibly hurt myself with,i was put in a room with velcro curtains,& shower curtains.they checked on me every 15 minutes no matter where i was even on the toilet.when i got loud and had an outburst i was tackled to the ground and given a shot in the arm and placed in a room with a mattress on the floor.after 12 hours i was allowed back to my room.the food was horrible.the group meetings sucked.doctor comes once a day.if he forgets to write what he promised he would your screwed.visitation from family 2 hours a day if doc says its ok and you have been compliant with program.as crazy as you think you are there are a half dozen ten times worse.people just looking to pick a fight.and all i wanted to do was pace and cry.pray for a decent room mate one that wont steal your stuff.one that you feel safe enough to even close your eyes and sleep with.pray for your meds to kick in and level you out so you can be in and out in 5-7 days.

Answer 5

All I know is that a lot of people should be in there.