How do you know when you should be admitted into a mental hospital?

Question

I've suffered from depression for years, anxiety too...nothing is getting better even though I'm seeing counselors and psychiatrists and I'm on meds. When is it a good idea to self admit into a psych hospital? Nothing seems to be helping-I can't make friends. My family cares, but I can't tell them how bad it is right now. I pretend everything is fine. I have a 3 year old to take care of and I'm worried that she's not being raised well because of my social anxiety. Sometimes I think about killing myself-but I don't because of my daughter. That's the only reason I haven't. When is it a good idea to self admit?

Answer 1

I hope you are telling your shrink exactly how you feel. Sounds like you are hanging on by a thread. With suicide thoughts, it's definitely time to change your treatment. Checking into the hospital just might be the answer. First in your mind should be your daughter. Please don't do anything that would harm her development. Suicide would definitely harm her. She would grow up and blame herself and possibly wind up like you are now. Please get help. Good luck and God bless you.

Answer 2

Voluntary commitment rules are the same as involuntary. You must be planning to harm yourself or someone else within the next 24 to 48 hours.

I think you're looking to the hospital to be your salvation and solution. It's not. There's actually nothing done in the hospital that can't be done on the outside. You see? That's why it's meant for people who are planning to harm themselves or others. It's like jail.

You can get therapy and see a psychiatrist on the outside. Actual state mental hospitals are as notorius and scary as the movies make them out to be, and the psych ward in your local hospital wont be much better.

You wont get a private room where you can hide away. You get roommates with issues more serious than yours. You're told when to get up and when to go to bed. You share a toilet. Sometimes with 2 or more people, and you share a shower too. Not the best idea for someone with a social anxiety.

Look. There IS no immediate permanent fix right now. This is just something you have to work through and devote some time to. It's a process. It doesn't happen overnight. Give the medication and the therapy at least 2 years.

Even with medication and therapy you still have to do a lot of personal work. I wouldn't worry about making friends right now. You have to learn to be a friend to yourself.

Recommended reading with workbook:

Fearless Living by Rhonda Britton

Answer 3

First please put all suicidal thoughts to the back of your mind, really solves nothing and what about your 3year old, that little person needs you. Sometimes you have to try different anti depressants to find the one that suits you, took me many years to get to the place I am at now, and you can do that to, so don't give up. I have pretended everything is fine, when it is not, so I got honest with everyone that is around me and have never looked back. If you self admit, or got to the point of being admitted to a mental hospital you might find that it could be very difficult for you to get out, and one word of advice never ever tell any kind of authorities that your thoughts are suicidal. So please try and cheer yourself up, take every day for you and your little person as a blessing, thank god you are alive and together, and get yourself off to a doctors and get some real help.

Answer 4

Finding a good therapist is as difficult as finding a good lawyer, so perhaps you can find a better "match." Please don't hide how you feel from your family. They love you the most no matter what problems they may have. They can help you, but not if they don't know how you really feel. Ask your doctor to admit you if you feel you might harm yourself. You are right to keep alive as your daughter needs you more than anyone. Besides death is so permanent. I used to have panic attacks and a good therapist helped me see the inner strength in myself. Your problems can be dissolved. You have your whole life ahead of you.

Answer 5

You are probably not fooling your family. If they are supportive ask them for help. You sound overwhelmed with your situation and need assistance with your daughter first. Next lay it on the line to your psychiatrist just how miserable you feel and what your options are. Lately people only get admitted to a psych unit if they are a danger to themselves or others, a psychotic episode or other situation that they can not handle on their own. You need to be super honest about your feelings of suicide. DO IT NOW before your daughter looses you.

Answer 6

You need to talk to someone, NOW. Before the situation gets completely out of control and you end up doing something impulsive or self-destructive... and hurting your little girl in the process!

I was in the same situation as you are, only I had two daughters... and going into the hospital to get stabilized was the BIGGEST favor I ever did myself - and them!

Don't worry about what people "think"... chemical imbalance is nothing to be ashamed of. Also, talk to your doctor - your meds might need to be adjusted! I've been on Zoloft for several years now - and I had to get a different dosage because I recently lost 50 pounds. Took weeks for me to realize "HELLO there's a problem here!" LOL...

Take care of yourself... your little girl is counting on you to set a good example!

And feel free to email me if you'd like to talk... been there, done that. {{safe hug}}

Answer 7

well certainly if you are thinking about harming yourself or others then you should go in .
in some cases your doctor might want to admit you in order to do a full assessment most in regards to your medication . see they might want to take you off them and see what happens and this is sometimes better done in the hospital with the supervision.
really i suggest that discuss with with your doctor or if you feel a rush then go to the er.
i have been in them from time to time briefly due to depression i cant say they do much but stabilize a person adjust meds and if there good get some follow up care in place for you after discharge.
i know people have some wild ideas about what goes on in there but it is not at all like the movies or TV. most often people can go outside wear there own clothes and hardly interact with the nurses at all . i find the most help from talking to others in there . i don't mention i have been in there to people but i suppose on here no one knows who i am so its fine.
you should certainly talk to your doctor asap you may not need to be in the hospital but you sure sound like you do need to speak with your doctor .

Answer 8

Now sweetie! I am imparticularly glad you see all the signs and are able to admit you are mentally ill (depressed,anxious).I admitted myself in 1993,and that was the best thing i ever did for not only me but my loved ones!There is a life for you to live,and i wish to see you live it to your fullest potential.You are not alone,even when you feel you are,somebody somewhere cares. P.S.(the hospital will try out new meds on you because i can see the ones you're on now are not working anymore or at all). Take Care.

Answer 9

The hospital is a step to protect the public from a bad act. Don't expect to be cured there. You will be safe for a while and then you can begin to learn how to manage your own life better. God made mother's willing to endure more for the sake of the children and then ten years later the mother knows enough about the mysteries of life to recover. Why throw away the one chance you have to become normal. Alone you may fail and who will care?

Answer 10

Definately go to the docs and see what they say give them all the details. No one here can really tell you without a full history. IF you are feeling like killing yourself, I would say that you really do need to go to the docs asap..


good luck