# When it is time to maybe be hospitalized?



## NicNak (Nov 5, 2009)

Does anyone know a criteria or how someone knows when it may be a good time to maybe go to the hospital for inpatient treatment?


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## Daniel (Nov 5, 2009)

There is some info here:

http://www.bjcbehavioralhealth.org/behavioralhealth_content.aspx?id=1931

I only went when I was feeling very suicidal and that was almost entirely before my junior year of college when I was very impulsive.


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## NicNak (Nov 5, 2009)

Daniel said:


> I only went when I was feeling very suicidal and that was almost entirely before my junior year of college when I was very impulsive.



If I may ask Daniel.  Was that the observation you were admitted for or was that like an inpatient program for a few months you had?

Did you find it helpful?  

I am pretty afraid to go to the hospital but many days I think I should go.


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## Banned (Nov 5, 2009)

Good question, NN.  I often wonder the same thing...


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## Eye Stigmata (Nov 5, 2009)

I'm not an expect, but I would say a good time to go would be when you can't trust yourself enough not to do serious harm to yourself or someone else or suicide. If you're seriously thinking about it and planning it out and you feel like you could complete it then and there, I would go to a hospital. Same goes for people you know...if you're worried a friend/relative etc is seriously thinking about suicide/planning it out etc.


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## NicNak (Nov 5, 2009)

See, I deep inside feel I wouldn't resort to suicide.  But I do get the big SI urges that can last a few hours at a time that I try to fight off.

I think of dying in almost a fantasy way, as well as SI'ing.   I hold onto threads to think of reasons to go on, but not having the abilities for suicide.  I often just take my Clonazipam and make myself sleep it off.

I just am not sure how bad is bad.  Like I am not working although I am supose to go back gradually soon.   Just thinking about that is taking my breath away.  

I am supose to have goals, but how am I to have other goals when my primary goal for the day is to try to stay awake long enough to enjoy a bit of it and if not to try not to SI or to get my energy levels and anxiety level so I can do laundry or take out the garbage.

On a good day I can shop.  If it were not for living with mom, I would be in big trouble I know that.


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## Eye Stigmata (Nov 5, 2009)

Hmm..

Well, if you can control the urge to SI then that's great! I'd say, if your worried that you'll give in to a point where you are putting yourself in danger...then I would go to the hospital.

I SI'd so badly once that I was admitted for over a week, and I came out feeling better than ever, it actually made me appreciate life. Although there are still times when I think about dying...for the most part, it made me appreciate my freedom. 

They adjusted my meds, put me in therapy for hours every day, group therapy etc etc. And set me up with 2 new ongoing therapist...which did end up helping at the time.

Be safe...and if you get scared...go to the hospital, better safe than sorry NN


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## NicNak (Nov 6, 2009)

Is every Psych ward a lock down ward in the hospital?  Or are some for people who are not a threat to any one else or themselves at that time on a different ward?

I really am afraid to go to the hospital cause of being with the other patients, depending on what they are in for.  I might be afraid of them.  

I think that would scare me more than help me.


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## Retired (Nov 7, 2009)

Do you have employer's  group insurance?  If so, ask for a Private Room.

Your insurance my pay for Semi-Private,  but find out what the added cost would be for Private.  You may even be able to claim it under the Major Medical portion of your coverage.  (Check on this beforehand).

There are many options available to you before complete hospitalization.

Seek the help and support of a trusted friend or family member to stay with you, speak to your spiritual advisor, speak to your GP, your therapist or Psychiatrist.

Call a local crisis line and have a conversation with one of the counselors; find out if there are any support or advocacy groups in your area.  You could find out this information by calling or visiting the CMHA office in your area

The time to call 911 or to get yourself to the Psychiatry Emergency Department pronto is if you have a suicide plan, and have begun acting on it by giving away your possessions, collecting the materials needed for your plan and have considered a timeline for carrying out your plan.

If you feel you are in danger, don't hesitate, call 911.

Have you been in communication with your local crisis line?

Do you have a suicide plan?


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## Andy (Nov 7, 2009)

NicNak said:


> Is every Psych ward a lock down ward in the hospital?  Or are some for people who are not a threat to any one else or themselves at that time on a different ward?
> 
> I really am afraid to go to the hospital cause of being with the other patients, depending on what they are in for.  I might be afraid of them.
> 
> I think that would scare me more than help me.



Most wards in hospitals I have been in are locked and then you get privaleges. If you don't have priveleges (sp) then you are stuck on the unit. 
If you were ever to be admitted to the hospital I can't say you shouldn't be afraid of the other patients only because I have been attacked but no one will attack you. Most patients are just there to get well. 

You don't really go in and get therapy all day and people helping you. Most of the time you will get a 5 minute chat from your nurse for the shift and repeat for next shift. Only because they are usually short staffed. It's more like a place to go to keep yourself safe or get meds fixed. Sitting on your bed is about as exciting as it gets. 

This is just my take on my hospital stays. I would say that others may experience different but I don't think so, unless different provinces are different.:support:


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## NicNak (Nov 7, 2009)

Hi Steve.  Thank you for your reply.

No I do not have a suicide plan, I have the crisis lines in my area saved to favorites on my computer just incase  

I did call the Mental Health Service Information Ontario line once and I found they were very unhelpful.   I barely got any words out when the person blurted out a name of a hospital and a phone number and said "call them" and hung up.

You are right Steve, I should call CAMH, cause even their main branch is full or resources for support groups etc.  I had called them a few years ago.

 There is a branch at my doctors office building but it is for Schizophrenia. There is also another one a bit away from me, but it is not out of my refering hospital they said.  

If I call CAMH directly they would be able to tell me how to go about it.

Sometimes I just feel like I hurt so much inside that I think it would be a good idea to go to the hospital.  Sometimes the SI urges get bad, other times it is almost making me happy to think of dying or SI'ing.  

I find I am fighting bad thoughts so much that when other things happen in my life to cause even the slighest bit of stress I get so overwhelmed.    

I do have suicidial idealzation but I do not have a plan, nore do I honestly think I ever could.  I would welcome death tomorrow if it were there, but I could not carry out the act myself if that makes sense.

The one time I almost carried out a suicide attempt, it was on an overwhelming impulse.   I was ready and about to carry out the idea I had came to me right there and then during the time I was extremely upset.  

I had ran through every other reason to carry on and nothing was stopping this idea.  Then I thought of the stranger who would eventually find me and the terror that they would feel.  

Because my mental illness has been caused from multiple tramas, I thought about what if I caused this stranger to suffer like I do.  That is what stopped me, I didn't want to cause trama to anyone else.  I couldn't do that.

I do have good additional medical coverage through insurance and I believe they pay for semi-private at least if not private.

Thanks again Steve for replying.  I promise I am safe.  It is just often very painful for me and I wish the pain to be silenced.  I guess I hope if I did go to the hospital I might get some quiet in my mind some peace, even if it was just for a little while. 

No one should worry about me interms of suicide, I will be here for the long haul, I promise :friends:


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## Daniel (Nov 7, 2009)

> I find I am fighting bad thoughts so much that when other things happen in my life to cause even the slighest bit of stress I get so overwhelmed.


So you will want to see a therapist on an outpatient basis whether you go to the hospital or not.  When I was at a hospital over a decade ago, the highlight (other than briefly seeing my psychiatrist on most days) was briefly seeing the therapist on an individual basis, but it was just a small fraction of a regular therapy session.  (And some if not most psych hospitals don't ordinarily provide brief, regular visits with a therapist on an individual basis.) 

BTW, one can "window shop" for therapists here:
Find a Therapist - Psychology Today  (includes Canada)



> I guess I hope if I did go to the hospital I might get some quiet in my mind some peace, even if it was just for a little while.


As STP was saying, it's also a great place to feel very bored, no matter how much stuff you bring from home.   (And many if not most people are routinely sent home within 24-72 hours anyway.)

What usually happened was that about halfway during my stay, I really wanted to go home, partly since most of the non-leisure time was spent in group therapy, which wasn't very enlightening.


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## Cat Dancer (Nov 7, 2009)

For me, I was severely self-injuring, suicidal and not eating. I usually end up in there for a few weeks. My therapist and I kind of made the decision together. 

All of the hospitals I've been in have been lockdown type places and I have had to share a room in all but one of them. 

Are you going to talk this over with your doctor? He will be able to help you make the decision. :hug:


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## NicNak (Nov 7, 2009)

Thanks for sharing your experiences  STP and Daniel.   Thank you also for the links Daniel.  I looked them over and saved it to my favorites.  

There are so many to choose from.   I will speak to my doctors to see if they can help me know which type of therapy approach might be best.





Cat Dancer said:


> Are you going to talk this over with your doctor? He will be able to help you make the decision. :hug:



Thanks for sharing your experience too Cat Dancer.  I will speak to my psychiatrist regarding this too.

We often speak about going to the Emergency Department and what will happen there, but we have not discussed in inpatient program of sorts, yet.


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## Daniel (Nov 7, 2009)

> There are so many to choose from.



And, usually, most therapists in an area are not listed there.


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## David Baxter PhD (Nov 7, 2009)

Just catching up with this thread.

The bottom line is that a lot of your questions are purely academic anyway, NN. We have a critical shortage of mental health beds in this province so unless you are an immediate threat to yourself it is highly unlikely that they will admit you. From what I've read here, I highly doubt that they would keep you even overnight.


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