Anyone been on a psych ward?

[[le...]]

I am wondering if I should admit myself onto psych ward. My mental problems mainly caused by anti depressants, also years of emotional abuse from my toxic family, Do you get any sort therapy as after 3 years still pretty bad. Also do they make you take drugs against your will. The anti depressants were hell, dud try me on short  dose anti psychotics made things worse,so don’t want be forced onto yet more meds. Mental health help virtually non existent here, just feel never going get past this. So any experiences please share.

[[Fi...]]

Hey leann, I was committed when I was initially cut cold turkey from Ativan back in 2018. I didn't have any idea what was wrong with me, I had been awake for 5 days straight and I was harmful to myself at that point with the intense akathisia and other symptoms.

 

It was not a very good experience if I'm being entirely honest, and kind of traumatic, but it was my only option in my mind at the time.

 

You'll be taken in, processed, all your stuff will be taken from you and you'll meet with the psych. They put me back on Ativan and started a short taper which was unsuccessful but that's my story. They will definitely drug you, there's no escaping that. Being committed is considered an emergency situation and they'll try to 'stabilize' you with drugs. Most people were given antidepressants, antipsychotics and the rare benzo here and there. I was given Ativan, trazadone, and Ambien to force me to sleep. They will drug you until 'the problem goes away'

 

Everything was very scheduled and regimented. You will be forced to sleep, eat, and overall exist on one schedule with everybody else. They'll often have some kinds of group therapies, etc that you'll be expected to partake in. Be prepared to be there for at the very least 5-7 days before they'll even consider releasing you. 

 

There was a lot of neglect in the place I was in. I was out of my mind in benzo withdrawal but I was one of the most of sound minds there. Be ready to see some hard things. Intense mental illness is tragic to witness people going through, traumatic even. 

 

If it's what you need to do to survive, that's for you to decide but it was a very tense experience I've tried to forget but never will. I probably needed it to eventually get off the shit successfully but I wish I could have left the moment it was realized it was benzo withdrawal.

 

Anyway, I hope that helps somewhat. Wishing you the best.

[[pe...]]

I admitted myself to a psyche ward and actually had a great experience. They did put me on new meds, but my psychiatrist was so experienced that he knew exactly what buttons to hit. One big thing he did was put me on perphenazine which is a typical antipsychotic. I can't take popular antipsychotics because they are of the A-typical kind and it makes my Hallucinogenic Persisiting Perception Disorder much worse. This Dr also put me on 3mg of klonopin which was at the time very necessary. I was suicidal and had very bad symptoms from the HPPD. The one failing is that he didn't explain to me that this was a high dose. I didn't know that until I was out of the hospital and back at my regular practice and they wanted to ween me down but I didn't want to. I'd you feel like you really need help I would suggest admitting yourself. I put myself into the hands of God and I was saved but now I am suffering again from a too rapid taper. Idk if this helps but I have had success in the psyche ward. I even wrote a novella about my experience. 

[[Gl...]]

I've been to the psych ward a couple of times, and a crisis center another time.  One time I checked myself in, and the other time the ambulance took me.  My family set me up at a crisis center in Vegas.  I had a good experience and actually had fun and laughed a lot.  Going there saved my life.  Actually, God saved my life by means of them.  I had no idea at the time that my issues were benzo related, and it still took a long while to realize that.  

@[le...] I'm sorry, I didn't even see this was your post.  They did make us take meds there, but I didn't try to refuse them, so I'm not sure if they really forced them.  You could call ahead and see (maybe?).  I don't know whether I would advise you to go or not.  It saved my life, and I'm so grateful, so if it would save your life, I would absolutely go.  They had us talk to a therapist, but it was minimal.  Mainly they are there to save your life, it seems.  I'm happy to talk to you about it if you msg me.  I genuinely hope things get better for you.🤗 I'm absolutley here for you if you want.

[[le...]]

Thanks guys in hindsight think maybe not the answer. Was going through a meltdown when I posted this. To be honest withdrawal from zopiclone wasn’t too bad, it was adding the anti depressants when all hell let loose, so more meds not answer for me. Also can’t afford a private clinic, and news full of horror stories of NHS psych wards, think due to lack of staff, cuts not great places. Appreciate your replies. What I really need is therapy as lot my problems due to toxic family treating me like s**t over long period.

[[Be...]]

4 hours ago, [[l...] said:

Thanks guys in hindsight think maybe not the answer. Was going through a meltdown when I posted this. To be honest withdrawal from zopiclone wasn’t too bad, it was adding the anti depressants when all hell let loose, so more meds not answer for me. Also can’t afford a private clinic, and news full of horror stories of NHS psych wards, think due to lack of staff, cuts not great places. Appreciate your replies. What I really need is therapy as lot my problems due to toxic family treating me like s**t over long period.

True Lean all we need is therapy...I was also tempted recently to go the med route again but figured it's the devil whispering again...I acknowledge psyche meds help some and save lives but not Bexlan..Infact meds caused all the problems...    Used Prozac in the first months off,only messed me up...

[[Ca...]]

Yes, 4 times if I recall, in the last 15 years. 7 yrs this month off Klonopin, 30 day rapid detox. So I've had history of issues, prior to that. But the Benzo ordeal seemed to scale up existing issues. Has been a nightmare straight through it. Feel like I've got butterflies in my stomach, all the time, like I'm heading for trouble. Goes away though, when I go to sleep, I dream quite a different story, where I feel at ease, able to feel positive emotions. So I figure I'm still there somewhere I just can't access at the moment, or could last 7 yrs. It's so exhausting.

[[le...]]

6 hours ago, [[B...] said:

True Lean all we need is therapy...I was also tempted recently to go the med route again but figured it's the devil whispering again...I acknowledge psyche meds help some and save lives but not Bexlan..Infact meds caused all the problems...    Used Prozac in the first months off,only messed me up...

If I could find a med to help would take it. Tried several different anti depressants made my symptoms lot worse. Did try anti psychotics briefly again lot worse. Think if you are bi polar or schizophrenic they undoubtably do help but I’m not, Just not willing to keep trying cocktail different meds. Mental symptoms so hard . Wish it was truly OCD then exposure therapy might helped. Can start day OK, then like someone flicks a switch and crazy thoughts start. Do get some variation in days so guess that something today crappy day😩

[[Es...]]

I was four times in a psych ward. One time was admitted against my will in Feb. 2016. They CTed my Ambien and substantially tapered my diazepam dose. I was considered suicidal. I actually wasn't, but Mother made it look like I was. They wanted to give me seizure meds, but I refused. I think they quickly realized I wasn't suicidal so didn't push any meds on me. The conditions were appalling. I survived thanks to fellow prisoners there. Got very invested into helping several people I really liked.

My one and only goal was to get to my Kitty as soon as possible. It turns out she wasn't eating at all while I was gone. @[le...] sorry you've got a toxic family. Which family members, may I ask? I also got a toxic family. Toxic parents. High-functioning and very manipulative, especially Mother. Father just does whatever she wants. This was the reason I fell sick at age 14 and landed on BZD at age 20.

[[le...]]

Was my mother and sister, Never felt I was good enough. Sister emigrated to oz 20 odd years ago, I did everything for my Mum, they secretly changed her will 3 years before she died,cur me out sister got everything,  not sure will ever recover from it Think the zop kept things under control during years emotional abuse. Just wish there was somewhere I could go to get it out my head. Meds aren’t the answer just all seems to have erupted the last few days.Not psychosis so psych ward not right place for me.

[[or...]]

On 23/07/2023 at 02:18, [[F...] said:

Hey leann, I was committed when I was initially cut cold turkey from Ativan back in 2018. I didn't have any idea what was wrong with me, I had been awake for 5 days straight and I was harmful to myself at that point with the intense akathisia and other symptoms.

It was not a very good experience if I'm being entirely honest, and kind of traumatic, but it was my only option in my mind at the time.

You'll be taken in, processed, all your stuff will be taken from you and you'll meet with the psych. They put me back on Ativan and started a short taper which was unsuccessful but that's my story. They will definitely drug you, there's no escaping that. Being committed is considered an emergency situation and they'll try to 'stabilize' you with drugs. Most people were given antidepressants, antipsychotics and the rare benzo here and there. I was given Ativan, trazadone, and Ambien to force me to sleep. They will drug you until 'the problem goes away'

Everything was very scheduled and regimented. You will be forced to sleep, eat, and overall exist on one schedule with everybody else. They'll often have some kinds of group therapies, etc that you'll be expected to partake in. Be prepared to be there for at the very least 5-7 days before they'll even consider releasing you. 

There was a lot of neglect in the place I was in. I was out of my mind in benzo withdrawal but I was one of the most of sound minds there. Be ready to see some hard things. Intense mental illness is tragic to witness people going through, traumatic even. 

If it's what you need to do to survive, that's for you to decide but it was a very tense experience I've tried to forget but never will. I probably needed it to eventually get off the shit successfully but I wish I could have left the moment it was realized it was benzo withdrawal.

Anyway, I hope that helps somewhat. Wishing you the best.

I'm not glad you had to go through this, but it's wonderful you have the story to share with others.  Just what I've read about Benzo WD, especially from the Ashton videos that were easier for me in when I started 5 months ago, to handle just listening the Dr. Heather.  I remember always her saying that she's found it is usually best if the person can decide their own taper.  I've found the true of me, and am very fortunate my doc was compliant, although he really hardly believes the progress I've made, both with first overcoming T2 Diabetes with nutrition only, and now tapering at my own pace.  I realize he allows it most likely because I'm on just 1 mg, but for whatever reason, and thanks to guidance from BB Folks, I have found my way so far for 5 months. DenisePS Thank you so much