Advice: How to cope in a psychiatric hospital

by Anonymook

Being put into in-patient care for any mental illness can be hard. As difficult my own experience in a priory hospital was, it was an experience I would never forget as it taught me to love life and help other people with similar difficulties.

I thought it would be helpful to give some tips on how to stay safe, and get well in a psychiatric hospital. They come from my own expieriences in recovering from severe depression. Obviously, these aren’t law binding. They are just what I found helpful.

1. Do not break anything in a hissy fit.

If you are well enough to read this then you are well enough to understand that breaking hospital property is bad, and they will charge.

2. Take part in every opportunity the hospital offers

It’s the quickest way to get better with depression. The more you coax yourself out of your room, and the more you realise there are things to do in life, the quicker you start to realise life isn’t that bad (even if it’s just a baking group!).

3. Do not fake hallucinations for medication

This makes you look like an attention seeker, and the doctors know when you're faking. Solving everything with a tablet gets you nowhere in life.

4. Respect other patients on your ward

Going into their rooms, borrowing their stuff or even questioning them on their mental health is rude and will cause you to end up in a lot of trouble. Everyone is in hospital for a reason, so respect that and mind your own business.

5. If you're upset about something, let staff know

It can prevent you from self harm, suicidal thoughts and total meltdowns. I understand that this is difficult to let someone you barely know inside your head, but it helps. Please trust me on this. Staff will never yell at you, and never judge.

7. It’s OK to be happy

Just because you're diagnosed with depression doesn’t mean by law you must be upset all the time. Neither does it mean that as soon as you smile the hospital will kick you out; it just shows improvement. Try to live in the happy times as long as possible, and don’t feel guilty about it.

More How to guides

• More: How to guides

Mission statement

Mookychick believes that climbing trees and riding giant turtles is more fun and girly than worrying about make-up. But if you want to worry about make-up instead of turtles? Fine by us. Be you feminist, kitten, punk, emo, indie, goth, witch, vegan, horror junky, intellectual, christian goth, corset queen, geek, unicorn, sea monkey... be you into alternative style, alternative health, spirituality, comics, manga, j-pop, harajuku or jock culture... we will always love you.