Thank you for sharing. I've spent time in two different facilities due to mania that couldn't have been more different, though my state doesn't have much for mental health placement they tend to ship you out of state or put you in a drug rehab facility. My experience with the police were different each time. First, they cuffed me behind my back and I had to ride in the back of their car for 3 hours like that. The other time, they let me bring a pillow from the hospital and moved at my pace and even let me out for bathroom break during the 5 hour trip and though it was still in the back of the car it was a much better experience. The first hospital the staff was friendly and I made a good friend, the groups were engaging vs forced and we were able to go outside (as a group). We all had rooms to ourselves and I'm not very rich so that was nice and they gave everyone a radio. The second seemed more like a jail. Thin walls, could hear people flushing their toilets and snoring and made it hard to sleep because I didn't want to keep people up with my snore-and sleep is important for recovery. I shared a room with one other and yeah depending how long your stay you can get very different roommates as I did there. They forced people to attend group and the only way we were able to go outside is I told them they were restricting my religious rights to pray outside. They ended any outdoor time the minute any of us started talking to other groups in the yard. Though they had groups based on ideas from my admission (yoga, music) those are the groups they often interrupted for my therapy sessions. My psychiatrist didn't hide his disdain for my mania and how dumb he thought my decisions were and that makes it extremely difficult when you don't feel like anybody is on your team to recover and stabilize. Sorry for the long comment but finding your channel has been a relief honestly, to have someone who has been through similar experiences and mental health roadblocks-it is so important to keep sharing your story keep up the good work and thank you!
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sure it will be insightful to others seeking an understanding as they progress their journey through their mental health. It is really hit and miss. I was also cuffed and put in a back seat of the cop car, but that is protocol I think. 3 hour rides sound intense. It can definitely feel like jail sometimes in psych facilities. I struggled with passing time and not having anything to do. Hope you are in a better place now! Thank you for the comment again.
I have not been able to completely suppress feelings. For me, what helps is getting involved in life as much as I can. So work, socializing, working out, and now creating things for this RU-vid channel. If I am busy, I am less prone to paying attention to the things I experience. Also, medication makes it a bit easier. It sucks to be on meds initially, but once you are past the loading doses and side effects are handled things get easier. Hope this helps! But, you are not alone, I experience that as well. Gets tougher at night when I don't have anything to do, but I play trivia, or learn new things till I sleep. With time it gets easier to deal with it.
How would you reccomend talking to a relative who is experiencing their first admittance to a mental health facility and is having their first episode?
For me psychosis is like any other experience, I have to see it through or it never really stops for me. There are lessons to learn, and adjustments to make in there. Just because it isn't someone else's reality to experience these things, does not mean they aren't real. They are very real to me. I think an approach could be showing them the respect of accepting their truth as a truth and then having a conversation of how to manage to exist in the "real" world while simultaneously attempting to navigate the psychosis. My personal experiences are very spiritual. It seems at times I am under spiritual attacks. I hear voices that I needed to talk to in order to build relationships with them enough to leave me alone. Show them respect, support them in exploring their psychosis safely, and make them understand that you and the professionals are only there to help them not harm them or take away from their experiences. I am managing my medication with a psychiatrist that allows me to make my own choices and recommends me to take meds. they do not force me to take them but suggest it is the best. My therapist listens and develops a plan with me to stay stable. There are many options to exist with psychosis and be productive member of society, but one has to choose to be a part of reality and make an impact they see fit. For me my health, family, and being there to help my loved ones is what motivates me. I have always wanted to do these things since a kid, and I am pursuing them. Maybe finding out their childhood dreams, and helping them achieve them slowly gives a bit of motivation. Sorry for the long reply, there is so much that can be explored here. Hope it helps.
