Advice?? Please?? Voluntary hospital admission.

[Millz]

Hi guys,

I'm a long time follower, first time poster 😊

I haven't been diagnosed with anything yet, but the words severe depression/ anxiety, bipolar, postnatal depression have been thrown out there and are spinning around my head like a dark cloud.

I have a youngster who just turned one. During the pregnancy everything was swell. But when she was first born I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Like there was something wrong. I felt like my child was sick, even though she wasn't. I felt like, why isn't my husband paying as much attention to me as he did previously? I felt like I wasn't doing enough around the house to warrant staying home all day without working. I felt horrible. I felt unwanted. Unneeded.

But then i went to the dpctpron medication, and within a month, it passed.

I don't remember now a lot from that time, only that I painted the whole house top to bottom to keep busy - to keep my mind off those thoughts. Once it was done I think I thought I was cured

[spunkyturtle]

From my experience the private psychiatric hospitals are a lot better and helpful than public, I was admitted and there was daily therapy groups, lots of support and is a safe environment. If that's what you need, do it.

[topsy_]

Hi, I've had lots of admissions to a public psychiatric hospital & the care there was great. I always found that by agreeing to be a voluntary patient I had more say in my treatment than a non-voluntary patient. This especially seemed to be good when it came to me feeling better & wanting to go home. I wasn't trapped in a cycle of treatment that someone else had decided I would have x number of times.

I hope that helps a little, Lyn.

[Millz]

When I was typing this last night, my phone wasn't in the mood to cooperate and posted prematurely. I had more to say, but I think you guys get the picture 🙂

I've been having good days and bad, and when the bad strike they seem to get worse each time. I've looked into private health retreats, but my doctor and counselor both say it's just a bandaid solution - That if I'm going to do anything, i should go into hospital. My fear is that I'll come back and everything will be the same, or I'll slip back into this hole.

My other fear is the cost. I don't have private health, and everyone is telling me that to admit myself to our private hospital it will be very expensive. I'm fortunate enough that we can probably afford it, but I just can't justify spending that sort of money purely on myself, when i feel like i could/should just get better if i tried. I'd spend the money if i had reassurance that it will fix me.

I don't know... I'm rambling. Sorry. I just want to be myself again. I'm scared this is the new me and I hate it. I can't eat. I can't sleep. I just feel like I need to get away and go somewhere to get better.

Thanks for your replies:)

[Ben1]

Hi Millz,

I have a few things to say about your situation, especially when you say:

Sorry. I just want to be myself again. I'm scared this is the new me and I hate it. I can't eat. I can't sleep.

When you are in a position like this, and really believe that an admission will be helpful, I would highly recommend it. Admission isn't an instant fix, but can help you get focused therapy and medication tailored to your needs.

Furthermore, admission can help you understand what's going on much faster than in weekly sessions with a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Also, I would like to say that I have been in both private and public psych wards and have received great care in both. I hope you can get the treatment and happiness you deserve.

All the best,
Ben

[geoff]

hi Millz, I think what your doctor and counsellor mean by saying 'it's just a bandaid solution' is that once you are in hoapital private/public is that you may feel much better when you're in there, but as soon as you come out there could be a chance that you will go back to how you felt before going into hospital, and this also happens when someone goes into rehab for alcohol or drugs as soon as they come out they will meet up with mates and once again it all starts over.
By going to an expensive hospital certainly doesn't mean they are the best, and to confirm this is that I was told that the top psychistrist in Vic would be looking after me in a private clinic and then afterwards as well, he was terrible and finally told him that I don't want to see him anymore, so to assume that the most expensive is always the best is wrong.
In hospital you will learn on how to cope with situations and once you're out to keep those plans in mind, but it's never that easy, unless we are strong enough to remember all the points and not be swayed out by your friends or circumstances who just want to test you.
While your in a private clinic you will have daily therapy, group talk discussions and able to talk with other people you get to like, there are no phones ringing, people knocking on doors or any other activity which could make you feel worse off, in other words you are secluded from the outside, and that's what is so good, but then you have to come out and face the world again at some stage,and rthat's where the real test comes inti it. Geoff.

[tweetheart]

Millz

I would recommend taking private health insurance, you will need to serve a 2 month waiting period to access psychiatric services if your condition is preexisting then you are covered for admission to a private hospital. Otherwise if you self insure your admission you would be looking at up to $1000 per day plus outpatient expenses. I can tell you spending seven weeks in a private clinic allowed me to recover. You receive one on one time, your treating psychiatrist will meet with you daily and monitor your meds, there's inpatient programs and oupatient support too.

[Cornstarch]

I think both systems are failing people.

My sister and I called the 24/7 national mental health line on a long weekend to be told after waiting for 30 minutes on hold, that 'most of the doctors are away'.

All they did then was look up the hospital info an recommend what one you present to.

I have private health insurance but I couldn't access any doctors in a private facility on a long weekend.

The irony is that there are fantastic doctors in the public system. And it can open doors, or should I say it can open their closed books to you if they take pity on you.

The system is terrible and traumatic.

My sister is writing a letter.

[check-in_chick]

Hi Millz,

sorry to hear that you are having a rough time right now. Whether an admission is right for you and your situation is probably something you need to discuss more with your medical support team, but I can share my experience and hope that helps.

I resisted a hospital admission for a long time. I couldn't see how I could take time out of my life to spend getting better. Sounds crazy now a couple of years later.

I was very scared on my first day but ultimately I found my admissions as a voluntary patient in a private clinic/hospital to be extremely helpful. I felt very safe there, and I was able to see my psychiatrist 3 times a week and have my medication monitored and adjusted. The in patient programs and then follow up outpatient programs taught me many skills that I've been able to apply to my life and my mental health has improved dramatically. I also spent time in a public hospital, but as it was more for crisis care, there was no psychological treatment as such, just a safe place to be for a while.

Hope that helps.