![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ItsJustMe on January 16, 2001, at 1:17:30
I am feeling so low lately, and am desperate for help. I'm not suicidal. Would hospitalization be an option if I'm not suicidal?
I have tried 3 or 4 anti-depressants and am in therapy. I just want to stop hurting.
What is hospitalization like?
Posted by julesvox on January 16, 2001, at 9:24:27
In reply to What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by ItsJustMe on January 16, 2001, at 1:17:30
even if you're not suicidal, hospitalization can give you a space to heal. you can ask your therapist for recommendations. try to find a hospital with a good nurse/doctor-patient ratio so you get lots of personal care. i was in the hospital for suicidal ideation and found it to be one of the most healing experiences of my life. there were people there who weren't suicidal but were still in a lot of pain. it gave me a chance to take a break from everything and just be responsible for talking to my new pdoc and having my feelings. good luck. julesvox
Posted by Noa on January 16, 2001, at 15:06:47
In reply to Re: What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by julesvox on January 16, 2001, at 9:24:27
I think it often depends on what kind of insurance coverage you have--
--can you choose the hospital?
--does the insurance dictate the goals of hospitalization?
--does the insurance restrict access to hospitalization only to those who are at immediate risk of suicide?
--does the insurance dictate length of stay on the basis of cost and not on the basis of medical recommendations?
These things can influence what the hospitalization experience is like. With severe insurance restrictions, hospitalization can feel like a waste of time unless the patient really needs to be kept safe for a few days.
At the other end, hospitalization can be monumentally important in helping the treatment process--whether it is medication eval, or comprehensive healing environment, etc.
Probably, many of us have insurance that provides access to something not quite at either end of the spectrum.
Someone here once recommended doing the research about hospitalization just to have the info available in case it is needed. Find out what your insurance would cover, get familiar with the hospitals, meet with personell, ask questions about the treatment options, etc.
Posted by NikkiT2 on January 16, 2001, at 15:18:32
In reply to What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by ItsJustMe on January 16, 2001, at 1:17:30
I don't know what hospitalisation is like, but they do hospitalise (in the uk at least) even if you're not suicidal.
I am, as my pdoc puts it, "resistant to therapy" at the moment, and he is looking at hospitalising me in a bid to get me better. This won't be for another two months, but he has started the wheels in motion, in the event this does happen.
N
Posted by Christina on January 16, 2001, at 15:35:54
In reply to Re: What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by NikkiT2 on January 16, 2001, at 15:18:32
I was hospitalized for suicidal ideation several years ago, and I don't think it helped because they didn't try medication.. just therapy and it was really meds that I needed.. and eventually received.
While I was there I was in group therapy with people who had very traumatic lives, and while the therapy didn't help me, I think I provided support to others in the group.
I have one negative recurring thought from my experience. For recreational therapy we painted ceramics, and now everytime I hear a radio ad for a ceramics class, I cringe. I think why would any one willingly do that?I made this horrible vase. It was so ugly and pathetic, but it's a great representation of that whole era of my life!
I strongly agree with checking out hospitals before you decide to check in, and be sure your insurance will cover it. Mine ended up not covering it, and it cost my parents several thousand dollars (even 15 years ago).
Sometimes I think I would like to go back in... just for the safety of it and to "get away from it all." But then I realize, my family would miss me, my job wouldn't get done, the dog probably would not get fed, and my plants would die. So I just go eat chocolate and feel better for five minutes.
Posted by ItsJustMe on January 16, 2001, at 21:38:14
In reply to What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by ItsJustMe on January 16, 2001, at 1:17:30
I have no insurance.
I live in a small town and would be going to the town's only hospital (the "mental" ward), relying on charity care.
Posted by S. Howard on January 16, 2001, at 21:45:39
In reply to Re: What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by Christina on January 16, 2001, at 15:35:54
Haha, the thing about the ceramics reminded me of "hairdryer girl". My first day on the ward, I was standing in the hallway teary-eyed and spooked as hell. There was a girl with wet hair doing the "thorazine shuffle" up and down the hall. She would stop and say to me, "You know, they don't let you have hairdryers in here," and then she wandered off. A few minutes later she was back and she goes, "Do YOU have a hairdryer?" and I said, no I don't have a hairdryer. So she shuffled off for awhile, then she was back. She sidles up to me and goes, "You know, they don't let you have hairdryers in here. Do YOU have a hairdryer?" I said no I don't have a hairdryer. Then she leaves and sure enough, 5 minutes later she was back. She says, "You know..." and I said, "I know, I know. I can't have a hairdryer in here." So she left and then she came BACK. I said, "I don't have a hairdryer!!" I was thinking, my God, what have I gotten myself into?After the first day, I started to calm down some and it wasn't so bad. I had been suffering from terrible insomnia and they gave me something to sleep. I said, "I'll tell you right now, these pills don't work for..." wham, I was out cold. It was beautiful, marvelous to finally get a good night's sleep. I saw the doctor the next day and she put me on some medication for my anxiety, and to help me sleep. I started feeling better almost right away.
After a few days, I almost felt like I was on vacation. You don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning or going to work or anything. There were "classes" to go to, but they weren't a big deal. Sometimes we cried and sometimes we joked around. It was interesting to see the kind of people who were there with me. One woman was a Fortune 500 company executive - she cried a lot and carried her teddy bear with her everywhere.
There was an RN addicted to percocet and a medical student addicted to heroin. I sat up with her one night and held her hand while she was
de-toxing (they gave her something that was supposed to suck all the heroin out of her body at one time - to cut down on withdrawal symptoms -but she was still in pretty bad shape).After a week I felt like I was pretty much at home! I wasn't sure I wanted to leave. I had all these friends, I had all these people to wait on me and to listen to my problems. When not in class or with the doctor, we spent the day eating, smoking, playing cards, watching TV, talking to each other. It was set up to be pretty much as stress-free as possible. And I was sleeping, I was sleeping! Blessed relief.
I hope you go to the hospital if you feel that you should and I hope it's a good experience for you. Like I said, it was a little spooky at first,
but I'm glad that I went. I was in pretty bad shape when I got there, but I had a doctor and future appointments and medication and new friends when I got out.Good luck,
Gracie
Posted by danf on January 19, 2001, at 9:02:01
In reply to Re: What is hospitalization for depression like?, posted by ItsJustMe on January 16, 2001, at 21:38:14
Going into a hospital is not magical..
The hospital setting is to provide something not available in the home... often it is protection from ourselves... or when we are unable to take care of ourselves.... then meds & therapy are used to help us improve.. to the point where we can safly return to the world....
meds don't work faster or better in a hospital..
sometimes a better diagnosis can be made because more patient observation... & more appropriate meds can be used for the disorder...
this should be discussed at length with your treating doctor.
Posted by judy1 on January 19, 2001, at 17:30:59
In reply to Re: hospitalization , posted by danf on January 19, 2001, at 9:02:01
Actually I just had this conversation with my pdoc recently, he thinks I'm a tad manic or "right nutter"- Thank you Nikki!!!!- I am totally driving everyone nutter using that expression. Anyway he said it used to be considered a therapeutic milieu- but through insurance regs there is no way for someone to have enough time to make an effective change in their mood/meds. If you are suicidal or psychotic then I guess you need to be removed from society for your own safety. (although I do psychotic very well) Just my not so humble opinion- Judy
Posted by quilter on January 19, 2001, at 23:49:04
In reply to Re: hospitalization , posted by danf on January 19, 2001, at 9:02:01
Actually hospitalization can speed up the rate at which meds can be titrated upwards and/or allow more risky combinations to be tried because side effects or adverse reactions can be monitored and treated if necessary. You are correct in all other regards.
Quilter> Going into a hospital is not magical..
>
> The hospital setting is to provide something not available in the home... often it is protection from ourselves... or when we are unable to take care of ourselves.... then meds & therapy are used to help us improve.. to the point where we can safly return to the world....
>
> meds don't work faster or better in a hospital..
>
> sometimes a better diagnosis can be made because more patient observation... & more appropriate meds can be used for the disorder...
>
> this should be discussed at length with your treating doctor.
Posted by CarolynAnn on January 24, 2001, at 19:56:29
In reply to Re: hospitalization , posted by danf on January 19, 2001, at 9:02:01
>I loved your post! Your hospital experience was so similar to my own. Actually I was in three times, but don't remember much about #2 as I had ECT on that trip. But I do remember it as overall a good experience, and I made one very good friend with whom I stayed in touch for several years. I made a stained glass parrot. It was bad. I have a friend who expressed my sentiments about the required crafts very well..."I don't even like to do this stuff when I feel good, WHY would I want to do it when I'm feeling depressed?" Cheers!
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.