Having myself committed
- Thread starter ljwwriter
- Start date
Danfalc
Banned
ljwwriter said:My Dad keeps pressuring me to call some mental hospital and possibly have myself committed because of my social anxiety. How am I supposed to respond to this? At this point I'm terribly lost.
How do you feel about it?Thats the most important thing... if you feel it would help maybe its worth a go.My mum was in and out of hospital for over 2 years in all.. she had a complete breakdown tho and was a danger to herself and me and my Dad.
But all they did was dope her up and shove her in a room full of other people with various problems.People were fighting my mum had all her stuff nicked :? And even tho she was suicidal and ment to be constantly supervised (she couldnt go to the toilet without a member of staff).She managed to run off and get home to take an o.d :? The staff spoke to everyone like they were kids... it just wasnt a nice place at all.
Im thinking of getting myself sectioned because at the moment i cant cope... but i would really only consider it as a last option sorta thing.Is your Dad just worried about you? Or does he just not understand what your going through?Because if hes advising hospital cos hes scared for your saftey i can understand.But going in to try and treat anxiety will probaly make things worse... cos its kinda like jail in a way specialy if ya sectioned,its not a nice enviroment to be in at all.
ljwwriter
Well-known member
I personally don't think it's a good idea myself. I've actually been to the hospital twice, and each time I came out wondering, quite honestly, just how many other people go home and take their lives after such a prison-like, and rather demeaning experience.
My experience was much like your Mum's, although I wasn't in the hospital long. While I was there, however, I spent most of my time alone as other people with various problems walked about, waiting for the hospital staff to give them their next dose of whatever the doctor saw fit. Sometimes this monotony was broken up by random people taking you into rooms and making you undress completely to make sure you didn't have anything you could harm yourself with. Or people's families would visit and smile their fake smiles as their institutionalized relatives sat there in a drugged up haze claiming that things would be different when they came home. Or sometimes people would even get angry and cause a commotion that left the whole place imbalanced and reminded me that I was indeed surrounded by at least a few people who were severely mentally ill.
There were group sessions but they were more comparable to alcoholic anonymous meetings than anything else, and I found it hard to relate to anyone.
My Dad doesn't want me to go to the hospital for my safety, but to help me get over my anxiety so that I can function in the outside world. But I know that going to one of those places again won't help me. He won't listen, though. He's convinced that me being committed to such a place is the only real solution to my problems. But because these places don't even come close to specializing in treating people with social anxiety I know it'd be a waste of time and money. I'd be ignored and my condition would be trivialized just as it had been in the past. I suppose I'd have to add alcoholism or drug-addiction to be worthy of people's attention.
During one of my short stays in the hospital I had to be in a group with about 6 or 7 other young people and we sat in this cramped, hot room with two counselors. One of them was a pregnant woman who seemed to have a rather cold personality. The way she would eye us made it so uncomfortable for me. At one point I broke out in a cold sweat and was a nervous wreck, but no one else in the room understood what I was going through in the least. One guy, a relapsing drug-addicted teenager, even voiced his opinion about how pointless the group was because we were all going through different things and he didn't understand my anxiety because the rest of them had never experienced it. We were just a group of people with various ailments sitting in a room struggling to express our feelings towards one another until the doctor said we could return to our normal lives. The whole experience sent my faith in the mental health system down the tube, although I went to therapy a lot afterwards.
You're right about being sectioned being like jail. It is very similar. In fact, the last time I went to the hospital I forced to ride in the back of a police car. If anything, going to the hospital probably made things worse.
My experience was much like your Mum's, although I wasn't in the hospital long. While I was there, however, I spent most of my time alone as other people with various problems walked about, waiting for the hospital staff to give them their next dose of whatever the doctor saw fit. Sometimes this monotony was broken up by random people taking you into rooms and making you undress completely to make sure you didn't have anything you could harm yourself with. Or people's families would visit and smile their fake smiles as their institutionalized relatives sat there in a drugged up haze claiming that things would be different when they came home. Or sometimes people would even get angry and cause a commotion that left the whole place imbalanced and reminded me that I was indeed surrounded by at least a few people who were severely mentally ill.
There were group sessions but they were more comparable to alcoholic anonymous meetings than anything else, and I found it hard to relate to anyone.
My Dad doesn't want me to go to the hospital for my safety, but to help me get over my anxiety so that I can function in the outside world. But I know that going to one of those places again won't help me. He won't listen, though. He's convinced that me being committed to such a place is the only real solution to my problems. But because these places don't even come close to specializing in treating people with social anxiety I know it'd be a waste of time and money. I'd be ignored and my condition would be trivialized just as it had been in the past. I suppose I'd have to add alcoholism or drug-addiction to be worthy of people's attention.
During one of my short stays in the hospital I had to be in a group with about 6 or 7 other young people and we sat in this cramped, hot room with two counselors. One of them was a pregnant woman who seemed to have a rather cold personality. The way she would eye us made it so uncomfortable for me. At one point I broke out in a cold sweat and was a nervous wreck, but no one else in the room understood what I was going through in the least. One guy, a relapsing drug-addicted teenager, even voiced his opinion about how pointless the group was because we were all going through different things and he didn't understand my anxiety because the rest of them had never experienced it. We were just a group of people with various ailments sitting in a room struggling to express our feelings towards one another until the doctor said we could return to our normal lives. The whole experience sent my faith in the mental health system down the tube, although I went to therapy a lot afterwards.
You're right about being sectioned being like jail. It is very similar. In fact, the last time I went to the hospital I forced to ride in the back of a police car. If anything, going to the hospital probably made things worse.
Danfalc
Banned
Nah hospital isnt really good in most cases,specialy in the uk... they seem little more than a dumping ground.You dont get cared for properly as youve pointed out :? Sometimes you can be in there for 3 weeks before they even start trying to get to the bottom of your problems and even then ya just get meds thrown at you :? Its not because you have anxiety... it wouldnt matter if you had a drug related problem... they treat everyone just as shit.The health service in this country is a joke.In fact i use to have a drug problem and all they do is throw that in your face to cover there own arses when there not doing there job properly.
Anyway shit sorry im getting off track and ranting.Im sorry your Dad doesnt understand.Your parents are the few people you should always be able to depend on for understanding and support.But sadly it aint always the case My Dad didnt understand either... he suffered from post dramatic stress disorder.. and when i had my break down and couldnt go out ect... he use to shout at me and shit for being in all the time and id say... (i didnt know what was up wid me at the time) that i was ill and just couldnt cope being around people.And id get from him "well im ill and i can still go out" even tho the pub was the only place he went lol.
I know its hard... but you need to stand up to your Dad because if he keeps doing stuff like this it could make you worse :? If you cant get him to understand.. maybe you should think about moving out?
Anyway shit sorry im getting off track and ranting.Im sorry your Dad doesnt understand.Your parents are the few people you should always be able to depend on for understanding and support.But sadly it aint always the case
My Dad didnt understand either... he suffered from post dramatic stress disorder.. and when i had my break down and couldnt go out ect... he use to shout at me and shit for being in all the time and id say... (i didnt know what was up wid me at the time) that i was ill and just couldnt cope being around people.And id get from him "well im ill and i can still go out" even tho the pub was the only place he went lol.I know its hard... but you need to stand up to your Dad because if he keeps doing stuff like this it could make you worse :? If you cant get him to understand.. maybe you should think about moving out?
ljwwriter
Well-known member
Danfalc said:Nah hospital isnt really good in most cases,specialy in the uk... they seem little more than a dumping ground.You dont get cared for properly as youve pointed out :? Sometimes you can be in there for 3 weeks before they even start trying to get to the bottom of your problems and even then ya just get meds thrown at you :? Its not because you have anxiety... it wouldnt matter if you had a drug related problem... they treat everyone just as shit.The health service in this country is a joke.In fact i use to have a drug problem and all they do is throw that in your face to cover there own arses when there not doing there job properly.
Anyway shit sorry im getting off track and ranting.Im sorry your Dad doesnt understand.Your parents are the few people you should always be able to depend on for understanding and support.But sadly it aint always the case
I know its hard... but you need to stand up to your Dad because if he keeps doing stuff like this it could make you worse :? If you cant get him to understand.. maybe you should think about moving out?
It looks like moving out will end up being the way to go.
Danfalc
Banned
ljwwriter said:
Well if that does turn out to be the case,if you ever need any advice hit me up.Ive been in and out of housing systems and youth hostels and have had to fight for years to get the benefits,help and stuff im entitled to so i know it like the back of my hand now.
Hope it doesnt come to that tho and ya dad learns to understand.