To ask about psychiatric wards. **title edited by MNHQ**

[Nerdygalwithabook]

Has anyone got any advice or experience of staying in a respite centre or a mental health or psychiatric ward? Hopefully not too bad things! Like do you share rooms? Is it really dreadful? Are the nurses nice? What do you do? Do you sit in your room at all times? Etc
Thank you xx

I have. It was fine, really! Nurses were lovely. Food was awful. Mornings were for seeing the doctor and doing crafts (surprisingly fun). Afternoons were slow and evenings were when visitors came. You got your own room when you arrived and after that you have to be very unwell to get one. Obviously it isn't the place anyone wants to be but if you're unwell enough to be hospitalised, you're probably not going to be bothered by the things that might get to someone who was well.

I've been inpatient twice.

where I am there are separate rooms (the old hospital with ward bays was shut down and the new unit is much better) with en-suite bathrooms. room doors were card entry so nobody but staff could come into your room. the bathroom doors were open top and bottom so you could be watched if on obs. the bedroom door had a window with slats (that you couldn't close) so staff could do night checks.

no safety razors, no phone chargers and no lighters/matches permitted. phones were charged down in the locked property room and razors only given back for showers.

meds at breakfast, after lunch and bedtime. diazepam etc as needed if you were written up for it PRN. smoking permitted in the (secure) garden. the food was really good. tea trolley was the highlight of the day as it only came out every couple of hours.

where I was there was no therapy at all. tv was on permanently - the 'welcome' pack said it would be off during the day but this never happened. there were board games and cards etc but I was too zonked on meds to get to grips with them!

the people were mostly lovely once I settled in. it was very scary to begin with but I ended up being ok wth being there - I was in for a month the first time and a week the next time.

the problem is that with no funding, psychiatric units are just warehousing rather than therapeutic. lots of bank staff especially at night - with no motivation to do anything but light our cigarettes and watch telly with us. day staff had so much paperwork it was ridiculous.

if I needed to go back I wouldn't hesitate. just being away from the pressure of my life for a bit was really helpful. it meant I could start new medication under observation, rather than potentially struggling at home with only visits from the Crisis Team. additionally, my husband at the time was a prick, and it was a relief to be believed and supported through what was a complete breakdown. I'm still not back to work etc some 4 years later. I am however divorced from the XH so silver linings and that!

honestly - it was mostly boring with occasional flare-ups and fights. I didn't want to leave the first time I was in.

I hope you're doing ok, OP. it's not as scary as movies and the media would have you think.

Single rooms in both hospitals I was in.

Not much activity provision in the NHS ward, they did card making and other stuff but no therapy or anything.

I mostly sat in the reading room with a pile of books which was fine!

Private was totally different, therapy groups all day every day, tv in your bedroom (although encouraged to sit in lounge to socialise).

Thank you for all your advice and experiences!
I think one of the things that worrys me as well is not being able o charge my phone next to me at night etc, I listen to meditation apps on it etc and it often keeps me calm when having a panic attack. :(

One of the nurses here may be able to advise - but my first thought is why not buy a power pack? Charge it at the same time as you charge your phone, then you should be able to use it to power the phone at night.

Mind you, I was told off for using my phone at night! Quite right, too but it might be different if you're using meditation apps.

The other thing, of course, is you can get support when you have a panic attack! It's an advantage of being in the loony bin - people who care about you and know what they're doing.

I have a power pack but it isn't very good. I would need a new one but I'm broke lol. Maybe if I explain they would allow it?

I was allowed my charger in my room in NHS. It honestly depends on the risk assessment. You are expected to be totally honest, but clearly when suicidal that is damn hard.

I guess so. Oh man

OP, I've worked for a number of providers and seen a variety in both public and private sectors. It all depends on the trust and the nature of the admission. If it's an eating disorder and you live in Central London, you may end up on a specialist unit with people in a similar position as yourself.

Among the better trusts, you WILL be on a single sex ward, and you will more likely than not get a private room. Despite appearances, unless you're very, very unwell and a danger to yourself or others, you won't be locked in; you can discharge yourself at any time, depending on whether you're 'sectioned' or not (and the status of the section).

If in a modern ward (most of them these days), you'll have an en suite bathroom. Staff are sympathetic and work hard to make patients feel safe and comfortable, often running film nights/takeaway nights etc to keep people stimulated.

As another poster said, they're nothing like the films, and really nothing to dread.

Thank you. I may as well say I would be going in for suicidal thoughts, being off my head a bit with severe anxiety. I hope I would be in a nice ward x

We all had our own phones and ipods with us, charged them quietly at night. If you are suicidal, they do go through your belongings and take everything away, but it is based on your level of risk. Didn't happen often.

Yes, a couple of times. But only for an eating disorder. I imagine it's a fairly different experience to a general/high security ward.

I had a phone charger. I had my own room. It was all very comfortable.

But it's never going to be one of the high points of your life is it!

Oh, sorry, posted too soon -

nurses were a mixture. Some lovely, some (seemed) awful (but were just doing their job).

Had some groups, some therapy, meals and snacks seemed to take most of the day at times. Weigh ins. People could visit at most times if you were cooperating and had advance notice. Hanging out with other patients was cool (but I was young - 16 and 20 - wouldn't enjoy the 'social scene' so much now!)

For anxiety and that I wouldn't be in the secure ward would I? I haven't actually tried to take my own life

OP I wonder if it might be worth you phoning the facility you are going to, explaining that you are really anxious and asking if they can tell you a little bit about the place - I think you are making yourself even more anxious by hearing everyone else's experiences which, as you've seen, are all very different
They might even be open to you going and having a look beforehand

Where I was there were different levels of security. The ward itself on NHS was locked and you had to be signed in and out to smoke etc. The high security ward was very different. If I can help at all, please PM me.

I don't know where I would be going get :(

Private I was allowed my charger, razors, craft scalpel, knitting needles... All manner of things I could have done harm with.

NHS they even removed clothing that could be used - leggings etc. Phones were charged in the nurses office as required.

Ask your CPN to take you around the ward first, it will hopefully answer most of your queries. You may be asked to charge your phone in the nurses office, but it's doubtful it would be removed from you. Ideally though leave it in your room if you're socialising in communal areas,as other patients may get worried you are filming them etc.....everyone is trying to manage their own problems. Good luck

I wonder whose bright idea it was to have mixed psychiatric wards? It just seems to have the potential of additional problems.

I was allowed a charger. NHS ward, btw. Charged my phone overnight, no problem.

No, you will not be admitted to a secure ward unless you pose a pretty sizable risk to others.

Ask whoever has suggested hospital to you about the phone charger. You would be ok to keep it on our ward unless there was a reason to think it was dangerous for you (ie you're having strong thoughts of harming yourself with it).

The most recent Code of Practice to the mental health act had some very clear direction around restrictive practice - it says ward's must not have blanket rules about what people can or cannot have but must decide as relevant to the individual. Admittedly it is taking some trusts longer to comply with this than others.

I worked in an acute psychiatric ward. It was high security and also one of the loveliest places I worked. I'm not medical, so quite often had no idea about why someone was in, though I had access to all the notes. 20 patients on the ward, some sharing, some in own room. Some were encouraged to get involved in activities, whether group or on their own.

When I was new I had difficultly telling the staff and patients apart as there was a no uniform policy.

There were 2 babies in the ward, there with their inpatient mums.

You guys have actually made me feel better !! Thank you !!