What's it like being an inpatient in a psych ward (& q about being 'detained')?

[dontrunwithscissors]

I was in a mother and baby unit for 6 weeks after being diagnosed with PND. I was discharged 8 weeks ago, but things have taken a downward turn (to put it lightly). The crisis team asked me to see the on-duty doctor at the local pysch unit and he wanted to admit me. I refused - he mentioned about 'detaining me'. Anyway, DH said that he would watch over me & I was allowed home. I'm not entirely sure I've done the right thing, but it seemed an awful place. Are they really that bad? (I figure it will be nothing like the mother and baby unit). Is it usually a 'ward' situation (ie no privacy)? And are the wards mixed? (They only mentioned a 'ward', as opposed to 'wards.') Also, I assumed he meant being sectioned when he mentioned detaining me(?). Am I right in thinking that can only be done with my DH's consent? Arghh, so many questions - sorry! I'm just so confused as to what the right thing to do. Not in a good place right now.

Oh poor you. I'm so sorry you are feeling awful.

Could you go back to the mother and baby unit if neither home nor the mainstream mental health ward are good environments for you?

Your dh would be your nearest relative under the Mental Health Act and would have to be consulted if they wanted to put you in hospital under a treatment section (section 3) of the Mental Health Act. If he said no that would be an end to the matter, unless he was somehow unfit to make that decision. If they wanted to admit you under an assessment section (section 2) they are obliged to inform rather than consult your nearest relative, though it is better practice to consult anyway. Your dh could apply to have you discharged in either case, if he felt that detaining you in hospital was the wrong decision.

All the wards I've seen over the past 5 years or so have had single rooms. (I'm a mental health social worker so've seen quite a few.)There are still some mixed wards but all should have female only areas.

well no you must be pretty poorly if they want to detain you rather than look after you at home

They don't need your dh's consent but his opinion and co-operation will weigh quite heavily. If two doctors agree that you are a serious and immediate danger to yourself or others they may detain you against your will.

I think what matters now is that you and dh openly and honestly assess whether you are very likely to kill yourself, whether he can seriously sustain looking after you and baby and whether you are likely to harm your baby (not think about it, do it). If the answer to any of those questions gives cause to concern maybe admittance is the lesser of two evils.

Thanks for those responses. I just don't know what to do, but don't know whether DH will wake up with me still here in the morning. My parents are here, which is a help with DD's, but they don't really know much of what's happened. Guess I'm going to have to tell them.

Auto He didn't go any further into how he could detain me, just that he didn't want to have to do that. After he spoke to my DH, he said he wouldn't normally have allowed me to go home, but he felt that DH is 'trustworthy'. Not really sure what that meant. I'm not sure whether there's any space at the M & B unit. I'm just trying to hang on until tomorrow when I will hopefully be able to speak to my CPN. I trust her judgement.

Good luck, sweetheart. Hope you can discuss things with your parents, if they're supportive. Lots of home support and love can keep people out of hospital. I know it's hard to believe but no one will want to put you in hospital if you don't want to go. They really won't do it except in the very last resort if they see it as the only option to keep you safe. 2 doctors with expertise in psychiatry and an approved mental health professional have to all agree that it is the only way for you to get the treatment you need in order for it to happen so the doctor you saw cannot "detain" you on just his own say so.

Try and get a good night's sleep and hopefully everything will look better in the morning. It's great that you have a good relationship with your CPN.

Where are you based?
If you are living in Scotland the Mental Health Act is different. Your DH would not have not consent or refuse your detention.
In Scotland dentention would usually initially require the agreement of one doctor and a mental health officer (a specially trained social worker). If your doctor wanted to detain you for more than a month they would have to have an additional medical opinion, and there would be a tribunal, where you (and your DH if you wished) would be able to put forward your opinion.

If you were to be detained then you would be able to appeal this.

Thanks for that information. As it happens, I am in Scotland, which explains the dr's language.

Hopefully your CPN will be able to answer your questions about your local ward, and might be able to advise you on how an admission would progress - eg if there is no bed in the mother and baby unit would your local unit plan to transfer you if a bed came up?

Would your CPN go with you to have a look round the ward?

Hope that things start to get better for you soon.

Sorry- stupid of me to assume you were in England. Glad BST could give better advice. Get well soon, xxx.

Hope you able to be honest with cpn and access whatever support you need.

The only experience I have is of a general mental health ward (well there were several, but each was called a ward) - which had several rooms, single sex, with beds in - but own area curtained off, some single rooms and joint communal lounge etc. One Mum I know was in a ward until a M&B bed came up for her.

You sound like you really struggling - do use crisis team if you need to before see cpn

Thank you. This feeling is utterly overwhelming, and I just don't know what to do. I think I might have been better off in hospital, but don't know how to tell my parents that.

You poor thing - sometimes hospital is the best place. They are not luxurious, but when you are really really ill they are the only place you can be safe 24 hours a day.

As others have said, most wards have private rooms now, and there are often sessions run by occupational therapists such as art, creative writing etc. so it's not like you are just shoved on a ward with nothing to do.

It's true that if your next of kin, objects they cannot detain you. My CPN told me that too.

However, bear in mind this is hospital, not prison, and their aim is to get you better, not lock you up.

Take care xx

I'm sorry things are so bad for you dontrunwithscissors Please try not to fear going into hospital, Psychiatric units on the whole are not bad and generally, I think they have improved alot in recent years.

I work in a trust no where near you but we have single sex wards and the mixed sex wards has seperate 'wings' for male and female, all private ensuite rooms.

Take care of yourself and think carefully about going into hospital. You need to keep yourself safe and if you don't think that is possible then I think you need to seriously consider admission.

xx

Thank you all. I'm going to go into the local unit (been told it's single, en-suite rooms) for tonight, with the option of transferring to the mother and baby unit if needed.

Brave lady - hope you will be out very soon feeling much better.

Thanks - I'm absolutely petrified, really.

well done - you are absolutely doing the right thing.

Dont' be afraid to tell your parents you want to go into hospital - they will want to help and understand, not judge you. Don't cover up how you bad you truly feel to save face, or protect their feelings - no good can come of your pretending to be more well than you actually are. If you are admitting that hospital is the best place for you then you must be feeling very very low. so it's good that you are confronting it and being realistic. You sound like you have lovely supportive people around you. get well soon.

Well, I'm home. I just couldn't stay there. Don't quite know how I'll make it through the night, but DH has promised to hold me really tight.

(you can be detained whether your next of kin consents or objects, it might make it a little more difficult that's all)

Don't know if this is any help at all, but if you feel up to reading and you're not familiar with it, there's a blog which I've been reading for years www.dooce.com. She writes very honestly about her depression and about being an inpatient - what's lovely is that was 2004 and I've followed her blog from then 'til now, where she's in a very different and better place. If you look in her archives under depression from around that time there might be something there that you could maybe identify with?

How are you doing today dontrunwithscissors

I'm sorry you felt you couldn't stay on the ward. Would your team be able to arrange admission to a Mother and Baby unit for you?

Thanks for asking after me. Well, I just don't get this whole PND lark. I had some bad news today, which should have truly pushed me over the edge. Instead, I felt the dark clouds lift a little & the suicidal urges have more or less gone. I'm not sure how or why, but I'm just relieved to be feeling a bit better. So hospital admission has been put on the back burner for now. I saw my psychiatrist today, and she's changed me from sertraline and olanzapine on to citalopram and quetiapine. They've also arranged for the acute respose team to see me for the next week or so to see how things go. Phew!

I'm glad you are feeling a little bit better. Lets hope the change in med helps, be mindful that they can take a while to kick in though.

Glad to hear you are getting the support you need. Be honest with your team though, if things get worse.

Take care x