Yes LM. First time when I was sectioned is a bit of a blur, but I remember being in my own room and being a bit out of it due to the medication I was given. I'm cautiously writing this as I don't want to alarm anyone, but this is my experience. I had been prescribed Seroxat by a psychiatrist for depression (it was the first time I had seen a psychiatrist and I can't remember the dose I was prescribed), had only been taking it for at the most a week, when I became extremely unwell, parents called out a Dr and I was taken to hospital and sectioned because I was having a 'Psychotic Episode'. I remember I was given Haloperidol and procyclidine. Don't remember much else or how long I was in there for.
Do you know sitting down and actually trying to remember exactly what happened, I've realized the first time I was in hospital it was a completely different place to that which I thought it was. First time same circumstances as above, but I was taken to a stand alone residential mental health hospital, and I was in a dorm not a room of my own. I'm not too sure now that I was prescribed the H&P in there either. (Just told DH what I'm writing about about and he said "you're not going to get all sad now are you?", "I don't like it when you get sad"! I explained why I'm writing it and explained to him that it was another life and that it might make me reflective, that's all. In fact I think this is going to be very therapeutic for me .
Second time, only a few weeks after the first time (I don't think I should have been 'let out' when I was), I can remember a lot more. It may have been this time that I was prescribed Haloperidol and procyclidine. This was the time I was in a room on my own. It was a secure unit in a hospital, mixed ward. I'm not sure now but I may have been sectioned this time too? The main thing about the stay was the routine, three meals a day, eaten in the dinning room which doubled up as the visitor room in the evening and was also used for other activities during the daytime. There was a TV room, smoking room (this was 12/13 years ago) individual bedrooms, dorms, male and female toilets and bathrooms, laundry room and consultation/therapy rooms.
I think I was seen once a week by my mental health team, which included Psychiatrist, CPN and other people, there were about 5-6 people in the room at a time. They would ask me questions about how I was feeling and make lots of notes, I seem to remember it feeling like a job interview. Some days different therapist would come in and put activities on that you could attend, you were encouraged to but not forced. These included (really need to think now!) yoga, relaxation, massage and art, there may of been more.
I was in hospital this second time for around three weeks, the first time I'm not too sure. When I came out the second time I was still taking the H&P but the dose was being gradually lowered. I was now allocated a CPN who would visit me at home at first every fortnight, this later changed to the same hospital, but different open ward.
About a year later I had been feeling very low, I took an over dose which didn't work, I told my parents what I'd done and they took me to the hospital. I was physically ok but because of the overdose needed to be seen by a psychiatric Dr before being discharged, he recommended that I have a further stay in hospital and I agreed, I felt I needed to be looked after and it was quite a relief after I had been feeling so low. This stay was very much as above except I was taking ADs (can't remember which ones) instead of the H&P.
This has become a novel, I am sorry, I hope it is of some interest and maybe some help. If I remember anything else of importance I will post again, I don't mind if you or anyone would like to ask specific questions. I'm pleased that I can look back at this time and be quite matter of fact and level headed about it .