Fears around mental health hospitalizations
Hello there! I’m here to talk about something that many of my clients have (hesitantly and cautiously) voiced concerned about in the past – getting hospitalized. Firstly, I understand that fear. I have been the client who has tiptoed around my thoughts in therapy out of fear of getting put in a hospital against my will (not knowing what all qualified for that at the time). Here’s my perspective on hospitalizations, from someone who works full-time in an inpatient hospital setting, when I’m not busy with my practice.
1. Hospitalization is generally emergent and short-term (3-7 days), and has the intention of providing stabilization for patients. They are not typically there until they return to baseline, as that can take several months. Instead, the focus is on creating and maintaining immediate safety.
2. It will provide medication evaluation or management and intensive counseling services alongside peer support, which outside of this setting, can often take weeks or months to obtain through insurance or state-provided Medicaid plans. Patients also meet with physicians to evaluate for any organic medical concerns.
3. All clients are supervised in a hospital setting in order to ensure safety; this is because in order to be hospitalized, there is generally cause for concern that an extended period of time alone (a few hours to a week between therapy appointments) may cause further deterioration, self-harm, or impulsive suicidal thoughts or gestures.
4. People can get inpatient treatment voluntarily or involuntarily. My goal is always to have patients enter a hospital setting voluntarily, though there are times that the provider has to legally mandate a client to receive inpatient care if their mental illness is hindering their ability to make insightful, well-thought-out, and safe decisions.
5. It can be nerve-racking! The inpatient environment often means you are around a group of strangers, maybe sharing a room with someone, eating meals together, and sharing intimate details of your life and mental illness with them. The community I see created in this setting, however, seems to override that initial anxiety for most patients. They form connections with providers and peers which allow them to feel supported and motivated to ‘get back out there’.
6. As a realist, I think it’s also good to acknowledge that this setting won’t be helpful for 100% of people who receive treatment at inpatient hospitals. The reality is, there’s always going to be some exceptions for any treatment structure. Keep in mind that if a provider recommends you for inpatient level of care, it’s because they are concerned about you, your safety, and well-being.
Hopefully this brief summary alleviates some of the mystery around inpatient hospitalizations. Ultimately, I want the takeaway here to be that yes, it can cause more anxiety initially, however outcomes are often positive and the support received in that short amount of time, combined with being away from life stressors for several days, can be exactly what some clients need to get back on track with their treatment.
Any other nagging questions about inpatient hospitalizations? Comment below or send me an email! And, if you are in crisis, please call the national suicide hotline at 800-273-8255.
Meagan
Disclaimer: This blog is for informational and educational purposes, and is not to be used as a substitute for a therapeutic relationship, individualized mental healthcare, or medical healthcare.