Coping With Psych Hospital

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Hi all, this is my first post.

I'm currently a patient at a mental hospital due to a couple of suicide attempts and I'm not coping very well at all. I've been here for 7 days and it seems to get harder each day.

The noise and smell, surrounded by strangers who can be threatening, I can't eat the food and I can't sleep due to the constant noise. After a week my nerves are completely shot and i can't get out of my room so i can't ask for help.

Really would appreciate any advice on how to stay sane when you're very hypersensitive and anxious anyway, let alone in a psych ward.

Sorry to hear you are stuck in that place. Do you have family that can bring you food you can eat? Are you diagnosed with ASD at all? You can take bits of kleenex or paper towel and bunch them up and put them in your ears to act as ear plugs. This should help you cope with the noise. I guess you could do the same with your nose to cope with the smells. I would try to explain your situation to the a nurse about your sensitivities and describe them in reference to ASD. Usually any psych hospital is more than happy to hand out antipsychotics like candy, you could prolly ask your psychiatrist thats on the ward for some to cope with agitation.

I've been in the psych hospital several times. They are not very understanding of people with autism. Forced group therapy and socialization, a**hole doctors, bright lights 24/7. I was constantly requesting ativan. Made it through by constantly drawing and keeping to myself when possible.

Yes, I was diagnosed with Asperger's about 10 years ago. I have severe depression and anxiety problems too. I'll try your suggestions but my family don't want to visit so I'm not sure about food.

I've tried to explain things to the nurses but there's so many and they're busy out there. I'll try again.

deep breathing

visualization

The more you participate in their group activities and therapy the quicker you'll get out. That's my suggestion. Truth is mental wards aren't designed for autistic people, nor are their therapy sessions, it's a one-size-fits-all type of situation and even though they know about autistic symptoms, they're used to dealing with people that are not autistic.

I asked my Aspie husband who has been IPed twice for depression/anxiety/suicide attempt about how he survived. He has MASSIVE sensory overload issues, and is a control freak.

1) Everyone hates groups. You are not alone. My husband would talk up a storm in group therapy because what Aspie doesn't like to monlog at a captive audience? They caught on pretty quick that he would dodge talking about himself. Lol.. Best way to survive group is be the first to open your mouth. You will not talk longer than 10 mins, and you have the other 80 to sleep or zone out.

2. Food. Find one thing you like and keep reordering it. He had pancakes for breakfast, PBJ sandwiches for lunch, and dinner was a chicken and rice dish. He ate that for two weeks, mixing in chocolate milk or apples sometimes. My DH said he could always get a chicken sandwich and order a little salad. Take the lettuce and veggies and put those into the salad. He loved not having to think for meals, and eating his same things with no one questioning him. There was a elderly man who didn't talk at all, and he would sit by him. Eat what you want with no need to talk? Heaven!

Because the days are so structured, my husband enjoyed that too. The Aspie part of him loved not having to think and motivate.

The lights/smells/sounds. DH has migraines and that was rough. The doctors did start him on Depakote which is used as a mood stabilizer and for migraines. He was allowed to leave a group if it got overwhelming, because he always made an honest attempt to show up and participate.

He blamed most of his I hate the world/isolating behavior to the depression/anxiety. The ASD part loved all the no control/structure. His depression part hated it.

I was there when my husband tried to kill himself. I don't know why your family can't/won't visit. The people around you maybe be really, really angry. I visited my husband whenever I could because I knew it would speed up him feeling better. I was not always thrilled about going.

Hang in there.

PS: ask for your Ativan, sleeping pill, and whatever else makes you groggy BEFORE bed. My husband is an insanely light sleeper. The staff switched up the medication times to at bedtime, and that would knock him out.