How safe are psych wards?

[Saint Frankenstein]

That's so rare though. I'd say most people who are dangerous aren't getting voluntarily committed. Secondly, most places the dangerous individuals either to themselves or others are usually isolated from the others.

It's not rare at all. Pretty much everyone I was in the ER with yesterday was pink slipped. Actually, the gowns are color coded so if you try to leave, security will stop you. Psych wards are separated from the rest of the hospital and you're not allowed to wander around. The only way you're leaving the psych ward is if the psychiatrist judges it safe to discharge you.

 

[Riders]

Well the state of Texas doesn't have the money to hold people against their will for long term unless they are a danger to others. I was told 7 years ago at Green oaks where I stayed a weekend after i accidently overdosed on sleeping pills that they would only take people like me who had accidently overdosed for about a weekend if you seriously tried a serious suicide attempt they'd keep you 2 or 3 or 4 weeks at the most.

I'm talking about state psychiatric institutions for us who are on medicaid and medicare, If I had private insurance a private psych ward might take me in for rehab of sex addiction for few months but I don't have the insurance.

But anyway I don't need it now. But the only people they said they keep long term are those who are proven to be a danger to society. If I were a sex addict with a problem exposing myself in public thank God I am not, then they could keep me long term against my will.

But in my situation and I don't need to be institutionalized anyways, they would not take me in.But I do need to be reevaluated, so I will get my meds and an evaluation done at Parkland should be ok.

When I was in Green Oaks 7 years ago for a weekend they seemed to be pretty safe. But it was mixed men and women so it still creeped me a little bit but basically yes it was a safe place.

 

[Riders]

It's not rare at all. Pretty much everyone I was in the ER with yesterday was pink slipped. Actually, the gowns are color coded so if you try to leave, security will stop you. Psych wards are separated from the rest of the hospital and you're not allowed to wander around. The only way you're leaving the psych ward is if the psychiatrist judges it safe to discharge you.

If your in a state hospital it depends on what state your in. FOr TExas its rare like I said in part because texas doesn't have the money for mentally ill anymore/
For instance 15 years ago there were disability living places independant living half way house in Dallas fort worth for the mentally Ill. I've been told twice there are none though I would not want to go. I was asked by my sister if I wanted to and I contacted everyone including MHMR Dallas Fortworth does not have them anymore period.

There also use to be like Metrocare and other state funded outpatient psych wards who had group therapy and bipolar classes for people like, me I use to go to those 15 years ago. Now they only offer counseling and psychiatric evaluation and meds and I can get that without going through them so I am.But they closed down alot of stuff they use to have the mentally ill because Texas does not have the money.

They are hard pressed to even put suicidal folks in against their will and when they do they don't have the beds to place them for longer then a month is what i was told.Like I said for those who are a danger to society yes they can be placed against their will ling term.

So it depends on what state your in, but Texas does not have the money to keep a bunch of people against their will for long term who are not a danger against society no money.

 

[Riders]

they do have depression group therapy groups in Dallas through meetup and also through NAMI. But all the NAMI groups are too far. But I just found one in Mesquite but it costs 25 bucks I may try to go there this month though looks like a good group.

 

[Riders]

Theres another problem with the money of Texas for psych patients now too. I may put this up on another thread too. The problem is Meth and opiate problem of society. The state is giving most of what they have to the care of drug addicts and they still don't have near enough money.

But all the bipolar classes and group therapy they use to have for the mentally ill is now for drug and alcohol rehab only. Drug addicts and alcoholics get group therapy and bipolar classes.

They get halfway houses, lots of rehabs and halfway houses for our addicts.

 

[Riders]

YIPES! Sorry for having so many replies but I forgot one huge fact too. Uh the dallas Fortworth area actually in the last 5 years has closed down 2 huge huge state run psych wards, Timberlawn and Terrel! The state has to be hurting for money for psych wards now, I bet they're short on beds in many if them!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

If your in a state hospital it depends on what state your in. FOr TExas its rare like I said in part because texas doesn't have the money for mentally ill anymore/
For instance 15 years ago there were disability living places independant living half way house in Dallas fort worth for the mentally Ill. I've been told twice there are none though I would not want to go. I was asked by my sister if I wanted to and I contacted everyone including MHMR Dallas Fortworth does not have them anymore period.

There also use to be like Metrocare and other state funded outpatient psych wards who had group therapy and bipolar classes for people like, me I use to go to those 15 years ago. Now they only offer counseling and psychiatric evaluation and meds and I can get that without going through them so I am.But they closed down alot of stuff they use to have the mentally ill because Texas does not have the money.

They are hard pressed to even put suicidal folks in against their will and when they do they don't have the beds to place them for longer then a month is what i was told.Like I said for those who are a danger to society yes they can be placed against their will ling term.

So it depends on what state your in, but Texas does not have the money to keep a bunch of people against their will for long term who are not a danger against society no money.

Oh, wow. Yeah, Columbus, OH has a ton of psych wards and hospitals. We have some of the best hospitals in the country. I was in OSU Hospital, which is a pretty prestigious hospital. We have a dedicated psychiatric ER called Netcare which the police or ambulance might drop you at if it's closer than a hospital. It's like cells they put in and there's no privacy. Can't close your door.

 

[Riders]

Its strange heres a page that says psych wards all over the US are closing and I have really no idea if thats true. Butt hey have pictures of Terrel state hospital closing, one picture in it. I recognized the windows, they supposedly got closed for abuse. Both Timber;awn and Terrel. We use to look from one of the windows where we could into the teen guys ward, tehy use to flas us pull their pants down in front of us when the staff wasn't looking.

Its funny now. I was not abused at Timberlawn or Terrel but I felt abandoned and neglected. When I was at Terrel they did not abuse me but the staff conveniently took a lot of breaks and did neglect us.

We took advantage of it. I fell in love with Chris, we made out and had sexual experiences out there on the grounds of Terrel. I left and signed out against my will.

Timberlawn was closed because of abuse too. I felt very abandoned there but not abused but I experienced weird strange romantic situations that were new, and me and my friends had out own poly group though we didn't call it that.

I was in another hospital which I will not give the name too but a staff member sexually molested me there and they abused me with restraints.

Anyways here's the picture they have several here Terrel is one of the pictures, yep I remember those barred windows where we could see the guys!
13 eerie photos inside abandoned mental hospitals all over the US

 

[Mindmaster]

It's not rare at all. Pretty much everyone I was in the ER with yesterday was pink slipped. Actually, the gowns are color coded so if you try to leave, security will stop you. Psych wards are separated from the rest of the hospital and you're not allowed to wander around. The only way you're leaving the psych ward is if the psychiatrist judges it safe to discharge you.

Most will have a mandatory evaluation period of your stay... around here that's 72 hours... so once you're in you're in for 3 days no matter what even if it's voluntary. But, past that, unless you're suicidal or homicidal you can leave at any time. However, before that 72 period you can opt out at any time. It's voluntary that you are there for the 72 hours, but not during that period.

Anyway, if you come in for any reason you can expect to be there the entire 72 hour period as I've never seen anyone release earlier than that. For that time, yeah, you will be in the same rules as people who are involuntarily committed, but you agree to that before you even come in. However, that shouldn't deter anyone -- if your problem is serious enough don't mess around these things got a way of getting out of hand.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Most will have a mandatory evaluation period of your stay... around here that's 72 hours... so once you're in you're in for 3 days no matter what even if it's voluntary. But, past that, unless you're suicidal or homicidal you can leave at any time. However, before that 72 period you can opt out at any time. It's voluntary that you are there for the 72 hours, but not during that period.

Anyway, if you come in for any reason you can expect to be there the entire 72 hour period as I've never seen anyone release earlier than that. For that time, yeah, you will be in the same rules as people who are involuntarily committed, but you agree to that before you even come in. However, that shouldn't deter anyone -- if your problem is serious enough don't mess around these things got a way of getting out of hand.

It's probably different in different states. In psych wards here, you can't leave until you're discharged and you can't check yourself out.

 

[Mindmaster]

It's probably different in different states. In psych wards here, you can't leave until you're discharged and you can't check yourself out.

Yeah, it's definitely different here. Hell, you can't even get sent in against your will in most cases even when the doctors know you have a problem. But, this state handles voluntary very liberally -- you don't have to accept the treatments advised or stay past the 72 hours unless there is some documented reason related to harming self or others.

 

[Riders]

I believe that picture of that room in Terrel is the quite room. Its a rubber room, people who became violent got locked up in there. You see those pads on the floor, probably cushions they gave people to sit on the floor with.

We were told Terrel was built wrong, the people who built it did it wrong. They built in an L o V shape so the corners came around and we could see straight into the guys teen ward. I didn't watch the guys flash us much, but sometimes when I saw girls standing there in the one spot I did stop and watch, they do a show for us.

I was also in love with a 16 year old guy Named Chris sometimes I got to wave at him in the windows. They were very neglegent. I mean the article says I believe they were in part closed down because of abuse.

I am not surprised at all but like I said when we were there it was just the fact that staff were lazy, they were people who walked in off the street and got hired in staff positions with no license of any kind. They got paid minimum wage so, we were left alone a lot.

I use to go to school and me and Chris were suppose to be talking a class together we were the only ones and the teacher had abandoned us. He was an Atheist first Atheist I ever met. He was suicidal. We use to talk a lot about the facts of life, When we were left alone together we went out on the premises and made out and sexually explored each other on the grass. We never got caught no one was watching.............