"A psychiatric unit is critical and essential when someone is so ill that they are not safe from themselves, and I am thankful that I was able to stay in one during the height of my acute psychotic episodes. Being there saved me from making costly mistakes when I had absolutely no control over my judgment and poor decision-making, and was caught up in a completely delusional reality. I was also safe from getting hurt or killed. It provided a location for medical care where I received antipsychotics that would stabilize me. So, in that sense, I am very thankful."
"My experiences there were also very emotional and, at times, painful and traumatizing. My experiences there all occurred through the lens of a completely different reality my brain created, yet this reality clashed with everyone around me. Living in a different reality with terrifying delusions and hallucinations, especially when medical professionals have to confront you in order for you to receive treatment, can be very difficult. Some people don't remember their inpatient stay, but I remember everything, just as I do any other event in my life. So, I must process and come to terms with experiences that not many share or talk about."
Inpatient psychiatric units provide essential safety and stabilization during acute psychotic episodes, preventing self-harm and enabling administration of antipsychotic medication. They offer protection from danger and a place for medical treatment when judgment is impaired by delusions. Inpatient stays can also produce painful, traumatizing memories and strong feelings of shame and embarrassment, particularly for those who remember the experience. Alternate realities created by psychosis can clash with caregivers and others, contributing to secrecy and distance from support networks. Writing about or sharing these experiences can help normalize them and facilitate emotional release and healing.
Read at Psychology Today
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