Come on man!

A trip to the hospital is sometimes warranted in the journey of a mentally ill patient. When things spiral out of control,, a or depression gets so bad you lose your will to live a hospital visit should be a welcome reprieve from madness. In my experience some hospitals are not.

The first hospital I was in was a nightmare. Patients roamed round a great room in psychotic states .Some were in diapers ,some in restraints. It was unsettling ,frightening an did nothing to alleviate the psychological pain I was in . It made things worse because the environment was so bad. I blocked most of it out and continued to the next facility.

The second hospital I was in was even more horrible. I spent 6 months trying to survive in a place where madness  reigned. The smoke breaks were the only way to go outdoors. Patients acted out their psychotic behaviors . One man would get outdoors and continuously lick the ground. I couldn't take it and almost had another break down. Fortunately I had weekly visits from my parents. That and fierce determination and adherence to a treatment program got me out.

Yet ,really, why should it be this way. Every patient is lumped together regardless of the state they are in. Shouldn't they be separated according to functionality? I mean "come on man", isn't there a better way?

I believe there is a better way .There should be changes to the psych wards I was in.  Lock down is understandable but visits outside should be more frequent. There should be windows. Again , patients who are high functioning should have a place to heal that is separated from those who are highly symptomatic.

A place to heal is essential in the recovery process.
I wish the places that are frequented by the mentally ill were more humane. Reform has to happen or more people will slip through the cracks. Returning to reality and the world requires stability. There is no way this can happen in the current system.