Category: hospitalizations

  • What I Would Change About the Mental Healthcare System

    I want to bring attention to the most broken part of the mental healthcare system in the US. I know there are many broken pieces, but I’m basing my comment on my personal experience, as someone who was fortunate enough to get care inside of a psychiatric hospital setting. You…

  • One Family’s Recovery from a Suicide Attempt

    One Family’s Recovery from a Suicide Attempt

    Chris Morris is a fellow Christian familiar with the realities of mental illness and psychiatric hospitalizations and reached out to me to collaborate. He guest posts today about his experience of returning home from the psych ward after a failed suicide attempt. I’m honored to have him post about this…

  • Things I Would Have Done Differently In the Psych Ward

    Things I Would Have Done Differently In the Psych Ward

    Behind Closed Doors I remember the days in that maddening season of life that I felt like a prisoner inside a prison, inside a prison. Not only was I locked within my own manic-psychotic mind, I was locked behind the doors of the psych ward. Adding insult to injury, the…

  • Bible Verses to Read in the Psych Ward

    Bible Verses to Read in the Psych Ward

    As I recall my stays in the psych wards, God’s promises in the Bible were like stepping stones across the rapids. Many of the passages I clung to gave me comfort and confidence. Aside from the extreme hyper-religious thinking that occurred sometimes, I was able to read these verses and…

  • My Stays In The Juvenile and Adult Psych Wards

    My Stays In The Juvenile and Adult Psych Wards

    The Juvenile Psych Ward Life wasn’t so sweet to me at sixteen. It was rather sour, actually. I landed in a juvenile psych ward after switching antidepressants, while ignorant to the fact that I had bipolar disorder, causing me to enter psychosis without warning. I never knew such a place existed…

  • 14 Things Psych Hospitals Could Improve Upon

    14 Things Psych Hospitals Could Improve Upon

    The chill of the hospital air and my electric state of paranoia disposed me to shiver uncontrollably. Ashamed of the behaviors I exhibited after the scolding of the receptionist, I worried. I was in the lion’s den, again.  I wanted to claim victory in Jesus — in fact —  my…

  • Fresh Thought Friday: What To Expect In The Ward

    Fresh Thought Friday: What To Expect In The Ward

    Dear Katie: I’m having trouble with obtaining medication and my reality is way off. If I admit myself into the hospital, what would the stay be like? What can I expect and how long might I be there for? And how would I pay for it? -Terrified & Troubled  …

  • You Might Need To Be Admitted If…

    You Might Need To Be Admitted If…

    If I were your friend, which I hope you entrust me to be at least a virtual acquaintance by means of blogging, I would point out some very serious symptoms that if I were you would consider checking into the psych ward or nearest behavioral hospital for. You may know…

  • 23 Tips For When You’re Ready To Admit Yourself Into The Psych Unit

    23 Tips For When You’re Ready To Admit Yourself Into The Psych Unit

    Are You Ready for the Psych Unit? Lots of stress comes upon the prospective patient when they are on the cusp of committing themselves to the psychiatric ward. Here are some things I wish I knew ahead of time, to keep in mind when beginning the admissions process: Bring your best…

  • What I Wish I Knew In My Last Episode

    What I Wish I Knew In My Last Episode

    I just looked over some admission documents from the last hospitalization I underwent almost five years ago. Wow, what I was missing!  I thought I was right the whole time. Ha! On August 31, 2012, I voluntarily admitted myself to a behavioral hospital. It was an experience unlike my first hospitalization…