It gives you time to get things sorted out. The therapists and doctors work with you to find what you need and what you diagnosis is.Art therapy, talk therapy,excercise, music therapy, spiritual and meditation. I was in for attempted suicide...but these therapies gave me a chance to listen, vent,express, release and make some friends. For me...it was the best thing I have done for myself.

each time ive been 'in' as they call it here, its been for about at least two months at a time. It helped some until the ECT wrecked my memory and the second last time i was in I got Serotonin Syndrome ending up in ICU due to a very serious error on a junior doctors part. So in all hospitalisation has not done me the world of good at all and I have vowed never to return.

I'm still really angry about how I was treated in the hospital this week, so I don't know if I can be much help, but they watched me so close, it would have been hard to do anymore harm to myself and I met some other really wonderful patients who have similar problems and I think talking with them helped more than anything.

oh.. and I got started on meds and counseling which I am now thrilled about it.

The great sleep i got and just to be able to find out who i am. But i missed my daughter soo much i cried everyday for her nad asked my sister to bring me something of hers. But other than that i met alot of great people who understood why i was there and what i was going through. Also the nurses were soo supportive of me.

This might sound weird, but it is like a little vacation from my life. I have been hospitalized many time, some voluntary, some not, I get so upset and feel like I am in a tornado. But please understand this that I absolutely hate going into the hospital but after a few days, meds working, stableized, Its ok to be there. Then the next few days you are well and can't stand being in their one more day. Then You get home and still half to deal with what sent me in the hospital. I usually only end up in the hospital after alot of things are going wrong or too much going on all at once. So I find that hospitalization is helpful at times.

I never 'went to the hospital'..people around me observed I was psychotic & so was ambulanced there.
For me, it was no cake walk, have seen pretty traumatic stuff there including suicide of another patient I had gotten to know etc etc. I probably would be dead without those hospital stays & yet I really hope I can ride out the rest of my life w/out another visit.

Personally, nothing, OH yeah, more depression and irritabitlity, I almost forgot.

Hospitalisations have kept me alive, but being held against you will time and time again is demoralising. Plus, I never had a dx of BP during the whole time, simply unipolar with 'agitation', and anxiety. I hated it.. lack of privacy, suicides of those I got to know, forcibly given meds, locked wards, being observed 24/7..... but I did gain camaraderie with people who felt as ghastly as I did. But thats it, pretty horrible experiences for me.... and of course terrified of going back..