State run mental hospital

[pbocka]

What's a state run mental health centre like in comparison to private inpatient facilities?

[Stippler]

I have been in both a state hospital and in private hospitals. The quality of service tends to be much better at private mental hospitals. At the state hospital, the doctor only saw me once a week or two, they kept us so drugged up that we didn't even know what was happening, and lots of patients got into fights. At the private hospitals the doctor mostly saw us every day and they were overall more helpful, although many patients take that for granted. If you have to go to a mental hospital, it would be far more advantageous to go to a private hospital with a good track record if you can. But whatever you do or wherever you go, you should try your best to not rebel against the doctor or staff. They are in control, and the only way to make progress is to kiss up to them and try to work with them even though you may not like them or agree with what they are doing. That will get you much farther than being any way they might interpret as obstinate. In any psychiatric hospital, compliance is the key. Good behavior is rewarded, and bad behavior results in loss of privileges. You can and should be assertive, tell them how you honestly feel, ask for things you want, but don't ever demand it in a threatening or defiant way. Most patients are too stubborn to kiss up to the staff, so if you do, it will make an enormously good impression on them, and will make them far more inclined to listen to your concerns. Just try to remember you are there temporarily, and you will get out eventually. I am schizophrenic, been to numerus hospitals (state and private) and that is my experience.

[pbocka in reply to Stippler]

Thank you. That helps much

[Sunrisetabby]

Good morning, Pbocka. I just wanted to briefly note that the specifics really matter. Both state run and private facilities vary greatly in the quality of care. Something else to consider is that, especially in these times, facilities are often full. That is there is a possibility that someone goes to an emergency room near a good private facility but ends up in a state facility because the private facility doesn't have any beds. Somehow before going to an er, I had the wherewithal to ask my psychiatrist on the current real-time situation.