What do you think about psych hospitals?

[xXMizVanityXx]

For various reasons, Im fascinated with psych hospitals, mental institutions, asylums especially.

SO much, I went to one to seek out inspiration for my book. *In the book, Criz ends up going to a psych hospital.*

In spite of the whole crying to come back home, I had fun there. And I met this GORGEOUS man named Rohli. He was my therapist.

He had this Johnny Depp look to him if he was a pale-ish latino.

Back in his 21 Jumpstreet days. *sigh*

I liked him SO much, when I was released, I wanted to go back.

Plus the people there are interesting.

*I really went there because I was having psychotic episodes and suicidle tendacys. ONe of my medications gave me hallucinations. Not trippy pretty ones either!*

So what do you think of psych hospitals, and asylums?

[Mr Karl]

drugs, a padded room, and a straitjacket, actually wouldn't mind trying that out for a week or two

[xXMizVanityXx]

drugs, a padded room, and a straitjacket, actually wouldn't mind trying that out for a week or two

Actually, there wasnt a padded room or any straight jackets unfortunatly.
I really wanted to bounce around like how you see in the movies and such.

[Mindgames]

I really wanted to bounce around like how you see in the movies and such.

They're not that padded, typically only 2 inches - just enough so the patient can't easily kill themselves, but run against the wall and it'll still bruise the living squirrels out of you and if the patient tries hard enough they could still cause serious injury. Making it into a playground doesn't cure the problem, it's meant to teach the patient to behave so they can go back to regular accommodation not to turn them into human ping-pong balls. They're rare because they're an absolute bastard to clean.

On a broader note they serve an important purpose - there will always be an element of the population that can't be managed within society, and while I'm all for inclusive rehabilitation it's dangerous to rely on chemical control without supervision. What 'people' often miss is the fact that for severe cases the system works brilliantly (some of the most non-lucid people I've dealt with much prefer the predictability and relinquishment of responsibility) but for milder cases the stress can make them worse instead of better. People with a rational psychosis (who may have unusual beliefs or desires but are aware of where they are and what's going on around them) can find the imprisonment extremely traumatic, especially the catch-22 'accidental patient' argument:-

"I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not insane"

"But you're here, so if you can't see why then you must be insane"

"So if I agree I'm insane, can I go home?"

"No, because then you're admitting you belong here."

"So if I say I'm not insane?"

"Then you aren't facing the truth, so you belong here."

[dead_but_twitching]

hmm sounds kinda neat....

perhaps i could purge all my anger and remorse in such a place and then come home cured, and make it a weekend adventure... but then again you're pretty much branded for life if you've been there,....

[Lady Alias]

Seems like its almost being glamourized. That's pretty disturbing.

Doesn't someone here work at a psyc hospital? Was that you, MG?

[Black Spiral Dancer]

I've always been fascinated by all hospitals, normal and Psych. Some say I'm weird but I love the smell of the cleaning fluids they use. I'm hoping to go to a masked ball one time as an escaped lunatic (I have a friend that made a straitjacket for an escapologist [with a wipe-clean crotch panel] and she is probably looking forward to making a slightly more standard one, though mine would be black)

[Mindgames]

Seems like its almost being glamourized. That's pretty disturbing.

Doesn't someone here work at a psyc hospital? Was that you, MG?

yeah, someone on here does (or did), but I can't recall who. Janiac02 works in a hospital but not in that field. I try to avoid the places - fear that if my ID falls off they'll look at the mohawk and decide I belong there - so my prodding of brains is office-based. I prefer the smell of coffee and leather to cleaning fluid and vomit (sue me, I'm strange that way).

There's always been a fascination with psychiatric hospitals in the media and culture (from horror movies to novels) as they're a cheap way to create tension and confinement in a plot - but I agree with you that to make it out as something sexy or exciting is a little strange. To most people life imprisonment where nobody believes a word you say is the ultimate nightmare, but I guess you need to have experienced it to fully understand the power of powerlessness.

[Mr Karl]

They're not that padded, typically only 2 inches - just enough so the patient can't easily kill themselves, but run against the wall and it'll still bruise the living squirrels out of you and if the patient tries hard enough they could still cause serious injury. Making it into a playground doesn't cure the problem, it's meant to teach the patient to behave so they can go back to regular accommodation not to turn them into human ping-pong balls.

so how else are people going to get it all out of thier systems?

[xXMizVanityXx]

They're not that padded, typically only 2 inches - just enough so the patient can't easily kill themselves, but run against the wall and it'll still bruise the living squirrels out of you and if the patient tries hard enough they could still cause serious injury. Making it into a playground doesn't cure the problem, it's meant to teach the patient to behave so they can go back to regular accommodation not to turn them into human ping-pong balls. They're rare because they're an absolute bastard to clean.

On a broader note they serve an important purpose - there will always be an element of the population that can't be managed within society, and while I'm all for inclusive rehabilitation it's dangerous to rely on chemical control without supervision. What 'people' often miss is the fact that for severe cases the system works brilliantly (some of the most non-lucid people I've dealt with much prefer the predictability and relinquishment of responsibility) but for milder cases the stress can make them worse instead of better. People with a rational psychosis (who may have unusual beliefs or desires but are aware of where they are and what's going on around them) can find the imprisonment extremely traumatic, especially the catch-22 'accidental patient' argument:-

"I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not insane"

"But you're here, so if you can't see why then you must be insane"

"So if I agree I'm insane, can I go home?"

"No, because then you're admitting you belong here."

"So if I say I'm not insane?"

"Then you aren't facing the truth, so you belong here."

You really know your stuff dont you? What's your occupation????

[Mindgames]

so how else are people going to get it all out of thier systems?

They'll quietly sit through 50 hours of group, taking their meds and agreeing that they were probably poked with a stick when n'but a child. Gradually they'll start showing empathy to others in the session, and one day, long long into the future, they'll convince a board of total strangers that they're safe to let out into the community. Then they can get it out of their system by hacking the fuck out of people with a meat cleaver. It's called civilized society.

You really know your stuff dont you? What's your occupation????

I'm old - and get bored easily so I've been lots of things from a shrink to a window cleaner. No offense but if I said what I do for a living now you'd know my real name, and most of us on here prefer that not to happen so I'm just the guy that makes girls and spouts opinions on stuff.

[xXMizVanityXx]

They'll quietly sit through 50 hours of group, taking their meds and agreeing that they were probably poked with a stick when n'but a child. Gradually they'll start showing empathy to others in the session, and one day, long long into the future, they'll convince a board of total strangers that they're safe to let out into the community. Then they can get it out of their system by hacking the fuck out of people with a meat cleaver. It's called civilized society.



I'm old - and get bored easily so I've been lots of things from a shrink to a window cleaner. No offense but if I said what I do for a living now you'd know my real name, and most of us on here prefer that not to happen so I'm just the guy that makes girls and spouts opinions on stuff.

oh ok. well, i'll respect that.
I want to be a shrink someday but I have to work out my own problems first.

[xXMizVanityXx]

They'll quietly sit through 50 hours of group, taking their meds and agreeing that they were probably poked with a stick when n'but a child. Gradually they'll start showing empathy to others in the session, and one day, long long into the future, they'll convince a board of total strangers that they're safe to let out into the community. Then they can get it out of their system by hacking the fuck out of people with a meat cleaver. It's called civilized society.

woah i totally didnt read that part until now. That's not going to happen to me! *shakes head* uh uhn!