Re: How do I get admitted to a psych ward?

This may sound insensitive, and I don't meant it to be. But.. you being admitted to a psych ward may not look very good in your battle to get your kids back. Custody battles are nasty, and your ex's lawyers will use ANYTHING they can against you, fair or not. Basically they're all about making the other parent look bad. Psych wards actually are not all that great, since you're surrounded by people who are probably worse off than you are. Basically it feels like a hospital/nursing home setting with all the negative things that go along with that. If you need someone to take care of you, though, and you have NO family members, friends, church members, or ANY other options.. then go ahead and try. But, the bill will be considerable, and I personally think private therapy sessions work much better. Paying $75 an hour for a psychologist to talk with you in a private setting can do wonders. It sounds expensive, but compared to an inpatient program it's downright cheap. Many hospitals will have referrals to student centers where low-icome people can get cheaper therapy. Also many psychologists who are just starting out can charge lower rates. Please leave inpatient programs as a last resort.. it may do more harm than good. People can get better while they're 'inside' the miniature world that the psych ward creates for them. They can bond with the other patients.. but it's a little like graduating high school. When you're booted back into the real world, your newly found security can collapse, because it isn't based on anything related to daily living. It came from daily therapy, interaction with patients, and the small isolated world in the ward. It's much better, if you can, to rebuild your life in the real world, with the help of actual friends and a therapist.

-S Tweet