What is it like at a mental institution for adolescents? ?

Question

Can the teenager still go to school?

Do they have to watch you bathe, shower, shave, urinate, etc.?

Are they safe?

Are they co-ed?

Do they have anything for them to do for fun or anything?

Answer 1

It's extremely hard to say because it depends completely on the facility, the extent of the person's illness and functionality (your ability to behave within social functions like not screaming or jumping around, generally what you'd think of as 'crazy' behavior) and the reasons for them being there.

For instance, a person who is committed by a judge for a mandatory stay because of a crime they committed would likely have a lot less freedoms than someone who admits themselves into a facility for observation (and it would often be a different type of place). but even then, it depends on the facility itself. i've seen some places that are just horrible. Sometimes because of lack of space they place high-functional people (meaning you may only have a few issues) with people who are extremely low-functioning (meaning they may be a sociopath). in these cases therapy is almost useless because the environment is out of control. you'll find this more in state-run facilities.

i've found that the more severe the mental illness, the worse it gets. state-run facilities with severe cases are often more like prisons but... they sort of have to be. the people in them often can't function in normal society and are a danger to themselves and to others.

However, that being said there are some wonderful places that have a lot to offer and have very supportive staff, especially for adolescents (it's usually the adult facilities that are the worst). they often have very nice staff and the doctor's genuinely care about what you have to say and they really are trying to help. in some cases, you can really make some friends because you're placed with other people just like you.

Then you have to look at what the facility itself offers and what your psychiatrist or psychologist recommends to you. I mean, if you're issue is that you keep getting into fights or have anger problems... keeping you out of school until you're able to work through some of those issues may be what your doctor suggests. so it depends on your situation.

each hospital is different and offers different rules, activities and regulations. in some facilities, yes, you can still go to school as long as it's an outpatient situation (meaning that you have permission to come and go as you please or have made arrangements to go to school and return to the hospital).

no, they don't watch you do personal things unless you give them reason to. If you're a suicide risk, are a drug addict, bulimic/anorexic, or have done something to make the nurses/doctor's fear leaving you alone, they may indeed watch you more closely or remove some of your freedoms. bulimia/anorexia and drug addicts often have the most restrictions because they're actively trying to con or lie their way out of everything. but even with these people, the doctor's want you to pull yourself up... not to be coddled by them. they may let a bulimic/anorexic get away with their behavior for the first few weeks until the therapy starts setting in. they do this because they want the patient to feel comfortable in their environment so that their more receptive to the therapy. if the therapy isn't combating the behavior in a certain amount of time, then they WILL start to monitor you a lot more closely, even so far as watching you eat, standing outside bathroom doors, etc. the only cases where i know they'll actually watch you go to the bathroom or shower are those with suicide risks or drug addicts who are going through withdrawals/are still looking for the fix. in the case of drug addicts/alcoholics, desperation will get you to do stupid things, like drinking nail polish remover or sniffing keyboard dust remover or something. so they keep a closer eye on those people to make sure they're ability to walk around the facility is more restricted so that they don't find these sorts of 'replacement' drugs.

if your actions have caused someone else to get hurt, you can also expect stricter regulations and less freedoms. depending on how disturbed you are and how destructive your actions are, the restrictions can be very severe. they usually include a lot of drugs and sedation, as well as restricting your movements.

most places are pretty safe depending on where you are (of course, bad things can happen anywhere). some places are just horrible, though. especially if you're placed with kids who are all different ages and with different problems. i've often seen older girls picking on younger ones because of their insecurity. there are sometimes problems with lice, as well, in really bad facilities if you're placed with multiple roommates. if you're lucky enough to get your own room, then even the bad places aren't too bad.

there are many co-ed facilities although men and women have different sleeping quarters, and there are lots of things to do for fun. there is usually a game room/tv room. there are often board games and card games to pass time. you can even be allowed to smoke or make phone calls, etc. again, though, it depends on the facility, the reason for your stay and your mental state. obviously, they aren't going to let you into the rec room if you're a danger to yourself or others.

Answer 2

If you are thinking of placing your innocent child in such a prison you need to be killed.

http://www.etfrc.com/ChemicalImbalances....

go to that link and stop copping out.

Mental Prisons (they call them hospitals but nothing medical apart from guesswork tranquilization goes on)

are snake pits, where coercion and abuse are the rule not the exception. They are places where your human rights don't exist and mad doctors can experiment with whatever concoction of neurotoxic rubbish they like and write checks that  your body has to cash, there is no liability for the brain damage caused, and there is no evidence or tests done to determine what is alleged to be 'wrong' with one's brain.

Don't believe the do gooders hype.

Answer 3

This is a hard question to answer with out more information. I will do my best to answer every thing.

What is it like at a mental institution?

If you have been in a local hospital's psych unit, it is a lot like that. If not, there is at least one psychiatrist, some nurses, some aides or techs, at least one therapist, maybe more people depending on the place. These people will make up a treatment team that will help you decide what the best course of treatment is.

Can the teenager still go to school?

Again, this depends on the placement. Many places are certified to continue the youths education, but there are some that are not.

Do they have to watch you bathe, shower, shave, urinate, etc.?

All the ones that I have checked into (I am a therapist who works with adolescents) have it so you can bathe/shower without being watched. Most also allow youth to use the restroom alone. Some do want to look at what is in the toilet before you flush. This usually happens if it is an eating disorder unit.

Shaving is a touchy topic. Some allow it with razors and shaving cream, some allow electric shavers, some want to watch when someone is shaving, some don't. Some do not allow shaving at all. This decision is based on whether they have had people hurting themselves with a shaver or not, whether the place is focused on self injury, whether they have state regulations on it or not. Shaving is different depending on the place so asking the facility is the best way to get the answer.

Are they safe?

If you are thinking about being abused by the staff, yes they are absolutely safe. There are federal laws that prevents abuse from happening.

Other youth in the facility are required to sign some safety contract which includes not harming others.

Most have set visiting hours with some form of supervision so others coming into the facility have an extremely hard time hurting someone.

Are they co-ed?

Again this depends on the facility. If they are co-ed, be assured that girls and boys sleep in different rooms, if not in different areas.

Do they have anything for them to do for fun or anything?

Everyone that I have checked into has "down time" or free time. As for what you can do during this time depends on the place. Some allow for i-pods, CD's, DVD's, and other electronics. Some have games to play. Some have it so there is outside space to go to and do whatever. This again depends on the place and what their focus it.

I hope that this answers your questions. Thinking about a treatment center, or institution, can be scary. The movies tend to make them be a scary as possible with alot of things made up. The best advise I can give you is to look at some on the web. If you do a search from google, or another search engine, for "adolescent treatment center" you will be able to look at a lot of the facilities around the US.

Answer 4

oh, gawd..i better stop cutting.

that doesn't sound fun :(

Answer 5

I don't know about the class part of it, if you have somebody bring you your books and assignments you'll have time to work on it. They don't really watch you in the bathroom unless you're a threat to yourself. You're safe, usually locked on a floor. Most are co-ed with separated sleeping of some sort. And there's games and puzzles to do.

And at any rate, you only stay there only if you're a threat to yourself or others.

Answer 6

I can answer for the facility that I worked at on occasion.  It was a child and adolescent psych hospital.  Both the kids and adolescents attended school during school hours.  They are never left unattended, there is always a teacher, nurse, or mental health aide present.  The unit itself was co-ed, but boys and girls obviously had separate rooms.   Each room had a private bathroom with a sink and a toilet.  The mirror was not glass so it could not be broken and used as a weapon on us or themselves.  There was a separate shower and bath room.  Anything that could be used to harm themselves they were stripped of upon admission.  This included but was not limited to shoelaces, shampoo, makeup, medicines (over the counter or prescription) no electronic devices with cords or cameras...things like that.

Depending on the acuity of the kids when they were admitted, some were checked on every 15 minutes, some every 30 mins, and the rest every hour.  This went on 24 hrs a day (even while sleeping).   There is scheduled "fun time"  LIke group activity time.  And then depending upon behavior and acuity, there is a TV time allowed for some fo the older kids.  At bedtime there is relaxation group...then meds, then to bed!  Hope this helps.

Answer 7

just dont bend over in the showers lol

no really thats only for the guys

anyways...of course there arent co-ed bathrooms, that would be INSANE lol...but really there arent, dont worry bout that.

....so anyways, why are you asking this?  I wouldnt resort to that yet, see a psychiatrist first, then get his opinion if you need to go.

...and yes, they are safe.

and you can still go to school

dont know about entertainment though...