How is it possible to get out of a psychiatric ward? (+5 Psych ward tips)
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OptimistMinds
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
This detailed article will be answering how it is possible to get out of a psychiatric ward. We will also be showing you a number of ways you can use to stay out of the psychiatric ward and also a few coping tips that you can use while in a psych ward.
How is it possible to get out of a psychiatric ward?
You can get out of a psychiatric ward by simply answering their questions in the right manner. During the time of admission or in the chance that you find yourself accidentally in the emergency room of a psychiatric hospital, you need to remember to answer questions wisely.
- Most psychiatric wards or psychiatric hospitals often ask if you have been trying to harm yourself or have a history of suicide attempts in the past. Here, you will need to clearly mention ‘no’ and not seem confused or agree to the question.
- The staff at psych wards may also ask if you have consumed any drugs or have access to dangerous drugs. For this question as well, you need to answer ‘no’ since they might keep you in the psych ward if they think that your lifestyle may be dangerous.
- The psych ward may also conduct some physical tests on you to check if your body is in proper condition. They might particularly look for physical manifestations of mental issues such as palpitations. You thus might want to have healthy reports for these factors.
- Another question that people in the psych ward may ask is if you have people to take care of you in your life. In case you say that you have no one with you, the chances of you being kept at the psych ward for longer periods of time will be higher.
- Apart from asking you, the staff at the psych ward may ask those who are with you about your mental health. They also need to answer positively about your mental health since if they mention that you have attempted suicide before, you might be held at the ward.
How to stay out of the psychiatric ward?
Nobody liked to be sent to the psychiatric ward. If you ever find yourself in a hospital or are going through mental health issues, there are certain things that you can do to improve your mental health and avoid being sent to a psych ward. These things are:
By keeping up a proper routine
One of the most important things for mental health is keeping up a proper routine. If you keep up a proper routine, your mental health will improve since your circadian rhythm develops a constant pattern.
By learning more about your patterns
Another thing that you can do is to simply become more aware of your mental and behavioral patterns. Once you understand how your mind works better, you will become aware of your trigger factors and be able to cope with troubles in a better manner.
By getting more social support
You can also try getting more social support in the form of loving friends and loved ones for social and emotional support. These friends can also help you understand your trigger factors and remind you of your coping strategies.
By going to therapy
Going to therapy regularly can also help you in improving your mental health. Therapy sessions can include forms like cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy and many more. During therapy sessions, you will be able to understand more about yourself and your traumas.
Therapists can also teach you coping strategies which you can use whenever you are feeling stressed or anxious. Therapy, including group therapy, can also give you more access to resources and people for emotional support.
By indulging in self-care
Creating a positive self-care routine can also be greatly beneficial for mental health and can keep you out of the psych ward. Self-care can include regular physical exercise, aromatherapy sessions, meditation and others which can be positive for mental health.
By continuously learning
You can also take up learning as a way of improving your self-esteem and your mental health. Learning does not necessarily mean going to college or taking up a class, but you can simply engage in building your skill sets or taking up new experiences on a daily basis.
By taking part in volunteering
Taking part in volunteering activities can also help in improving your mental health. Apart from mental health, volunteering in organizations can also teach you great lessons which can help you throughout your life.
Coping tips to use in a psych ward
If you have been admitted to a psych ward for your mental health issues, it can be a frightening thing. While you are sure to receive all the care you need there, there are still things that you can do to make your time comfortable in the psych ward. Some of these coping tips are:
Sticking to your medication properly
The most important thing that you need to do in a psych ward is to stick to your medications properly. More importantly, you also need to believe that the medication truly works for your mental health and is going to help you every day.
Some medications may have lots of side-effects and this may discourage you. But, know that they are working for your mental health at an internal level. You also need to eat nutritious food so remember to finish everything on your plate.
Ensuring proper self-hygiene
When you are in the psych ward, you might not have the loving care of those near and dear to you. Therefore, you will need to take proper care of yourself, including your self-hygiene. This not only includes cleaning yourself but also making yourself presentable every day.
Having a buddy at the psych ward
When you are in the psych ward, you will not be able to get visits often from those close to you. For the purpose of social support, you can also get a buddy at the psych ward with whom you can improve your accountability and get emotional support as well.
Indulging in more positive news
The psych ward can cut you off from the entire world, which in many ways is a good thing since you are not bombarded with depressing information all the time. When you are there, you can focus on only positive things that are happening in the world around you today.
If you do not have access to positive news, you can read about happy things through books and magazines. You can also simply take a trip down your mental lane and remember all the happy things that have happened in your life.
Engaging in movements
Apart from self-care and hygiene, physical movements are also important for your mental health. You can try engaging in fun physical activity every day, through workouts, plain walking or even dancing to some music.
Some psych wards do have a dedicated area for physical exercise and may also have recreational therapy where you can engage in movements. If your psych ward does not have something like this, you can still try this in your room or outside in the common area.
Conclusion
This detailed article has answered how it is possible to get out of a psychiatric ward. We have also shown you a number of ways you can use to stay out of the psychiatric ward and also a few coping tips that you can use while in a psych ward.
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