Psych wards are strange places #psychward #mentalhealth #schizoaffective #bipolar
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I stayed at a psych ward in 2019 and they definitely watched me sleep for the first few nights because I was line of sight or los. This meant someone had to keep me in their line of sight at all times and that included while I was sleeping. Psychiatric hospitals are wild.
Also I have the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder. Fun fun. Mental health awareness
#schizoaffectivedisorder #bipolardisorder #mentalhealthawareness
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Hey, I work on a psych unit and was a floor tech for 5 years! I’m gonna add some details from the other side. We have 3 levels of observation. The most intensive is 1:1 (one-to-one) which means that one staff person is assigned to one patient, and y’all are going to be within arm’s reach of each other 24/7. This is usually for people who are immediately suicidal and have a plan that they can carry out while on the unit. This usually doesn’t last for more than a day or so because 1) that level of danger typically doesn’t last super long, and 2) it’s mad uncomfortable for *everybody* involved. Seriously. I don’t want to watch you poop as much as you don’t want me watching you poop. I don’t want to stand in the shower room with you. But I do want you alive, and that takes first priority. We don’t usually do this for people if they’re aggressive towards others, because being up someone’s ass all day usually makes them angrier, to nobody’s surprise.
Second is LOS (line-of-sight). This means that the staff has to have an unobstructed view of the patient at all times, meaning not through a window or in a camera. We can still do other things and document on other people, but we gotta be in your general vicinity. Often times, people will be on LOS for a day or so after the 1:1 has been discharged (cancelled). This is most common for people who are aggressive towards others, because it’s less intrusive, but still allows us to react pretty quickly if shit shows signs of hitting the fan. Yes, this still includes showers and bathroom visits, but most people are going to at least turn their head or stay half-out the door. Believe me, we want to give you as much privacy as we’re legally and ethically allowed to give you.
Last is the Q15 rounds, aka 15 minute checks or ‘standard observation.’ This means that we have to lay eyes on the patient at least every 15 minutes and document where you are and what you were doing. These are the least intrusive for you, but a massive pain in the butt for us. That means we have to document on every single person *100 times a day.* You slept for 7 hours? I get to write down ‘In bed, resting’ 28 times in a row. So this means that we’re not just watching the 1:1 and the LOS people sleep, nay nay. We’re watching *everybody* sleep. And we know it’s creepy. We feel creepy doing it. But if for one reason or another you don’t wake up in the morning, it’s going to be bad news bears for everyone. It’s going to be worst news bears for you.
So yeah. We’re sorry. We know it blows, and we’d be pissed about it if we were on the receiving end, too. Most of us try to be as courteous and respectful as possible. Some of us don’t care or are intentionally antagonistic, and those people can go eat a bag of dicks. I apologize on their behalf, because heaven knows they won’t do it. We can’t all be winners.
I fuckin hate los bru was watching me taking a shit
What did you do to deserve that ?
In the er i had a 1 to 1 i was in my 20's.
It's not stupid it's just how to make you feel still alive it's not that bad it's just a little harmful
the phsych ward I stayed in was a horrible experience. They kept all of the blinds shut 24/7, there wasnt any clock in sight so you had to go ask one of the staff members just to know what time it was. I remember once I had brushed my hair and cleaned the brush, and was looking for a trashcan but couldn't find one, so I asked this staff member if I could throw it away somewhere. he was so condescending towards me, like I was stupid that I couldn't find a trashcan on my own when literally I had only been there for a couple days and obviously had other things on my mind. I got dead named and misgendered constantly. I was told to try praying as a healthy way of coping after telling them I am not religious. I remember I was eating lunch one day (the food was horrible, like 3 levels below American school lunch meals) and a counselor sat next to me and was asking how I was doing. I told her how horrible that place was making me feel. She asked if I believed in God and I told her no, and no joke, responded with "oh, well I dont really know then" and left. They would get really upset and scold you like you were a child if you didn't eat all three meals everyday. The showers werent able to go above lukewarm and they wouldnt let me put my hair in a towel. Just a complete loss of autonomy over yourself which i get to an extent, but it fucked with me to the point that i felt crazier than i was before I went there. Luckily I was able to fake my way out of that place by pretending I was feeling better after a couple weeks there. I cant even imagine how the people who have stayed for months and years feel. sorry for the rant, just really needed to vent.
Did you share a room with other patients?
Im sure in some cases they actually do the opposite hoping for the patient to off themselves. Some of the people that work in those places are horrible people!
Watching isn’t even the creepy part 😮
We sit in the room and watch the patient. 100%
I used to do 1 on 1’s with LOS patients and there is a high risk of PM harm too, so prop a chair in there and hang out with them, I had a patient in psychosis (drug induced) and they kept trying to fling themselves out of the bed the first time it happened before we established it was a potential pattern, my hand flew between their head and the tile floor before my brain even registered what was going on, saw them fling up and over going head first, and I jumped as fast as I could, and man did it hurt after. Couldn’t feel anything in the moment was just happy they were okay. In place of restraints I opted for a blanket that I kinda wrapped them in and anytime the would go to hit themselves or fling I would tighten the blanket and hold them and try to say gentle things like it’s okay, you’re going to be okay, you’re safe all night. In the morning it had worn off enough for them to express their very spotty recollection of how they got there and gratitude for the person who held them all night haha.
I was back at work with them the next night (off LOS) talking in the hall late at night listening to their story.
Have a lot of stories most aren’t happy endings and all you can do is watch and comfort them and do your absolute best to prevent any harm to themselves.
Fun fact: before I worked in a psychiatric hospital I had a lot of trips myself, for similar reasons, in addition to severe anxiety, and su**id*l ideation. So I always made sure to let them know it was okay when they woke up and would ask if I could get them anything, of course I’d have to ask someone else to bring it but I’d retrieve it at the door keeping the room a consistent safe space.
I had it and had to deal with my ileostomy/stoma and so disturbing as watched me dealing with my poo output and so embarrassed 😢as they were right next to me and they seen all my poo when emptying my bag and they could smell my poo so bad being so close to me in my room.I struggle so much with hating my ileostomy so much without having to share output with a stranger next to me in a room.😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
I'm 11 I was in a psychiatric wards
Psych wards NEED to be changed…I’ve been at risk of being put in one and honestly I really do think I’d rather die. To me theres nothing worse because it takes away literally everything that makes me better. It’s so dehumanizing and terrifying my heart breaks for people ,especially little kids, who have a bad experience with them. We treat prisoners better. That’s just messed up
I had a 1-on-1 for 24 hours a day for … 4 weeks. I tried to commit suicide three times in 2 weeks. Wasn't to be trusted. I also wasn't allowed to be in civilian clothing for the first 3 weeks. Worst time of my life. Never again.
What's unnerving is the fact that they even have to do that for your safety. You should be thankful.
I hope you haven't had too many psych ward visits or if you had you haven't had any or just a few recently.
been three times. had gang member on line of site after he crashed out from me sitting in a chair next to his friend.
I've not been in one yet but i like trying to figure out crazy people. So putting me in one would be educational for me.. probably making me the craziest person in the room.
Yes, I was being watched 24/7 the first time i was in the psych ward.
Even while we were sleeping, the nurses would pop in and check on us every few hours. I get it's their job, but my mental health was getting way worse without privacy.
I was at a place where if you were on a 1:1 once you fell asleep they would leave the room but do a 5 min check while you were asleep to make sure you didn't wake up (I may or may not have fake slept a couple of times and heard/saw them leave the room)
There was a camera in my room at my ward, at the hospital they had me keep my arms above my blanket and they’d usually only look at me when I move
And yet GenZ wants metal illness to get away with school stuff 💔💔
Not me but what she says is true there was this guy on other room with 2 people watching hims csuse he has like Hallucinating problems and go crazy break things and yells.. it was wild he even went by my room chasing a cat? Im like wtf lmao nurse trying to convinced him to bring it in his room i was just standing there along sith other people in hall way watching..
Yes
I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up to try to check the time in the hallway but a worker was sitting infront of my door the whole night 💔
I'm just lucky they weren't actually in my room