Psych Ward: What Happens If You Are Admitted?

Psychiatric hospitals are also commonly referred to as psychiatric wards or psych wards. The idea of being admitted to a psych ward can sound intimidating or even scary, but understanding more about what these facilities are and what they help with can ease these concerns.

Keep reading to learn more about what psych wards are, what they can help with, and what happens if you or someone you love is admitted as a patient at one of these psychiatric facilities.

What Exactly Is a Psych Ward?

A psych ward is dedicated solely to mental healthcare. These facilities often provide treatment for patients with serious conditions such as:

• Psychosis
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Major depression
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Other mental health conditions

Psychiatric hospitals can offer a wide range of care, from inpatient to outpatient and day-treatment programs. The focus is on treating mental illness by providing psychiatric assessments, prescribing medications, and offering therapies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), supportive psychotherapy, and family therapy.

In addition, psychiatric hospitals may offer other treatments to promote the mental well-being of patients, including art therapy, music therapy, recreational therapy, and pet therapy.

Psychiatric hospitals are staffed by psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other trained professionals who provide care for mentally ill patients 24 hours a day. Patients have access to their own rooms or suites and shared spaces to promote socialization and interaction.

What Are the Different Types of Psych Wards?

Psychiatric wards are also sometimes called mental health wards or behavioral health wards. Regardless of the name, they're generally places designed to provide intense care for psychiatric patients whose needs cannot be adequately met in an outpatient setting. Although there are mental health facilities that focus on either children or adults, most psychiatric wards treat both groups.

In addition to psychiatric wards, there are also psych units or psych floors in many general hospitals that treat patients with psychiatric symptoms or mental disorders that require a shorter stay than what would be offered on a full-fledged psychiatric ward. These facilities typically provide around-the-clock observation and care by trained professionals who can also administer medications.

Psychiatric wards also offer a much more intense level of care than what's provided in outpatient facilities.

In this situation, a psychiatrist evaluates the patient and decides whether extended psychiatric treatment is necessary to stabilize the individual so that outpatient therapy can begin.

Why Would You Be Admitted to a Psych Ward?

Many psychiatric wards require that patients be admitted on an involuntary basis, meaning they may not leave the facility on their own. There are several reasons why a person might be admitted to a psych ward against their wishes, including:

• Suicidal thoughts
• Physical harm to self or others
• Drug and/or alcohol abuse
• Intense emotional distress or anxiety
• Self-destructiveness or being unable to take care of oneself
• Threatening the safety of others
• Difficulty coping with one's environment, whether in the home or community
• Having a mental illness that can't be managed in an outpatient setting
  

These can also be used as an alternative to jail time in the case of repeat offenders whose actions were the direct result of their psychiatric symptoms, such as untreated schizophrenia or acute depression.

What Happens Once You're Admitted to a Psych Ward?

Once you're admitted to a psychiatric ward, you'll continue receiving treatment and care for your condition until you're stable enough to go back into the community. Patients are usually required to remain on the ward for several days up to several weeks, depending on their symptoms and progress.

You might be wondering, "What happens if I'm admitted to a psychiatric ward?" After you're admitted, you'll be assessed by a treatment team of medical professionals who will determine the appropriate course of action for your condition and symptoms. You may also undergo physical examinations and lab tests to help identify any medical problems that may be causing your symptoms.

You'll also meet with a psychiatrist who will discuss your psychiatric history and current symptoms in detail. After evaluating you, the doctor may prescribe medications to help ease your symptoms and make you more comfortable.

Can You Leave a Psych Ward?

In most cases, patients may leave psychiatric wards when they're no longer a threat to themselves or others. In some cases, however, doctors may decide that patients need to remain hospitalized for further treatment and monitoring before they can be released.

Also, keep in mind that many psychiatric wards have strict visitation policies. Typically, you won't be allowed to see anyone except immediate family members. Visits may also be restricted to certain time periods and supervised by a staff member.

Can You Be Restrained or Forced to Stay in a Psychiatric Ward?

Psychiatric wards can force patients to remain admitted for treatment if they're considered dangerous to themselves, others, or the safety of their environment. This is known as being "committed" or "involuntarily committed."

Depending on the severity of your condition and the type of facility, you may be restrained with wrist or ankle cuffs to keep you from harming yourself or others. Patients can also be given physical and chemical restraints if they pose a threat to themselves and others, but only under certain conditions.

Psych Ward vs. Psychiatric Hospital

Although they sound similar, psychiatric wards and psychiatric hospitals are two different types of facilities. Psychiatric hospitals (or sometimes called mental health hospitals) provide long-term care for patients with severe mental illnesses that need close observation and medical attention.

While being admitted to a hospital is always an emotional experience, you'll likely feel even more scared when it happens in a psychiatric facility. This can be due to the stigma surrounding mental illness or because of your own fears about what might happen during your stay. Because of this, it's important to find ways to relax and keep yourself comfortable during your hospital stay.

Some psychiatric facilities offer yoga and meditation as part of their therapy services, which might help you feel calmer and centered during your hospitalization. Your doctor may also prescribe sedatives or anti-anxiety medication.

Takeaways

Psych wards are designed to offer specialized, round-the-clock care to people who are dealing with serious mental illness. Admission to such facilities is often involuntary and happens if a person presents a risk to themselves or others.

Because they offer intensive, continuous care, psych wards can help stabilize people during psychiatric emergencies. They can also work to help people develop coping skills and transition to outpatient care.