Struggling with Mental Health: Need Advice

I've only gone once, and it was by choice. I did not have a good first 24 hour experience as they were slow to restart my meds, so I went without any analgesics or psychotropics for the time. In short it was an awful time. After that, tho, it wasn't too bad at all! I enjoyed the quiet. I read books and enjoyed them endlessly. The staff were mostly nice as was the food. The other patients there may be hard to communicate with but they'll probably open up if you take the opportunity to get to know them.

I’ve only been hospitalized twice. The first time, I was there by choice (partly). They ask lots of questions before/when you’re admitted. I was seen by a psychiatrist within the first 24 hours. I remember really liking it there. There were other people there struggling like me, and others very unlike me. We had lots of group therapy (lots of CBT), some individual therapy, and some psychiatry. We watched tv, did guided meditation, chair yoga, went to the gym (if you were cleared), and had some outside time each day. Some things I hadn’t prepared myself for were the strip-search when you’re admitted, the fact that pretty much all day and night you’re being watched, and that other patients aren’t always aware of/sensitive to what you’ll have to witness (but nurses are usually pretty good with separating people who make the environment unhealthy- I can explain if you need). At the end of the 3 days (minimum hold), they were thinking of discharging me when I said- um, no, I’m definitely not better, so I ended up staying for 14 days and then going to a residential treatment center for 6 weeks.