Triggering (Suicide) - What can hospital offer that community support can't?

[one_step_closer]

Apart from being a place of safety, is there anything more that hospital can offer? I don't want to go to hospital unless I really have to but I am actively suicidal and I can't cope for much longer. I don't want to go to hospital and just suffer the same as I am now. If there is nothing additional that they can offer me then i'd rather suffer at home. I work in two acute inpatient wards and the patients are bored most of the time, that would only make me worse.

[sherlock holmes]

I suppose being a place of safety is the most important thing.

I've been on some wards with appaling OT departments and it was so boring, and other wards really geared up for OT so it was less tedious.

I suppose by being in hosptial you have the oportunity to talk 24/7 to nurses whereas in the community you probably only see someone once a week for a set amount of time.

[Tig]

I guess it depends on the hospital. The hospital I go to now, has very little to offer - although like Control Freak mentioned, it at least has the benefit of being able to talk to somebody 24/7. Aside from that, there aren't any additional benefits because the OT is non existant. They do have an OT but unfortunately she is always made to take on nursing duty because there aren't enough staff.
Maybe if there was a ward you could go to that had proper OT/therapy it would be more beneficial?
Hope that made sense!

PS, I know this isn't what you are asking but if you do have to go in to hospital and you have enough time - you could take some things in with you to keep you more occupied. x

[Steel Maiden]

When I was in the secure unit, there was f*ck all to do and anyway I spent most of my time under strong sedatives that knocked me out somewhat so I didn't know. But I'm inpatient in an acute ward atm and it has some groups. Actually the saving grace is the relationship I have with the patients and nurses. I have made a really good friend on the ward and have other acquaintances. Most of the nurses are great to talk to. That keeps me going. And now I have leave so I mix hanging around the ward and doing some groups with going out and doing things. Although the community gave me a lot more support in terms of social worker, psychologist and voluntary work as well as a psychiatrist and meds. Here its just ward round once a week and meds. But the nurses and healthcare assistants can be great.

[plastic rose]

It really depends on the hospital. I found it really helpful because I was surrounded by people who had similar problems to me and there was so much group therapy we could go to that we never had to just sit around with nothing to do, you could almost always be in a group therapy session. But nobody forced you if you didn't feel up to it.

Plus hospital treatment gives the nurses and doctors a chance to see what your problems are like up-close on a day-to-day basis in a way they never normally do. And finally, being in hospital means that the doctor will see you at least once a week so changes in medication can be monitored very closely, and therefore they can make more dramatic changes to your meds and experiment with them until they find the right thing for you, in a way they have to do with a lot more caution if you are staying at home.

The nurses in psych wards can either be a blessing on a curse in my experience, purely depending on the individual nurse and the general trend in the hospital, but most of the ones I've had have been lovely and really helpful.

[Ami]

I have only been on one adult ward and it was crap, so i dont really know about what "good" hospitals offer.

I think if you really need to be somewhere safe, because you're at so much risk of suicide, going into hospital would be good, and you can have a "break" while the feelings get sorted out or pass.

However if you can keep yourself safe, and deal with these horrible feelings then community support would be best.

thats My 2 pence anyhoo.

It would be such a shame to loose you, so please stay safe xxx

[Theara]

Just 24/7 support like mentioned earlier... If they are the kind of hospital that does support instead of locking people up and drugging them that is.

If it feels safer to have 24/7 assistance at hand the hospital would be a good bet I guess...