life after hospitalization

Hi everyone, first post here. Just wanted to talk, I know some people on this forum have experienced being an involuntary In-patient or even voluntary.

For me personally hospital was one of the worst experiences of my life, aside from being treated like a rabid animal by the hospital staff there is the shame and self-loathing that comes from hospitalization.

My first manic episode took everything from me; my friends dropped me, my family left me. I lost my job and my home. I feel like I lost myself. I left the hospital like a zombie, I didn't know who I was anymore, I was scared to feel anything.

I am still trying to get back to normal, I found a job without background checks. (I found out the hard way to an employer being in a mental hospital is worse than having been in jail.) I'm staying in a hostel in the city I was born in. I'm no longer homeless but I still have no friends or family.

How have you guys moved on after a hospital admission? What comes next and what steps have you taken to get there?

I know I can't have my old life back but I want to take steps forward in feeling ok and being able to look in the mirror. Maybe make new friends and start feeling again.

Life after hospitalization is some of the hardest times. You're alone. You begin to recognize how in shambles your life is, and all that is left to do is pick up the pieces. One by one. I'm not sure what your circumstances are, but even if you can't have your life back 100%, that doesn't mean that you can't have another great outcome. It's just a matter of time, and continuing to push forward one step at a time. New friends will be made, money will be earned and saved for a better living situation, promotions and better jobs will be had. It's just a one step at a time kind of thing.

Don't give up hope.
((hugs))

I really feel for you - coping with life after hospital is very difficult. I was lucky as my family stuck by me but I lost a lot of friends, my career, financial stability, my being allowed to drive and other things too. it has taken a long time to rebuild my life and I am still doing it but I actually think that it is a better life overall as I am not hiding who I am and am getting treatment. I did things like join social activities, most of mine were ones organsied for ppl with MH issues, at least in part and this has kept me busy and also helped me get new friends. I am very involved in my church nowadays too which is supportive and also gives me something to do. I am not looking much re work atm but plan for that to be my next thing I do. It is really really really tough but you can do it. As my Auntie says "baby steps"

Hugs

Cracked

It's been ten years and I still haven't had a job. I live alone with my mother unfortunately.

I don't know the laws in your country, but in my country it's possible to ask to be deleted from all the registers from the mental hospital. So there nobody can't understand that you've ever been in a mental hospital and you even can hide your diagnosis. Only if you do some crime and break the law this information from the mental hospital can be shown. I hope you live in E.U. If you are then the laws in your country should be the same. Ask in the hospital for information. Understand your rights.

Man I totally feel you. I was hospitalized at the beginning of this month for 6 days and have still yet to pick up all the peices. Lost friends, my home, and my family has written me off. On top of that, bad doctors. One day at a time I guess. All I know is I will NEVER go back.

Thanks for the replies. It's disconcerting how quickly people who you thought loved you will leave you after finding out about your illness. Unfortunately I cant ask to have my medical records deleted thanks for the advice anyway.

I'm sorry to hear that some of you have gone through a similar experience. It's funny you never hear about people being estranged from friends and family after a cancer diagnosis.

Has anyone here came off their meds successfully. After being an involuntary In-patient I have a deep mistrust of doctors and personally I don't think my meds helped me much. Plus I don't want the stigma of being "crazy".

I have to throw in a positive experience. 12 days of hospitalisation in June went very well -- it was useful, kept me safe, I had medical attention daily rather than once every 4 weeks, nurses were MOSTLY very nice, food was good (!!! -- People's Exclusive: Good Hospital Food Found). The only complaint I have is the bed -- they must have either ran out of money when ordering beds, or given me a child sized one -- and lack of swimming pool (kidding). It was the hospitalisation that gave me a confirmation about borderline traits. However, oddly enough I found out a few days ago my diagnosis was also changed from BP2 to BP1 and I don't know why and when because my pdoc is on holiday -- this might be the hospital not having told me, the hospitalisation itself (I went voluntarily but I don't actually know what would happen if I answered "no" to the question) or many other things.

dispute -- as for stigma of being crazy -- I imagine there was a reason you went to seek help in the first place. Imagine this is exactly where you will return upon quitting meds (PLEASE DO NOT DO IT COLD TURKEY). Only you can compare before and after and see if it's worth it. Other people's experience, successful or not, may give you perhaps some sort of statistical hint, but other than that yours will most probably be different.

Big hugs and I hope I haven't said anything unhelpful or unpleasant.

My first 2 hospitalizations were awful. I vowed never to return no matter what. The third was to save my life from overdosing, that one was fine, I was in a geriatric unit, it was calm and I had my own room. The food was good too. They checked my blood sugar levels all the time and they showed to be very good with the diet they had me on. The 4th hospitalization was to keep me safe and stabilize me. I was starting a new medicine and was diagnosed from Major Depression to Bipolar. I started lithium and it helped stabilize me. This was late April or Early May of this year. I don't like hospitals at all. But I have to admit, they kept me from harming myself. At the same time I know my first stay there was horrible and I left feeling like I was literally crazy and that I shouldn't step foot from my home in fear that everyone would know and run from me. Took me years to get over that.

I understand you. I've been in hospital twice.

My doctor wanted to send me in hospital again before halve year when I told him about my few weeks depression episode. I even had to sign documents that I reject hospitalisation and I'm responsable if something has happen to me. As a result I don't tell my doctor anything. I just say " I'm okay ". I even didn't tell him about my hypomania episode and I'll never tell him. I'd rather die than to back in hospital.