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Mental health is an issue that plagues many of our young people. It can be depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, blind anger, etc.
Every person has some kind of problem; no one’s sanity is perfect.
Not everyone needs treatment, but everyone has mental issues, whether it’s body image, eating disorders, or just feeling down sometimes. Most people just need medication or a therapist sometimes. But sometimes a person needs a little extra help.
Mental hospitals are one of the most feared places for teenagers, and it’s always a huge question whether they’ll actually help them. In my experience, hospitals have nothing to do with movies. The hospitals in the movies don’t look comfortable either. But those in real life are definitely not five-star hotels.
Their care includes residential teachers, therapists, psychiatrists, art therapy, and more. They all try to find the root of the problem and then let you express it however you want. Most patients stay there for five to seven days. Others stay longer. Some more severe cases are transferred to a residential or public facility.
The honest question is, do these facilities actually meet the needs of these patients? Are they even useful?
So here is my review of the mental health system and facilities.
TW: I will say there that this article can be a trigger for those who have been in these systems. If this article makes you uncomfortable, please don’t read it. We will go through many parts of the mental health system, not just institutions.
school counselors
In each school there is a guidance counsellor. They help you with academic matters and mental health issues. Many counselors will schedule times when students can come and talk to them. Most are qualified counsellors, but some are not.
Problems arise when the counselor does not handle the situation properly. In many cases with girls, their stories are often dismissed as lies. Boys are pushed aside because they have to act like men and have no feelings. Many don’t understand that mental illness is actually much more common than people think. And if more school counselors had the proper training, they would realize that.
Many cases are never reported to the right people. And when they do, it’s often not handled properly. Many students complained that they weren’t really listened to. Or that they weren’t taken seriously. And many complained that the advisers were even condescending to them.
Overall, counselors need more training and more understanding of how mental illness works.
Psychiatrist
Many people in mental crisis often have to go to the emergency room. Most ERs are staffed with psychologists so they can help patients with mental illness. Also, for different types of abuse. They are trained professionals who have undergone the necessary training.
It’s honestly one of the best parts of the mental health system. This is an emergency type setting where their goal is to make you feel good enough to go home. They will sometimes prescribe medication if necessary. They will tell you about your problems. They will work with you to work out game plans on how to manage your symptoms over the long term.
ER Psych get less fame than they deserve. And they save so many lives every day.
Psychiatric hospitals
Oh yes. Psychiatric hospitals. Often portrayed in movies as this place where they can heal in a sheltered facility. There are people all around them, movies, art, therapists, medicine and eventual release. The reality is similar. However, there are some things the movies hide.
There are things called quiet rooms. They are real concrete cell blocks. They are cold and hard. You are locked in there with little or no human contact for up to 24 hours.
The staff at these places can range from super nice and understanding to rude and heartless. Staff are responsible for constantly monitoring patients. They monitor them and make sure they follow the rules. They are also the ones you talk to throughout the day. They are there to enforce the rules and make sure you don’t get hurt. They can be wonderful or horrible. It’s just humanity in general. However, one would think that the psychiatric hospital would choose its personnel a little better.
There are very strict routines in hospitals. They’re there to give you a sense of routine while you’re stuck in there. You may see your assigned therapist multiple times while you’re at it. A psychiatrist is there to prescribe medication. There is exercise therapy, art therapy, music therapy, etc.
Many leave within a short period of time. Others stay longer. And some leave for a more permanent facility called public or residential hospitals. It all depends on their level of care.
Ultimately, they help people. Their process could sometimes be much more humane. But most patients walk away with a new sense of control over their mental health.