Hospitalization for mental illness

[Anonymous]

How did you decide when you'd reached the point that you needed to hospitalize a mentally ill teen? This is so hard and we feel very much alone. Also, any recommendations as to particular facilities?

[Anonymous]

Look at Cumberland in Virginia.

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP. Really does suck. Do you have a psychiatrist to help you? Or a therapist to decide? We did emergency hospitalization one time and it was good as sort of shock treatment but it wasn't a good long term plan as they just really dealt with the emergency. You need a big plan with professionals if you are considering hospitalization.

[Anonymous]

When he/she is a danger to himself or others.

A warning: Most hospitals are only good for immediate stabilization. They aren't really going to fix the problem. Most of the programs are pretty bad. However, if there is the risk that he will harm himself, then definitely do it. Do not hesitate.

I know that the situation is different for anorexia, but there are facilities that specialize in that. I'm sure there are other conditions that also have specialized hospitals, so maybe you could give a general sense of what you're looking for in a program?

[Anonymous]

Just for serious possibility of harm to self or others. Harm would not include cutting unless it is presenting serious medical danger.

It is very tempting to think of putting a teen in a mental hospital because you have reached the end of your rope. BTDT. But other PPs are right--most programs are terrible and are really only good for immediate stabilization.

[Anonymous]

OP here. This is less encouraging than I'd hoped. Kid has threatened others (that's the trigger for us) and possibly experienced a psychotic break. Psychiatrist recommend hospitalization. Immediate crisis is over, however--calmed down, back to usual unhealthy self. So we need something to prevent this from happening again, not really to address an immediate crisis.

[Anonymous]

When my son was 15 his anxiety got out of control he had a psychotic breakdown and had to be hospitalized at Shepherd Pratt for two weeks. That was a rough time but they were able to get him stable with medication and therapy in their adolescent program for boys. Each boy in that ward had their own room. Unfortunately he was hospitalized after that 4 more times due to potential harm to himself. Those times were at a local hospital in patient psych ward and there they mixed the teens and kids with adults but they did the group therapy separately and the kids could only be roomates with other same sex kids and teens. SHepherd Pratt was better for teen mental illness inpatient programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my son was 15 his anxiety got out of control he had a psychotic breakdown and had to be hospitalized at Shepherd Pratt for two weeks. That was a rough time but they were able to get him stable with medication and therapy in their adolescent program for boys. Each boy in that ward had their own room. Unfortunately he was hospitalized after that 4 more times due to potential harm to himself. Those times were at a local hospital in patient psych ward and there they mixed the teens and kids with adults but they did the group therapy separately and the kids could only be roomates with other same sex kids and teens. SHepherd Pratt was better for teen mental illness inpatient programs.

No -local- pscyh inpatient puts < 18 yr olds together with adults in the same rooms. Are you talking about ABH? Then you know the floors are separate. Same with PIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my son was 15 his anxiety got out of control he had a psychotic breakdown and had to be hospitalized at Shepherd Pratt for two weeks. That was a rough time but they were able to get him stable with medication and therapy in their adolescent program for boys. Each boy in that ward had their own room. Unfortunately he was hospitalized after that 4 more times due to potential harm to himself. Those times were at a local hospital in patient psych ward and there they mixed the teens and kids with adults but they did the group therapy separately and the kids could only be roomates with other same sex kids and teens. SHepherd Pratt was better for teen mental illness inpatient programs.

Did you do a long term residential program at Shepherd Pratt or just a short term hospitalization? And is there a reason that you didn't do the residential program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my son was 15 his anxiety got out of control he had a psychotic breakdown and had to be hospitalized at Shepherd Pratt for two weeks. That was a rough time but they were able to get him stable with medication and therapy in their adolescent program for boys. Each boy in that ward had their own room. Unfortunately he was hospitalized after that 4 more times due to potential harm to himself. Those times were at a local hospital in patient psych ward and there they mixed the teens and kids with adults but they did the group therapy separately and the kids could only be roomates with other same sex kids and teens. SHepherd Pratt was better for teen mental illness inpatient programs.

Did you do a long term residential program at Shepherd Pratt or just a short term hospitalization? And is there a reason that you didn't do the residential program?

It was considered long term because the average stay is a week and he did a bit over two weeks. This is called the residential program. They also have a day program once you transition out the residential program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When my son was 15 his anxiety got out of control he had a psychotic breakdown and had to be hospitalized at Shepherd Pratt for two weeks. That was a rough time but they were able to get him stable with medication and therapy in their adolescent program for boys. Each boy in that ward had their own room. Unfortunately he was hospitalized after that 4 more times due to potential harm to himself. Those times were at a local hospital in patient psych ward and there they mixed the teens and kids with adults but they did the group therapy separately and the kids could only be roomates with other same sex kids and teens. SHepherd Pratt was better for teen mental illness inpatient programs.

Did you do a long term residential program at Shepherd Pratt or just a short term hospitalization? And is there a reason that you didn't do the residential program?

It was considered long term because the average stay is a week and he did a bit over two weeks. This is called the residential program. They also have a day program once you transition out the residential program.

Got it. It looked like on their website that they had 6-11 month residential treatment programs, but maybe those are just outpatient programs.

[Anonymous]

When he tried to stab his sister with a fork.

Look into Shephard Pratt in Baltimore

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I will pass along what my DD's psychiatrist told us: that hospital admits are geared toward crisis stabilization, and the whole decision hinges on what insurance companies want: evidence that the patient is a clear danger to herself or to others.

Anecdotally, he reports that PIW is often a pretty dysregulated and chaotic environment. Children's is often recommended as the quieter/less emergent caseload option, but I didn't find that to be the case when my DD was admitted. Of the local hospitals, our psychiatrist recommends Inova Fairfax/Kellar.

[Anonymous]

There is no reason to do it once the crisis is over. It is expensive and not much good comes out of it. Mental hospitals are understaffed these days, too. I know several kids who spent a few days at Dominion, and they say it is like being in K again with playtime and stupid art projects.

Does your psychiatrist have a longterm plan?

[Anonymous]

OP here. The psychiatrist has a long term plan (a 2-3 year plan), but nothing seems to be getting better, and these rages are destroying our other kids (and us, but whatever). They pop up at random times and there is no stopping them until they run their course. And in the meantime, he's not going to school and is not functioning in society. And we have less than a year until he's 18 and we lose some levers to get him care. I'm just at a loss.