This evening I will be getting an evaluation done as part of the pre-authorization requirements for a “partial inpatient hospitalization.” What this means is that next week I will be spending my vacation in a mental health facility during the day and going home each night. Well if my insurance company gives the approval. The part that makes me nervous is what to do if I go in for the evaluation and they want to keep me. I have prior commitments this week including work and I view this as a very valid concern. This is one of the reasons that can make it difficult for persons with mental health concerns to seek the treatment that they need as it can be a fine line between voluntary and involuntary hospitalization.
Of course, unlike a hospital stay for physical problems, a stay at a mental health facility means no cell phone, no belt, no shoe laces, etc. In other words isolation from the outside world and protection against self-injury. This does not even touch on the entire social stigma that goes along with a stay of any type at a mental health facility. Luckily for me, that part does not bother me but I know that for other people it can make seeking help impossible because of how society will treat them.
So, if all goes well I get evaluated, insurance blesses it and I spend the week in a focused therapy regiment, maybe some medication changes all while getting to sleep in my own bed each night.