When is it time to hospitalize yourself?

I FEEL AN ADMISSION TO HOSPITAL SHOULD BE SOMETHING YOU AND YOUR
DOC DO WHEN THE NEED ARISES. IN TERMS OF RECOVERY BASED TREATMENTS I WOULD
BE LOOKING AT YOUR LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH TEAM FOR GUIDANCE AND REFERAL. MAY I SUGGEST LOOKING AT A OUTPATIENT PSYCHO-SOCIAL RE3HABILITATION PROGRAM. I WISH YOU WELL. IN TERMS OF STUDY, MAYBE SOME SUPPORT CAN BE GRANTED BY YOUR DISABILITY LIAISON OFFICER FROM YOUR UNI. MAYBE A PLAN CAN BE DRAWN UP BY YOU, YOUR DOC AND UNI FOR SUCH SITUATIONS WERE YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF REQUIRING ASSISTANCE. I DID, MANY YRS AGO. EXTRA TIME FOR PAPERS, QUIET ROOMS FOR EXAMS AND EXTRA TUTORIAL/MENTOROSHIP. GOOD LUCK. JAMIE.

I agree with Jamie.

I would add that if your psychiatrist is recommending hospitalization right away, US schools almost always have a provision for students to continue their classes the following semester at no additional charge.

You can talk to your registration office & ask what options there are if you need to leave school for an extended period of time due to medical necessity. They can advise you about your options. If it is for a short time, often they will give you alternate assignments to work on either in the hospital/at home, or at the end of the semester or they will let you pick up the class the next semester where you leave off this semester -- assuming the course is offered next semester. Or if it's not a prerequisite course, and is only offered during the Fall term they might let you continue the course next fall.

The main thing is that hospitalization is always the final resort. If your psych is recommending hospitalization it would suggest that either you've tried meds, counseling, etc. and they haven't worked yet -- or that s/he feels you can't wait that long because your condition is too serious. In either situation, your live is WAY more important than whatever money might be lost from missing classes. If your parents are struggling to understand that, you can authorize your psych to explain the seriousness of the situation & the need for intensive treatment. My dad has never been supportive or understanding of my depression, but after talking with the psych he did agree that I needed the recommended treatment.

But is that's what the doc is recommending, I would say sooner is better than later. If you're not going to class & don't have a medical reason excusing you from them on file, you will fail. That will go on your record & you might not even be welcome back at school. If instead you get either an incomplete (meaning you can make up the work) or a withdrawn passing (meaning you would have to pay to retake the class), you will still have a good future ahead of you. It's just a minor detour.

I hope that helps. I know what it's like to feel so drained & not interested in anything but feeling guilty and hopeless and everything all at once. It all seems like too much, but if you make good decisions now you will be able to get through this. Hang in there!

peace,
frances