Mental health hospital review thoughts

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share my experiences with psychiatric hospitals in California, USA. I thnik overall, it wasn't very good at all-I'd give it 1 out of 5 stars. I ended up there because the police put me under a "51/50 hold" and later a "52/50 hold," wich is like being forced to go because of something called the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.

While I was there, it felt really tough. The staff treated me kind of badly, and one nurse even said if I tried to leave, they'd find me, which isn't nice at all. It made me feel like I wasn't being seen as a person but more like an animal that needs controlling.

Some things that stood out:
1) The hospital was really cold
2) The food wasn't very fresh or healthy
3) Bathrooms were co-ed and pretty dirty
4) Bedrooms were shared with anohter patient
5) They made me take meds, whether I wanted to or not
6) People weren't treated nicely or empathetically there
7) All my stuff got taken away: clothes, purse, phone... and replaced by a gown and socks
8) When I left, they took away my right to have guns
9) You can't leave unless you follow all the rules set by doctors
10) The place is watched 24/7; no fresh air without permission from staff
11) They make notes on your mental health that stick with you for life
12) Your hospital depends on what insurance you have, even if it's good insurance, you might not get the best care
13) No visitors were allowed when I was there during COVID-19
14) You can only use their phones to make calls-goood thing if you remember numbers of people who help in emergencies
15) After laeving, going off or changing meds could lead to relapse and readmission

I wanted to share this so others know what it's like. I hope things will get better and more humane for everyone dealing with mental health issues. It feels like the start of a long battle instead of getting help.

Maybe folks in other countries have different experiences, but here,it's really hard on people and doesn't feel therapeutic at all. The medical staff gets paid well too, which isn't right if they're just locking you up and overprescribing drugs.

I hope my story helps others understand better