Things that will be confiscated, regardless of location, include: Anything sharp (whether it’s razors or pencils) Anything with wires in it, such as underwire bras or cables Things with drawstrings, laces, or anything rope-like (for example, shoelaces or scarves) Alcohol or drugs, including cigarettes (required medications will be kept by the front desk) Personal belongings, such as wallets or cell phones Earrings and any other jewelry that is deemed as a risk Things that may be confiscated depending on your location include: Clothing Jewelry such as bracelets Stuffed animals Other things deemed as a risk—don’t be afraid to ask why!

You’re likely to need to have blood taken at some point - possibly immediately if you didn’t have it taken at the emergency room. If you’re afraid of needles, let them know; they can support you and give anti-anxiety medication if needed. The nurses may wake you up during the night to try and get blood samples. You’ll also be required to give a urine sample.

Depending on the ward, you may have to stay in the common room all day and aren’t allowed in your room until bedtime. Other wards will allow you to stay in your room, but nurses will check on you periodically. Don’t argue these rules unless you have a legitimate reason—the nurses won’t let you stay in your room all day if you just don’t feel like getting up.

Roommates will be of your same sex. People who are transgender or non-binary will likely get rooms alone or with people who have the same assigned sex. Typically, people who are not in your room are not allowed in your room, especially if they’re of a different sex. Violation of this rule can lead to consequences decided on by the nurses in charge of the ward.

If a patient is being extremely aggressive or is trying to flee the hospital, they’ll be administered a drug through a shot in the bottom. This is sometimes referred to as “booty juice”. If you come to the point of needing to be knocked out, take the medication voluntarily; when getting the shot, you’re restrained to a bed, and many patients are in pain for the following days.

If a medication that you have been placed on is giving you debilitating side effects or is making you feel worse, tell your psychiatrist as soon as possible. They can adjust your dosage or take you off the medication and try a new one.

Some of the other teens will mostly keep to themselves. You can try to talk to them, but you may get varying results. Almost every psychiatric ward has rules against patients touching each other, so you won’t be able to hug other patients while you’re there. At some hospitals, though, the nurses may look the other way if someone is leaving and you want to hug them goodbye. Psychiatric wards strictly forbid romantic relationships between patients. If you’re caught cuddling up with, holding hands with, or kissing another teen in the ward, the nurses will likely put both of you on watch to prevent you two from getting close.

Ask your treating team to help you write a discharge plan. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source {“smallUrl”:“https://www. wikihow. com/images/thumb/e/e2/Cope-with-Being-in-a-Teen-Psychiatric-Ward-Step-16-Version-2. jpg/v4-460px-Cope-with-Being-in-a-Teen-Psychiatric-Ward-Step-16-Version-2. jpg”,“bigUrl”:"/images/thumb/e/e2/Cope-with-Being-in-a-Teen-Psychiatric-Ward-Step-16-Version-2. jpg/aid7200212-v4-728px-Cope-with-Being-in-a-Teen-Psychiatric-Ward-Step-16-Version-2. jpg",“smallWidth”:460,“smallHeight”:345,“bigWidth”:728,“bigHeight”:546,“licensing”:"<div class="mw-parser-output">

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It’s recommended to strip your bed while doing this. It makes less work for the nurses, and is sometimes required by them.

You might feel ashamed of telling your parents or guardian that you’re struggling. However, the vast majority of parents or guardians want their teen to be healthy and happy. If you tell them you’re having suicidal thoughts, for example, they’d be more focused on making sure you’re safe than on judging you. Keep in mind - just because you’re in a bad place doesn’t mean that you have to go to the hospital again. It’s possible to develop “safety plans”, where you and your parents (and sometimes, your therapist) agree to do certain things to keep you at home and safe. You may agree to sleep in your parents’ room, and your parents may agree to remove all potentially hazardous things from areas easily accessible to you.