Hi again @Charleysmum
I see @Lee82 and @Gwynn have been super helpful and given you great advice and support. Generally, semi acute means a voluntary admission. This means you agree to go there, but you also have the right and choice to leave should you wish. Which I would advise you don't. It will be a little tough and scary in the first few days, but I am sure this wouldn't be recommended for you unless it was considered that it might help. As Gwynn has suggested, take some things with you that you might like to do. Colouring in books, something to read, crosswords. Some units have jigsaw puzzles, magazines and books. Take a favourite pillow or blanket, and you are often allowed snacks as well (chocolate is my friend!). A good tip is if you like good tea or coffee, take your own. Hospital stuff isn't the best. Depending on the unit's policies, sometimes you can have your phone, sometimes you can't. Most likely anything considered a safety risk is removed from you- so cords, shoelaces, drawstrings, etc. You will be checked quite frequently, and that's just protocol for your safety. Like Lee has said, often after the first week, you can like leave the unit for short periods to go for a walk, get a coffee, have visits, etc.
My first admission to a mental health unit was about 5 weeks. I shared a room with another lady, and we shared a bathroom. Other admissions I have had single rooms. I am about your age, but it never bothered me either way. I generally kept to myself. After about a week or so, I was allowed to go for a walk each day, and I had my car, so I could also go and get a decent coffee. I participated in a number of activities run by the occupational therapist (OT) like mindfulness, cooking, art therapy and such. The OTs have different activities each day, and the unit I was in had a white board with these on. I got on ok with some nurses, not so good with others. Same with the patients as well. Like Lee said as well, as the weeks went on I was allowed more time away from the unit as trust was established. I saw a pyschologist every couple of days, as well as someone in the mental health team, like a resident pyschiatrist or the main pyschiatrist. One other tip I would suggest you do is to ask the doctors to prescribe you something for anxiety that you can take if your anxiety levels escalate (especially in the first few days). A medication taken on an 'as needed' basis is called a PRN. Also ask them for a sleeping tablet at night, as if your not sleeping well now, being in an unfamiliar environment, strange bed, etc can make it difficult.
It all might sound a little scary, and increase your anxiety with just thinking about going to hospital, but you could and will most likely find it very beneficial. It's nothing to be ashamed of, nor are you weak, helpless or unworthy. Sometimes it helps to look at a hospital admission as a reset or time out from all the stresses and worries that you have been going through. I absolutely couldn't even imagine what you have gone through with the bushfires. I watched in horror from Western Australia how catastrophic they were, but the losses people have had are immense, and that's not just the loss of property. I am so very sorry that you had that too.
Please reach out here anytime you need, for support or even just to chat. As I said, I am just a few years younger than you. I also have Major Depression, Anxiety and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
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