Having A Roommate While In The Hospital

[MainerMikeBrown]

I've been a patient in mental hospitals more than once. And each time I've been in one of those places, I had to share a room with a roommate.

I have always had mixed emotions about it, as I sometimes wanted to have my own room all to myself.

But in general, I've found that having a roommate who has similar issues that I had at the time was a good thing. For example, sometimes if I was having a bad day and my roommate and I would start talking and chatting in a friendly way, it would make me feel better for a while.

So having a roommate while in a mental hospital can be a good thing, I think.

[Ponder]

Better than being in a large room with up to 30 other sleepers. I went through that at age 16 posing as an adult in a homeless shelter. That was more scary then when I later shared bunks in various prisons. Depending on the type of prison and holding areas it can be a different experience as to what sharing cells are like. The space can be as little as 10 by 12 foot with one bunk setup for two to share with a shitter in the corner. Being with an inmate that's cracking under the pressure of the prison system can be an edgy experience to say the least, however many individuals seem to support each other in positive ways that you won't see revealed on TV. Instead that reality garbage only focuses on the fear.

I really struggle with anxiety in general hospitals, as to me I feel they are worse than prisons. Don't get me wrong ... I would never like to go back to prison ... although sometimes the way I see people treated on the outside, I often ponder it might not be such a bad deal going back to prison. At least in there I knew the routine. I was involved in a riot with response teams holding batons, threatened more than once by individuals that could break me in two with the snap of their finger - YET - I knew if I played things right I would be good to play cards in the open yard the next day and things would go on not so bad with another day down and one more to go.

That was decades ago ... in that time the cycle within society has only gotten worse. I think those on the outside are in a prison more than ever before and that if your lonely and the only place you can meet a like-minded friend in on the inside of a phychward, rehab, shelter, jail or prison ... then take what you can get and connect!

I agree with you MainerMikeBrown - generally it is a good thing. Like it or not - people do need people. Isolation Sucks. in fact its Inhumane!

I must admit, I don't feel as comfortable taking showers in the block; that's an entirely different story.

[salvator here]

Only 1 time, was it just me by myself, and that time i was able to recover much better, other times I had room mates, usually 4 per room here. Not that they don't try to be nice but snoring keeps me up. My social phobia prevents me from interacting all that much to my roommates in the hospital and I don't get better in that situation, but it just has to be that way. Because I act so strangely towards them, they in turn treat me accordingly and the hospital staff constantly tries to force me to be social with other patients and I just can't seem to do it correctly and it reflects badly on me. I suppose that is one of the biggest fears of going inpatient. My therapist has mentioned it that last 2 visits so I have to downplay my severity.