Day Five from Hospital Discharge

I am in my second day of outpatient therapy with a reputable hospital. I feel as if I am in good hands but this therapy plan is very tiresome. On Monday through Friday, between 9-4pm, I am involved in intensive outpatient care. Most of this outpatient care consists of attending four to five different group therapy sessions, meeting with a psychiatrist daily, and speaking with a counselor. In addition to all this, I will be starting EMDR therapy tomorrow. For those who don't know what EMDR is or what the acronym stands for, it is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is the preferred method of therapy for patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I forget if I mentioned that I was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) along with general anxiety and depression. To those of my readers that are unfamiliar with behavioral health, it probably sounds like a full plate. Let me tell you that it is a full plate. I have been burdened by these conditions for the past decade.

Last week, I was admitted to a hospital as an inpatient for suicidal thoughts and PTSD. I hit rock bottom but instead of reaching for a gun to end my life, I decided to reach out for help. It was the right decision to make, because I am confident that I will feel better as I progress through therapy.

Staying in a hospital for mental health can be a frightening situation. It all depends on your attitude and which hospital that you go to. This was my third inpatient stay! My first two stays were done at the Veteran's Affairs hospital and those situations were down right frightening. This time, since I have insurance, I went to the best hospital in the area for help. Doing that made all the difference.

The Veteran's Hospital frightened me. It was dark and drab. On my first night, I was attacked in my sleep by a very disturbed patient. That was not a good start to a treatment plan! Having that experience made my voluntary admission more difficult this time around. Luckily, I had no such experience at the new hospital. I was well cared for and very comfortable. I stayed there for a week and gladly would have stayed for three weeks if need be.

That is about all I can write today. I am exhausted from therapy and the recall of traumatic memories. I will try to write more soon.

Thanks for reading.