SZN. 3 Ep. 6/ Support Before, During, & After Hospitilization
Support Before, During, and After hospitalization
By: Roxanne Sorci, LCPC
Pursuing a higher level of care for mental health treatment can be a confusing and scary process for most. As a therapist who has worked in the emergency room, inpatient psychiatry, and as a family member of a loved one who has been psychiatrically hospitalized previously, I am passionate about spreading awareness and destigmatizing the process of receiving inpatient psychiatric treatment. It’s been a couple of weeks and things are just not looking up. Maybe it’s in the continued isolation that you begin to question how your family member is really doing, and oh wait? Did they eat lunch and dinner yesterday?
Before Hospitalization:
When mental health begins to waver, its not always clear. We as humans are allowed to have some bad days, and when the bad days are continuous, heavy, and painful, it’s time to consider additional options of care and support. Sometimes this means looking into a day program or seeing your therapist twice a week for a few weeks, other times this may mean going to a crisis center or emergency room for an evaluation.
However, for the purposes of this article, we are exploring how to support someone after the decision to be psychiatrically hospitalized has already been made. Being in a new setting is uncomfortable, us humans typically hate change and being told that we are going to stay somewhere to work on our mental health takes some real hard ass courage.
Where can you show up?
As someone supporting your loved one who is about to do something difficult, compassion is key. A lot may have happened that has led to this point, and where in your heart can you soften? Can you bring them their favorite comfy pjs? Can you write them a card? While you have more than likely been doing a lot already, and you yourself may be stretched thin, it can be important to continue to hold onto showing love, kindness, and respect throughout the process.
Prioritize Their Autonomy
Are there agreements you and your loved one can come to prior to admittance? I like to encourage family members to give their loved ones as much autonomy as possible. Questions such as, “How often would you like me to call?” “How involved do you want me to be?” can be helpful. And its ok if the answer is “I don’t know,” some questions do not need to be answered right away.
During Hospitalization:
Take a breath. No really, take a long slow inhale, and let it go. Your loved one is safe and as hard as it may be to put trust in a treatment team that doesn’t know them as half as well as you do, its necessary.
Get Curious
While your loved one is receiving treatment, I often encourage family members to take the opportunity to reflect and get curious about what specifically led to this point and their role in it. It’s a delicate balance of seeing where one can lean in more and examining where their own limits already exist.
This can happen through learning more about a loved one’s diagnosis, asking their treatment team members for reading, podcasts, and resource recommendations. Additionally, joining a support group for caregivers or psychoeducational groups through organizations such as NAMI, DBSA, etc. can foster a community of healing.
Prep for Aftercare During Care
After discharge from hospitalization, continuing with outpatient care is strongly encouraged. Your loved one does a lot of work when they are hospitalized, there are constant groups and constant talk about symptoms, all things mental health, family, medication, etc. It’s a lot AND it’s also a small piece of the pie as to what recovery may continue to look like. Typically, individuals step-down to a partial hospitalization program or intensive outpatient program when discharged from inpatient psychiatry, other times meeting with their therapist and outpatient prescriber also works well.
After Hospitalization:
When your loved one returns home after treatment it can be common for everyone to feel a little on edge. Your loved one is more than likely still processing what treatment was like for them and what may come next. You may possibly be worried if it was enough time or not. All points of views are valid.
Manage Your Expectations
Yes, it was treatment, and no, there is no magic pill. Mental health conditions have no timeline and while hopefully your loved one is in a better position than they were when they were first admitted, some things may be the same. Becoming aware of your own self-language, scenarios and hopes you keep rehearsing in your mind, and what you are expecting or wanting from your loved one is vital to breaking shame-inducing patterns. This may sound like answering the questions, “What am I hoping will be different within my loved one when they return home?” “If _____ is not different, how will I cope?”
Engage with a Safety Plan Often
There is nothing I love more than a well-done safety plan, ok ok, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but when it comes to recovery and having a document that lays it all out there, a safety plan is a great starting point. A safety plan is a one-page document that lays out the warning signs, coping skills, contact information of people one can contact for support (friends, family members, professionals), and what needs to be done to make the environment one is in feel more safe and comfortable for them.
Hopefully your loved one was able to create a safety plan with their treatment team prior to being discharged from the hospital, if not, I would encourage advocacy for a family session and for this to be done together with a trained professional. It not only is a great tool to reference for continued wellness but is a great tool to navigate conversations around what to look out for and who and what to utilize for support in the future.
All in all, there are many ways for your loved one to feel supported during psychiatric hospitalization, and for as many ways as there are out there, there are just as many reasons why it is important to show up for yourself and practice self-care, boundaries, and finding your own support. We truly cannot pour from an empty cup. Roxanne with Generational Health offers individuals and family’s mental health services specific to chronic mental health conditions and supporting a loved one before, during, and after hospitalization. For more information please reach out to Roxanne at Generational Health through www.generaitonalhealthpllc.com, info@generationalhealthpllc.com, or by calling (872) 221-8875.
