For some, dark thoughts may get so severe or imminent that it is time to discuss hospitalization for suicide. Many of us may be scared of what could happen if we, or someone we love, needs to be hospitalized for mental health reasons. There are a lot of dramatized images in popular culture that fuel the fear of mental health treatment facilities. Think about the Joker from Batman, for example, or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  We may imagine these hospitals more like prisons than therapeutic spaces.  Most of the images we hold of these places are outdated. Actually, most mental health treatment centers are calm, peaceful places.

The reality is hospitalization for suicide will be necessary for some people. Importantly, there is a significant difference between voluntary and involuntary hospitalization for suicide.  Voluntary hospitalization may take many forms and include options like outpatient services.  Involuntary hospitalization may restrict your ability to leave the care of the hospital until you are deemed no longer a threat to yourself or others.  However, contrary to popular myth, indefinite hospitalizations are extremely rare, if for no other reason than most insurance policies will limit the number of days one can spend in a treatment center.

Family members may find it especially hard to insist that their loved ones be hospitalized for suicidal thoughts against their will, but it’s important to consider the potentially devastating alternative.  If someone is in acute distress, hospitalization for suicide may be the right call. For more on this subject, check out our blog “Hospitalizing a Loved One.”