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If you’re wondering when to admit yourself to a mental hospital, chances are, you’re experiencing extreme amounts of stress, depression, or anger. These aren’t easy emotions to cope with, even under the best of circumstances. Determining the signs you need to go to a mental hospital can help you understand what course of action to take.
If you’re at risk of harming yourself or others, please get immediate help: Call 911 or 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
14 Signs You Need to Go to a Mental Hospital
Medical intervention is often needed if you are experiencing severe depression, suicidal urges, mania, or psychosis. That said, there aren’t usually one or two specific signs mental health professionals look for that might indicate when it is time to check you into a mental hospital. Rather, there are many symptoms, including some you can look for on your own.
One of the primary factors to address first is your level of functioning. Ask yourself, “Does this problem (your mental health symptoms) seem to affect the way I live my day-to-day life? Does it get in the way of my ability to function to the best of my ability?” If you feel as though your ability to function is severely limited to the point you believe you need immediate help, then voluntary hospitalization could offer relief and safety.
Here are some negative mental health signs that may warrant hospitalization.
1. Neglecting yourself and your space
If you’re not eating, showering, bathing, taking your medication, or doing any basic cleaning around your home, these could all be signs something is wrong—especially if the lack of hygiene and cleanliness is far from your normal baseline. Depression can sometimes manifest in this way, so it’s important to look for as a potential sign that something is wrong. Alone, it may not be enough to mean you need to go to a mental hospital, but in combination with some of the other things on this list, it is definitely something to look out for.
2. Constant fatigue or insomnia
Extreme tiredness or being unable to sleep for prolonged periods (insomnia) may indicate a need for professional assessment and care in a hospital setting.
3. Withdrawing from everyday activities and relationships
If you are withdrawing from society—not showing up to work or school, no longer attending social events, unable to maintain relationships, etc.— it could be a sign that something is wrong and you need to seek care and support.
4. Posing a danger to yourself or others
If you feel compelled to harm yourself as a way to cope, or the self-harm becomes life-threatening, it’s vital to seek inpatient mental health treatment. Having persistent urges or plans to hurt someone else is also a sign that immediate intervention in a hospital is needed.
5. Suicidal urges
If you are suicidal or experiencing suicidal ideation, it’s time to get help. Being suicidal may involve having a plan while suicidal ideation can involve just thinking about suicide without real intention to act on it. In either instance, it’s important to seek help. You can call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and/or consider inpatient care for care and support.
6. Intense fear, hopelessness, and helplessness
If overwhelming feelings of fear, hopelessness, or helplessness dominate your thoughts and interfere with your ability to function, it may signal a need for hospitalization. These emotions can be debilitating and may indicate severe anxiety, depression, or trauma that requires professional intervention for stabilization and recovery.
7. Extreme mood swings, like mania and depression
If you are having Intense, uncontrollable shifts in mood, such as feeling euphoric one moment (manic) and deeply sad (depressive) the next, it can signal that you are having an episode where medical intervention in a hospital would help you.
8. Excessive anger, hostility, or violence
Severe irritability or restlessness that leads to aggression or violent behavior could mean your mental health condition has reached a critical point. Similarly, if you feel overwhelmed by emotions like sadness, or fear and can’t manage them effectively, it might be time to get help.
9. Racing thoughts or impulsivity
Experiencing a rapid, uncontrollable flow of thoughts or engaging in erratic, risky behaviors without considering the consequences can suggest a need for urgent mental health care.
10. Psychotic episodes
If you experience hallucinations, delusions, or an inability to distinguish between reality and imagination, it’s crucial to seek help in a secure, controlled environment. If you hear voices, especially ones that are telling you to commit crimes or violence, it is very important to seek help.
11. Paranoia and detachment from reality (delusions)
If you believe others are out to get you or that you’re being watched, and this belief interferes with daily life, hospitalization may be needed to stabilize your condition.
12. Severe anxiety or panic attacks
If you have frequent, intense episodes of anxiety or panic that interfere with your ability to function, seeking inpatient care can help you find relief.
13. Problems with alcohol or substances
If you are abusing alcohol or substances to cope with emotional pain or mental health struggles, or if substance use has led to dangerous behaviors or impaired functioning, inpatient care may be necessary. Detoxing from certain substances may also be dangerous or even lethal. That’s why detox can require intervention and monitoring from a healthcare professional.
14. You are making significant changes to medication
If you’re undergoing major adjustments to your medication regimen, your doctor might suggest hospitalization. This will allow your doctor to closely monitor your response to the new treatment and ensure your safety during the transition.
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What Mental Illnesses Can You Be Hospitalized for?
Some of the most common mental health disorders that can lead to hospitalization include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder I and II
- Major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation
- Anxiety disorders, with panic and extreme hyperarousal symptoms, such as heart palpitations, chest tightness, shortness of breath
Not everyone requires hospitalization simply because they’re suffering from a mental health condition. In many cases, a person may be hospitalized if they are experiencing PTSD, psychosis, and trauma-related disorders and need immediate help with stabilizing their mind and body.
How to Voluntarily Admit Myself to a Mental Hospital
If you’re considering admitting yourself to a mental health hospital, you’ll first need a referral from a doctor. Reach out to your healthcare provider, a psychiatrist, or a community outreach center that can provide you with a referral. Once you’ve spoken with your healthcare provider, they can either refer you to a hospital or even handle the admission directly.
In some cases, psychiatric hospitals have intake centers where you can meet with a mental health professional who can assess your condition and admit you on-site. If you have a specific hospital in mind, it’s a good idea to call ahead and see if they offer this kind of service.
If you’re in urgent need of care, visiting the emergency room is another option. Emergency departments have the capacity to assess mental health crises and can admit you if necessary, much like they would for any physical or mental health issue.
Once admitted, your treatment will focus on stabilization, safety, and developing a care plan for your mental health needs. You’ll be evaluated by the medical and mental health staff to ensure the best course of action during your stay.
When Can a Person Be Involuntarily Admitted to a Mental Hospital?
A person can be involuntarily admitted to a mental hospital if they are a danger to themselves or others, if they are unable to care for themselves due to severe mental illness, if they are experiencing severe psychosis or a breakdown, or if they have a court-ordered treatment plan. The legal criteria for each of these scenarios may vary from state to state.
What Happens If My Mental Health Goes Untreated?
Not all mental health concerns require hospitalization. But If you’re struggling and your mental health continues to go untreated, this could mean poorer quality of life, or even physical or psychological harm to yourself or others.
If serious problems with your mental health persist untreated, this might manifest as:
- Difficulty maintaining healthy relationships
- Use of alcohol or substances as a means of coping, which may turn into a full-blown addiction or alcohol use disorder
- Depressive disorders
- Anxiety disorders
- Poor work performance
- Reduced physical health
- Reduced sleep quality or sleep disorders
- Suicidal ideation
- And many other issues
A good rule of thumb is to treat your mental health just as you would with your physical health. If you see a physician annually for your physical check-up, why not do a mental health check-up to ensure things are going well?
And if you find yourself struggling to control intrusive, frightening thoughts, or feel as though you are experiencing or seeing things that aren’t real—don’t keep it to yourself. Tell a trusted individual and reach out for professional help.
Final Thoughts
Not every mental health crisis merits a visit to a hospital, but there are certainly times in which seeking more intensive care at a facility is needed. Learning the signs you need to go to a hospital for inpatient mental health care is a great step toward getting the help you need. It’s so important to seek the care of mental health professionals and get on a treatment plan that works for you.
