It wasn't fun, especially at first, but it saved my life. Technically, I was a voluntary patient, I say technically since, while I wasn't officially being held involuntarily, if I'd tried to leave, they would have held me there. When I admitted myself, I knew that it was either that or end up dead. While I didn't want to go, I was afraid of what would happen if I didn't.

I was in the adolescent ward, so I can't speak to the conditions in the adult system. That being said, when I got there, I was completely overwhelmed. I didn't know what to do, I didn't want to be there, and I just wanted to die. Luckily, the staff were amazing. The hospital is incredibly safe, and supervision is constant. While it takes some getting used to, it's not that bad.

The first few days were the worst. Getting used to the new routine wasn't easy, but all the staff were understanding and flexible. There were a lot of groups sessions, which I found to be completely useless. However, there were also frequent meetings with my psychiatrist, paediatrician, social worker, psychologist, etc. They changed my medication frequently while I was there, trying to find the right combination, but once they did, it was incredible.

After only a few days on the general psychiatric ward, I got transferred to the eating disorder unit. I hated it there at first, since they chose all my meals for me, whereas before I was allowed to choose for myself (in retrospect, this was a very good decision; when I was choosing my meals, I ate nothing but salad). I got used to it after about a week, and gradually settled into the new routine.

The people there took some getting used to, especially on the general ward. There were people there with psychosis who had frequent outbursts. It was disconcerting at first, but then I got used to it. On the eating disorder unit, I felt a bit out of place, being the only male there, but once again, I got used to it.

I was there for a month. It wasn't the greatest month of my life, but if I hadn't gone, it would have been the last. A month is much longer than the average stay for depression, but anorexia, which I had, generally requires a much longer stay. If you think you need to go to the hospital, don't hesitate. It could save your life. If you have any questions about what it's like, I'd be glad to answer them.