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ePaper created 2014-12-04, 01:15:59 | version 1.33.01
32 Roommates The great thing about your roommate situation is that the powers that be have taken care to match patients accordingly. They are not going to put you in a room with someone with whom you will mix badly. At least they will try not to! During my five visits I roomed with a number of people. Usually folks only stay in the hospital for a couple weeks, therefore there is frequent switching. This is usually not a hassle, because you will probably only have a few belongings in your room anyway. If you are asked to switch rooms, just gather your stuff in your arms and walk to where you are told. One of my roommates was considerably older than me by about fifty years. This created a little bit of a problem because he constantly had medical personnel coming in to check on him, sometimes while I was sleeping. He was a kind gentleman though, so it didn't bother me a whole lot. Be prepared for this, because sometimes a mental hospital is just a stop-off for someone that is on their way to another type of medical facility. Something you need to keep in mind is that often you will be in a room with someone who is suicidal. Now, these people usually have an attendant with them 24-7, but sometimes someone slips through the cracks. If you are ever on the receiving end of a "suicide plan confession", the first thing you should do is tell an attendant. Trust me, you don't want someone to make an attempt when you could've done something about it. While you are in the hospital, you will probably see some patients with bandages wrapped around their wrists. Those bandages didn't get there by accident. Unstable patients can do some pretty crazy things sometimes. In general, you will probably not have to worry about your roommate. You will go about your business, he/she will go about theirs, and you'll both be out of the hospital without incident.