Guide to Psychiatric Hospitalization

If you need immediate help or if you are having thoughts of death or suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room.

If you or your loved one have severe symptoms of an illness like depression or bipolar disorder, a brief stay in the hospital can help stabilize the symptoms. This section of the DBSA website is intended to help you through hospitalization. Some ideas may be useful to you; some may not. Everyone’s experience in the hospital is different. Use only the suggestions that make sense to you and help you.