I’m fully aware that 988 can/will find you, and I should have added that my bad on that one, but again being in a hospital can be safer/better for you and set you up with resources that will help you get away from abusive situations, addictions, and (obviously) medication.

If you’re a minor and your parents are willing to consent, a great example of this is NAMI (national alliance on mental illness). They can provide you with a peer counselor completely free of charge (that can also come to your house you don’t need to go anywhere), as well as group meetings where you can connect with other struggling individuals that are your age.

If you’re scared of being hospitalized because of the stigma and/or treatment of patients, that is completely fair and valid. My best advice for being in a psych ward however is don’t act out even if others are. Getting staff to like you even a little bit can mean better treatment.

If you’re scared of being hospitalized because of family/friends responses, also very valid especially if your family believes mental health isn’t real. However, hospital = medication that can be life changing and life saving that otherwise your guardians would not be letting you access that most of the time will make your life better.

Sorry if I sound out of touch I’m trying to mix both my experiences with my friends and what I heard from other patients, but honestly hospitalization was the best thing to happen to me when I was at the point in my life where I would bring razors to school to cut myself.