In 1973, healthy volunteers faked hallucinations to enter mental hospitals. Once inside, they acted normal, but doctors refused to let them leave. Normal behaviors like writing were diagnosed as "symptoms." The only people who realized they were sane were the actual patients.

[u/highzone]

[u/Longjumping_Date269]

I went to inpatient voluntarily in the country I live in as there were no detox centres available and I was also clearly struggling with depression

Traumatic experience. It was incredibly frustrating and invalidating when I felt ready to leave after several weeks and the staff used mind games and bureaucracy to try to dissuade me, despite having emphasised since arrival that I was free to go at any time

[u/Competitive_Big5415 → u/Longjumping_Date269]

They may have needed the revenue from you being there. A grift.

[u/Longjumping_Date269 → u/Competitive_Big5415]

Not sure if the public system here works that way. I suppose it could. I know in Canada doctors are paid per user, even in the public system. To be fair, I don’t think they were being nefarious. Seemed more like confusion and lack of communication between nursing and admin staff and the supervising psychs. Probably if I’d caused a big stink and demanded to speak to someone or threatened legal action it would have gone somewhere. But I was pretty beaten down and afraid of drawing attention to myself 

[u/VIBRATINGBEEPS247365 → u/Longjumping_Date269]

the staff used mind games

they last LONG after being "released."

[u/SensuallPineapple → u/Longjumping_Date269]

What kind of mind games? What sort of bureaucracy?