My Advice for Transitioning Back to Life After Inpatient Treatment

Leaving the hospital after a mental health crisis can be overwhelming. These are my tips for a healthy, mindful transition back to your normal day to day.

A psychiatric hospitalization is unlike any other experience.

You fill out forms to decide whether you want a chicken Caesar salad or a hamburger. A nurse comes to your bedside and watches you swallow your medications, one at a time. And there are counselors available anytime you start to have a meltdown.

But once you leave the hospital, you’re responsible for your own safety and well-being again. You have to take care of all your needs and make sense of what mental health really is.

Here are some suggestions for how to reintegrate yourself back into the “real world” post-hospitalization. I’ve been hospitalized many times, so I know the drill.

Whether this is your first time spending time in a psych ward or your fifth, I hope these tips help you make sense of how you ended up in the hospital and where to go from here.

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1. Make an appointment with your psychiatrist

It’s likely that the psychiatrist who saw you in the hospital prescribed medications for you to stabilize your condition. So it might be a good idea to get on the same page as your psychiatrist outside of the hospital once you’re out.

Sometimes, it can take weeks to get an appointment, so the sooner you call the better. In my case, I reach out to my psychiatrist’s staff and they’re able to find a time for me to see her.

It’s important to see your psychiatrist so they can continue the medications prescribed in the hospital. Withdrawing from psychiatric medications can be a painful experience. And you want to keep the levels stable.

If you don’t have a psychiatrist, this could be the time to look for one. You might also be able to see your primary care physician (PCP) to prescribe medications until you’re able to get an appointment with a psychiatrist.

2. Go to the pharmacy

When you’re discharged, your hospital doctor will probably give you prescriptions to hold you over until you’re able to get to an outpatient psychiatrist.

If that’s the case, the pharmacy is one of the first places you should go when you leave the hospital to make sure you keep taking your medications.

Again, withdrawing from antidepressants can be a painful experience. It’s important to maintain steady levels of your medications.

3. Do something relaxing

When I come home, the first thing I do is slide into the bathtub or do something else that will keep me from thinking about my time in the hospital.

Being in a psychiatric unit is a very intense experience, which you may need to recover from when you come home.

Suddenly, you can feel all alone with your depression. Especially compared to when you were in the hospital, where there was always someone to talk to.

I suggest coming up with relaxing tools for self-care. Taking a bath is not the only way to relax. You can watch your favorite movie or TV show. Another idea is to do something creative, like draw or make a collage.

Or, you can always eat your favorite meal.

4. Make a trip to the grocery store

Good nutrition is very important to mental well-being. In the hospital, you’re provided food for every meal. Now, it’s time to go to the store and buy healthy food that will nourish your mind and body.

Fruits and vegetables are staples that I like to keep in my refrigerator. Planning ahead for healthy meals is also a good idea and can help prevent relying on fast food. Try cooking balanced meals, like lean protein, pasta, and vegetables.

Buy some nutritious things to snack on, too.

If you need help planning meals, here are some healthy, easy ideas.

5. See your therapist

Psychotherapy can help you understand how you ended up in the hospital and what you can do to stay out. Therapists can help you cope with your feelings and provide that support system you need when you leave the hospital.

I’ve relied on my therapist when I leave the hospital. We talk about what led up to the hospitalization and how I’ll take care of myself now that I’m out. I always feel overwhelmed when I leave the hospital, and this supportive counseling is a big help.

Therapists can also teach you skills to help you in this transition. For example, deep breathing and mindfulness can help you cope with stress and difficult emotions.

I’m always grateful for my therapist and the fact that I can talk about anything with her and she’ll always be there, sitting across from me, listening to me vent.

If you don’t have an established therapist, I recommend setting aside some time to look for one. For example, you can use the American Psychological Association Psychologist Locator and look through all the therapists in your area. You can even specify your insurance and what conditions they specialize in.

Many therapists will talk with you for a few minutes for free to see whether it’s a good fit. And if cost is a concern, you may be able to find a therapist who sees people on a sliding scale, meaning you pay what you can afford.

Most importantly, if you don’t like the first therapist you try, don’t give up. I tried several therapists before I found the one I see now who helps me so much.

Additionally, you can consider joining a support group where you can meet other people going through similar issues as you.

6. Get out your journal

Journaling is another great tool to make sense of how you ended up in the hospital and what you might do differently in the future.

Write how you feel about your time in the hospital. Do you think it helped you? What was the most beneficial part of your time in the hospital? Did you like the group therapy and meeting other people who were struggling with depression, or the art therapy?

How did you end up there? Did you miss doses of your medication? Was your depression so severe that you felt suicidal?

This might help you understand whether you really do need your medication and how important it is not to miss doses. Asking for help from your psychiatrist or therapist could be a good step in the future to avoid reaching the point of needing to be hospitalized again.

Journaling can help you understand all of this so you can make better, healthier decisions when dealing with the symptoms of depression.

7. Consider partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs

Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) allow you to sleep at home while still participating in lengthier and more intensive mental health care.

PHPs and IOPs also provide structure, giving you a place to go during the day when you’re dealing with difficult symptoms of depression. They’re a great step down from inpatient hospitalization, especially if you’re still working to stabilize.

Such options can provide a healthy transition and the support you need when adjusting to life outside of the hospital. These programs can also teach you the skills to cope with overwhelming emotions and feelings.

For example, PHPs and IOPs often go over dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which gives you tools for distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Some of these programs also include fun things, like yoga and arts and crafts.

Many insurance companies cover these programs, too. I really enjoyed being in a PHP because I met new friends and learned skills that would help me stay out of the inpatient level of care. 

For more details about what to expect in a PHP, check out this article.

The takeaway

Psychiatric hospitalization is a very intense experience. You have to face the symptoms of your depression head-on: talking about it with doctors, being stuck behind locked doors, and doing the same thing every day.

But it can be helpful when your depression is so severe that you’re having trouble functioning or thinking about suicide. The hospital is the safest place to be in these situations.

Everyone has to reintegrate back into their life when they leave the psych ward. This looks different for everyone, but it’s important to move forward, building a life that will enable you to continue healing from your depression.