Are You Allowed Makeup In Psychiatric Hospitals

Puppy stuffed animal with a stethoscope on the counter at a hospital — Puppy stuffed animal with a stethoscope on the counter at a infirmary

When you're admitted to a mental wellness hospital, in that location are a few things that almost every facility won't let y'all bring with you lot — or that they will confiscate. Things similar hoodie strings, shoelaces and shaving razors (and other sharp objects) are banned. In well-nigh cases, you'll also have to mitt over your phone. Beyond some of these commonalities, the rules for what you can and can't bring are different from hospital to infirmary.

While many of the restrictions make sense to proceed patients safe, the list of rules for what you tin't have at the mental health hospital can be lengthy. They might ban everything from blimp animals, to personal care products, radios, accessories like sunglasses or hats, your own medication, flowers or jewelry. It can exist especially difficult to be without some of these objects, because they provide comfort when you're really struggling, remind y'all of the people you love and in some cases, brand sure y'all're able to manage your other health atmospheric condition.

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Everyone's experience — and what they were allowed to have while in the hospital — is unlike. And sometimes knowing y'all're not alone when you acquire your favorite stuffed creature or wedding ceremony ring can't stay with you makes the indignity and pain a little easier to bear. To find out some of the more surprising items people were not allowed to bring with them later being admitted to a mental health hospital, we asked The Mighty community.

Hither's what our community wasn't allowed to accept in the infirmary:

1. Stuffed Animals

"They had to run my stuffed animal through an X-ray before I could accept it in. Because sometimes people hibernate things inside them.'" — Kaitie A.

"My blimp dog. It looks exactly like ane of my dogs and I always go to them for comfort." — Shelby V.

"Comfort items like blankets or stuffed animals. They made my dad have it back to his truck." — Phaedra-Rey J.

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2. Reading Light

"A book light. It was rechargeable so in that location were no batteries and information technology held accuse forever, so no need for a cord." — Andrea M.

three. Medical Equipment

"They also were hesitant to permit me to accept my portacath accessed because of the needle. I need daily infusions and they wouldn't allow that either because they claimed they couldn't become it approved." — Gina M.

"My CPAP machine. I was immune to use information technology, simply I had to be [supervised] with it. I didn't have it for the get-go five days of my stay (which I was actually OK with having a break from). When my family brought it, the floor had to do an extensive check of the machine, watch me hook it up and I was [supervised] the entire fourth dimension I used it." — Katie H.

"I take top dentures my husband had to bring them and my supplies for them to be locked away and I could simply become them when a nurse had time to supervise me putting them in or taking them out." — Becky T.

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iv. Your Own Medications

"My bedtime meds! Then my morning meds! It made me worse off with the withdrawals! I was furious, but couldn't stop crying so they put me on suicide sentinel! I volition never go back to that hospital once more. And this happened this year! Very scary." — Kim E.

"No medication. Non fifty-fifty for acid reflux or asthma." — Jamie W.

5. Underwire Bras

"My bra. I had a choice though — either go braless or let them cut the underwire out. I let them take the wire. That and the strip search felt and so violating." — Victoria D.

"One time I went in I was non allowed my bra. I've never non been allowed to have my bra before and being a big chested woman I felt so… exposed without one. I was and then uncomfortable the whole time." — Mackenzie W.

"They took my bra, because of the underwire, shoes because of the laces and made me take the string out of my hoodie." — Elizabeth C.

"A regular underwire bra. When I went in, I had sports bras, but one of the other girls there said her bra was altered then there were no straps." — Raven A.

6. Chewing Gum

"Chewing gum. They were worried that people might put it into the door locks so they wouldn't be able to unlock the door." — Katie P.

7. Spectacles or Contact Lenses

"My wire prescription spectacles. They said they would provide proper glasses in plastic… And then they realized I require loftier myopic specialty lenses that would put them out $400 dollars and they gave me mine dorsum existent quickly." — Bailey South.

"While in the emergency department while waiting for placement, I was not allowed to have my spectacles. Which were plastic frames and lenses. I cannot meet without them. They had them for nearly 24 hours." — Tara S.

eight. Hymeneals Ring

"My wedding band… And I had to remove all my body jewelry." — Denise One thousand.

9. Feminine Products

"Tampons. I might have soaked them in something. Really? How does one do that without them swelling up and becoming unusable?" — Kat Westward.

"Tampons were not allowed on my unit, nor were pens and pencils!" — Mary M.

10. Comfort Blanket

"My security blankie. I know information technology sounds empty-headed, simply, yes, I am a 34-yr-old with a blankie still. It'south the #one thing that calms me down, peculiarly when I am having bad anxiety or a panic attack. I was told it wouldn't exist an upshot, just when I got there, they refused to permit me go along information technology. I fifty-fifty told them they could wash it (fifty-fifty though I really didn't want them to!) if information technology was for sanitary reasons, just they only said admittedly no." — Sarah M.

"My babe blanket. It'south tiny and used to be my sister's before she passed." — Summer R.

11. Books

"My book. I'yard a reader and a book to me like a security blanket. I had to leave the book I was reading at the fourth dimension with my mom. But and so I go in the common room and in that location are books on a bookshelf. I was across pissed considering no ane could explain why my paperback book wasn't allowed but these books on the shelf were." — Evonne P.

"They didn't let me bring my Bible." — Martha B.

"Books, they said the therapist would look through the books and see if they were appropriate 'in my status.' My stuffed animal. Messages from my dad (he sent letters while I was there, they threw them abroad)." — Haley Due south.

"My books and my journal… both of which aid me get a better handle when I feel my feet and depression taking concord of me." — Isaura V.

12. Family Photos

"I had to fight to go on my family photos and stuffed animals." — Morgan C.

13. Stress Balls

"A foam stress brawl." — Barbs U.

14. Your Ain Wear

"[Not allowed] more than 3 days worth of wearing apparel." — Suzanne E

"Stuffed animals or a sports bra… Couldn't wearable own clothes either, had to vesture scrubs." — Summer Due south.

15. Your Ain Underwear

"In one of my experiences, I wasn't immune to wear any of my own dress, not even my ain undergarments… It felt truly humiliating to clothing the disposable underwear provided and no bra." — Cora D.

"My underwear. Plain, full coverage undies. Their version of underwear was horrible! I was much better off going commando nether my scrubs. At least I got my wire-complimentary bra during the day." — Courtney H.

16. Personal Toiletries

"They took away my travel size shampoo and conditioner leaving me with their hand soap to launder my hair and lotion for conditioner. I learned the lotion trick from other patients." — Amy H.

"My cosmetics, shampoo and soap. Apparently in the past people accept snuck in alcohol in makeup and shampoo bottles. It'southward obviously non a life-or-death consequence, simply it would accept been squeamish to accept familiar scents and go on using my own products, peculiarly since I have sensitive skin. Having my ain cosmetics would have helped me feel a little more like my 'normal cocky' in a novel environment." — Lily C.

17. Hairbrush and Other Grooming Products

"A hairbrush, makeup. When y'all feel bad plenty and aren't able to brush your hair and put brand upwards on, it brings yous downward fifty-fifty more." — Jenn G.

"Hair ties! They kept crappy, tiny rubber bands, like the kind you lot put in a toddler's hair, at the nurse's station, and you could only have 2 at a time. My thick hair broke through at to the lowest degree five a 24-hour interval. I simply wanted my hair out of my face!" — Julie C.

Since every situation is unlike, you or your loved ones can unremarkably find a list of what you tin can and tin can't have with you on your hospital's website. Look for a carte du jour pick that says something similar "what to bring," or "admissions." If yous tin't find anything online, you or a loved one can call the infirmary to become more information.

Going to the hospital for your mental health is already scary and invasive plenty. Seemingly ridiculous restrictions hospitals impose on what you tin can bring with you don't assistance. Know you're non alone, and don't be afraid to accomplish out to those you trust to support and advocate for yous when you're struggling.

What's something surprising you weren't immune to bring with y'all to a mental health hospital? Let us know in the comments below!

For more on what to expect when yous're hospitalized for your mental health, bank check out these other Mighty manufactures:

6 Things to Bring With You If You Are Hospitalized for Your Mental Health
What You Demand to Know Earlier Your Showtime Psych Hospital Admission
10 Ways to Support a Loved One in a Psychiatric Hospital