Scarleteen

I think I'll need to go to a hospital again after top surgery. And hospital stays are hard.Do you have any advice on how to make a stay in MH easier?

I've personally had a stay in a mental hospital, so I know from experience how disorienting it can feel. I found I coped best when I had something to busy myself with. Either asking someone else about themselves (it takes the pressure off of you, you can sit back and just chill), or having an activity like a sudoku book. I got bored with reading, it didn't occupy my mind enough. Try as much as possible to stay active - I would walk up and down the hallway and stretch quite a bit since it's easy to sit in one place all day. I realize this post is older - have you had your top surgery yet?

I know this is an older post and the original poster may not see this, but this thread reminded me of a guest post on the Captain Awkward blog of someone sharing their experiences in a mental hospital. It's several years old now, from 2012, but I still think the post itself, and other people's comments with their own experiences, has some good information in it. If you're interested you can read that here.
Obviously this is an area where it's good to tread with caution and respect people's own limits around privacy and what they're willing to discuss, but I've found that friends & acquaintances with experiences in inpatient or outpatient mental health programs are often happy to share some experiences or tips if it'll be helpful to other people who may be about to have their own experiences.