grippy sock vacation

English

Alternative forms

• grippy socks vacation

Etymology

"Grippy sock" refers to the non-slip socks issued to psychiatric patients in place of lace-up shoes or slippers.

Noun

grippy sock vacation (plural grippy sock vacations)

1. (Internet slang) An inpatient stay in a psychiatric facility.
   • 2021 December 6, VoidCat, “The day Conscious thoughts lost it”, in Religious Forums‎^[1] (comment):

     Does this mean Conscious thoughts went on a grippy sock vacation? Or just went to treatment?

   • [2022 April 22, Anastassia Gliadkovskaya, “This online trend seems to glamorize psychiatric hospitalization”, in Fierce Healthcare‎^[2]:

     The recently popularized term is “grippy sock vacation,” mostly prevalent on social media. It comes from the non-skid socks given during psychiatric hospitalization when a patient’s laced shoes are confiscated for their safety. Providers worry the terminology may play down mental health treatment, contribute to stigma and sensationalize psychiatric hospitalization.]

   • [2022 July 22, Asher Chambers, “‘Grippy Socks Vacation’ and Our Media Diet”, in Unfiltered Magazine‎^[3]:

     If you’ve spent any amount of time online in these spaces, especially tiktok, you’ve likely come across ‘grippy socks vacation’ before. It’s a phrase used to describe an admission to a psychiatric hospital/ward.]

   • [2022 December 14, Beth Greenfield, “‘I need a grippy sock vacation’: Breaking down the Gen-Z slang term for a trip to an inpatient psychiatric facility”, in Yahoo! life‎^[4]:

     Use of phrases like, “I need a grippy sock vacation” and “I’m one breakdown away from a grippy sock vacation” — inspired by the high-traction socks that are doled out in hospitals of all kinds to prevent slips and falls, but have been a hallmark of psych wards — is rising.]

   • 2023 January 29, “February Tarot Reading”, in The Yale Herald:

     Still, the Five of Cups tells us that yes, you may be a grade-A unstable, about-to-book-a-ticket-to-grippy-sock-vacation mess. Or you might be thriving despite it all.

   • 2023 June 21, “Grippy sock vacations and chocolates”, in Kitten and her coffee‎^[5] (blog):

     I’m going on a social media and phone break. I’m going to try my best to not go on a grippy sock vacation. I’ll decide on a course of action for my mental health and boundaries in the morning.