I spent 2 months in a psychiatric unit

[amapsychiatric]

Ask away…

About what exactly? You spent 2 months in hospital?

I hope you're OK now, OP. Did you feel you'd really improved by the time you left or were you still anxious about managing in the outside world?

Why?

FFS what's the matter with you? Why are you talking like that to someone who's ready to talk about her experience in a psychiatric unit? Have you no empathy?

Private or NHS
Voluntary or under section
What was your diagnosis
How are you now

I do, as I’ve spent time in one myself after developing post natal psychosis. However, the OP provided no context whatsoever, so how on earth does anyone know what to ask her.

I did feel like I’d improved but I was very nervous about coming out. When you’re in the same 4 walls (not literally but the same buildings and grounds) and you don’t have to worry about outside noise such as bills, food shopping etc you become almost institutionalised. You’re fed 3 square meals a day, your washing is done for you. It’s definitely a smack in the face when back to reality, daunting and scary. I still see a therapist every 2 weeks and have done since I left there in December of 2021.

I went to a private hospital under NHS.

I was hospitalised after my 4th suicide attempt and when they tried to discharge me I begged them to put me somewhere before I ended my life for good, I wanted to get better, I just couldn’t see a way out.

Severe depression and anxiety.

I still have not so great days but I haven’t been suicidal since, my team and my psychiatrist work with me constantly with meds etc. I married a wonderful man, have 2 beautiful children. Have an amazing group of friends and a great life but as people with depression know, you can be the richest person with the most beautiful family and still get haunted by the thoughts in your brain.

Then you know more than most that a bit of kindness can make all the difference.

If you think my comment was unkind you might need to develop thicker skin.

You could ask the OP to provide more context - but please be kind.

Did you get good after care when you were discharged - follow up appointments, specialists etc?

Is your therapy provided by the NHS?

I managed to get my section rescinded before a bed became free at the unit. But I was on s2 at an ortho trauma ward. So I was lucky in that respect.

Were the other people the best or worst part of it? Did you make friends? Were any of the others scary or violent?

I hope you're much better now x

Other people seem to know what to ask🤷🏻‍♀️

Did you find it hard to adjust back into everyday life @amapsychiatric?

For the first 4 weeks then never heard from them again. NHS is so underfunded especially when it comes to MH, it’s sad and I hope this changes one day.

For the first 4 weeks, since then, we pay private.

Was there much in the way of exercise or classes during your stay? What did you do all day?

I hope you’re doing better too! X

Both, there is a misconception that these places are filled with “lunatics”, “scary people” but really, 90% of them are “normal” women who have experienced trauma that their brain just doesn’t know how to process. Some since childhood (like me), some since adulthood.

3 of the women that I was in there with, I still chat to now, we have a WhatsApp group chat and meet for lunch once a year/chat a couple of times a month on the WhatsApp.

Yes, some were suffering with psychosis and other awful MH illnesses, this did make me feel vulnerable I guess as they could be unpredictable.

One lady was convinced that her spiritual boyfriend was in my room having an affair with me, she’d get out of bed and bang on my bedroom door at all hours, threaten to hurt me etc. by morning she’d smile at me at breakfast and ask how I slept and be a completely different person because she’d be taken away and injected and she wouldn’t remember accusing me of this. I felt nothing but sorry for her, I wasn’t scared of her, I just saw how awful MH illness can be.

The place saved my life ultimately, but I wouldn’t ever like to step foot in one again.

Can I ask what do you think caused your severe depression and anxiety, and what do you think has led you to get better from it? Is it the medication or the therapy or was it simply that you really wanted to get better and try everything? I ask because my husband was sectioned 2 years ago and, as you say, was put onto the Community team and discharged as soon as possible with a shitload of different meds and no therapy. He has had 2 further serious episodes since which have now ended our marriage because he kept forgetting to take his meds which I told him were a red line and he still did it. I am still acting as his carer and we are separated but living together because of this but I am at a loss really as to what else to do or ask for. He has yet again been referred to the CMHT and I am going to have to go with him but I don't really know what to say that I haven't said before. I want him to get better so that we can separate properly and he can be a proper father to his children.

Yes, every week you were given a rota, every day was breakfast at 8 (you could choose from a menu including full English, porridge, fruit, toast etc), then morning meds so you’d queue at the dispensary, therapy was always at 9:30-11:30 but this changed daily so one day it would be talking therapy, next day it could be art therapy, next day it could be CBT or DBT, lunch was 12:30 (again you had 2 options off of a menu plus pudding and fruit), then afternoon they had exercise classes so you could do something relaxing and slow like yoga or Pilates, upbeat like dance class or you could use the time to book in a private therapy session. Then you had free time, so movies would be played on a big tv in the lounge or you could go and chill in your room/shower/read etc. dinner at 5:30 (2 options again plus pudding if you wanted it). Then at 8pm they came around with a snack trolley, crisps, oat bars, nuts, that kind of thing. 8:30pm was time for night time meds if you received them so you’d have to go and queue at the dispensary.

I work in an nhs MH ward, I would like to know (so I can do my job as best as I can), if there was anything you’d like to say to the staff who were supporting you?

Also how are you now? I’m sorry you had so much pain. Sending you my best wishes.

Do you think it helped? I’ve been sectioned a few times but I’m not sure it was hugely helpful due to lack of therapeutic options and no real support afterwards.

I’m so sorry to hear this, for you both. My DH found it extremely difficult to try and get me to help myself. I laid in bed for 2 months, stopped going to work and eventually one day whilst he was at work, I took the biggest OD that I had ever took. By chance, my Aunt popped over on her way home from work for a cup of tea. I then remember being in an ambulance. After this, he made it clear that he loved me and would stand by me but I needed to go and get help if our marriage was to survive.

I had a bad childhood, addict parents, sexually abused from the age of 5 by a “family friend” until I was 9 and started to fight back. Eventually after a couple of years of fighting for custody, my grandparents were awarded custody but the damage was already done. Despite being safe and loved by my grandparents, I’d already experienced too much too young. I was good at putting on a front, I had lots of friends at school, normal teenage years as in attending house parties, clubbing at 18 but nobody knew apart from my grandparents that I’d been on antidepressants since I was 13, I counted in 3’s, showed obsessive behaviour with cleanliness and routine. I met my DH at 14, married at 21, had 8 unexplained miscarriages by the time I was 27. Lost both of my grandparents suddenly in their 60’s. Grief consumed me.

i wanted help by the time I found myself in that hospital, I wanted to feel normal. I was fed up of “waiting to die”, I had a husband who adored me, who wanted to build a successful like with me, who wanted to raise children with me and I needed to get mentally healthy in order to do that.

Your ex owes it to his children to get help to get better and I really hope he sees that soon. Sending love to you x

Honestly? Just thank you. I was showed kindness, support, empathy. I was treated like a human being when I felt so abnormal. The staff were lovely where I was and I’m always grateful for that.

Thank you for doing what you do, I can’t imagine it’s easy.