Sectioned

[fouroclockrock]

Does anyone have experience of a close relative being sectioned for psychosis? Any stories/advice gratefully received if only to keep me company. It's such a bewildering time.

Is this your relative's first ever episode, or do they have a pre-existing diagnosis?

I’m regularly psychotic and had an admission over the summer - I’m also a mental health professional, and have been since I left uni at 21, feel free to ask any questions. Sending a hug.

Hello, its their first ever episode. Still fully experiencing delusions despite taking medication for a month. Seems to not be working so trying another now. Why are the wards so unwelcoming to families?

I’ve been sectioned several times.
Psychiatric wards are shit and yes, they’re crap to visit.
What questions do you have specifically?

Thanks. I dont really know what questions I have to be honest. Just some insight. Nobody really explains everything and youre made to feel a bit of a nuisance when you visit. Nobody ever answers the ward phone so you have no idea what’s happening.

Yes, my husband always found getting information really hard. You could ask to attend their next ward round? Usually you see the psychiatrist once a week when in there.
To be honest, they’re just a bit of a holding pen until meds kick in, you don’t tend to get any therapy. They’re noisy and staff are thin on the ground.
I stayed in my room most of the time.

Hi @fouroclockrock

My brother was sectioned several times when he was in his teens and twenties due to psychosis. He was eventually diagnosed with bipolar.

He has since said he was really relieved to be sectioned as the psychosis was completely exhausting and being sectioned gave him a much needed 'rest'.

As he was over 18 we couldn't get much information. Patient confidentiality is still paramount. It was strange visiting as he was still behaving oddly and the medication gave him some really worrying muscle spasms.

He was in good hands though and within a few weeks was always very much calmer and rested and more like his old self.

Hope that helps.

Thanks ninja. Yes, I do attend ward rounds but they seem to mostly be taken up with discussing medication doses and types which are pretty meaningless to me. The nurses that attend never seem to have much to say when they are asked about how he is on a day to day basis, they don't seem to have much of a clue about what he does!

Thank you, this is encouraging. He always says he wants to go home but sometimes says it is ok in there and that the nurses are nice... then the delusions come out and he is shouting about them. Can you remember the journey he was on? Was he medicated properly in between the first and second section? Im so worried that he comes back home and then something happens and he needs sectioning again. Can you remember how long it was before he was diagnosed properly? Sorry for the questions. How is life for him now in general?

I'm afraid it was a long 12 year journey between the first psychosis and the diagnosis and being put on the right medication.

In between sections (I think there were about 4 in total) my brother would decline and behave erratically and it was only a matter of time before he was sectioned again.

He wasn't on any particular journey. He wasn't properly medicated between sections as they didn't know what go give him so they tried all sorts.
I'm sorry I can't be more positive about the first 12 years but you may be in for a bumpy ride so I wouldn't want to sugar coat it. Diagnosis may be quicker nowadays than it was back then.

However, he has been properly medicated now for over 20 years and is a lovely, lovely human being with two lovely children. He still has the ups and downs that come with bipolar but he is well equipped to deal with them and has good family and friend support around him.

I think the good support around someone is key. My brother was in a talking group that met weekly for people with bipolar for a few years after diagnosis and it really helped him feel like he was not alone.

Was he under any particular pressure before the section? Something trigger it?

Thanks @GoodLaudanum. It's hard to know what to expect but it's good to hear your brother eventually managed to get sorted. That is a very long time! I'm hoping that because he has now moved from S2 to S3 he won't be able to get out until the medication is proving to be effective and that perhaps we can move to weekend visits at home before going for a full discharge. I'm trying to prepare myself but it's hard when you don't know the eventual diagnosis so therefore where to turn. @Mayflower282 I'm not really sure to be honest. He wasn't showing any signs of distress until literally before it all happened and he talked positively about his job so maybe he was just slowly building up to it. H tended to not share very much at all (or it would all come out in a bit of a splurge) so I guess he will benefit from talking therapies of some kind so he learns not to store things up.

As others said getting medication right is the first thing. Supportive family so knowing they are there is good too. If they have gone to S3 then I think they will always be under the community mental health team. Mind is quite helpful and they have a helpline.

I've had 7 sections.

Essentially it boils down to sitting in your room and going out twice a day to have meds doled out.

Support workers sit in their phones when they are meant to be in arms reach.

The occasional fleeting glimpse of a nurse.

I was in PICU once which weirdly enough was much better. My recollection is hazy but I had a lovely lovely support worker who used to take me to the garden sometimes

Hi OP, it can be a scary time for relatives. Questions you could ask include:
Has he been allocated leave? To the grounds, local area? Is it escorted or unescorted? Is he using it? Has he been offered occupational therapy? If so, what activities has he done? Is he engaging? Has he been offered psychology? Is he engaging? How often?
If he remains under section 3 he will be eligible for 117 aftercare I think so you could look into that...

Thanks all. it is very sad to see how underfunded and stretched the service is. It's a bit of a joke that there is only a doctor seeing patients once a week for example. Thanks for the question suggestions. We do ask them/similar to them but they are often answered with an 'I don't know.' (by the way staff).

It’s very sad. No therapy either so patients just sit in their rooms. Staff disinterested and distracted. Nurses hide behind doors, support staff left to watch the patients.
It was slightly better in a private hospital I was sent to as nhs had no space. Only 8 on a ward, staff much more engaged.

That's interesting to hear @ninjahamster and glad that was the case. I've been in 5 unus, 3 of them unfortunately private due to lack of NHS beds, and they were hands down the worst. At least in the NHS the staff cared and were professional.

I have nothing good to say about the private ones.