I'M NOT DISORDERED TAKES PART IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD RESEARCH STUDY | AD

The University of Sheffield have developed a questionnaire called ReQoL (Recovering Quality of Life) to help understand feelings and monitor the progress of recovery and quality of life for people who have different mental health conditions.

The research is being carried out by the University of Sheffield and is funded by the Department of Health.

It involves a quick (5-10 minutes) multiple choice questionnaire that does not affect your care.

For more information on the study please contact Dr Anju Keetharuth at the University of Sheffield by email at reqol@sheffield.ac.uk or by telephone on: 0114 222 0884

You can also read about the findings of the study and more details on the website: http://www.reqol.org.uk

WHY MY SHOULDER INJURY HAS AFFECTED MY MENTAL HEALTH

I’ve been meaning to write this post for quite a while now – well, since I first injured my shoulder which was September or October 2017! But I knew that writing it, thinking about what I need to write, could upset me so I knew I either needed to be sleepy and able to write this and go straight to sleep to avoid the aftermath, or needed to be really happy so that it might not even make a dent in my mood. Turns out, tonight, I’ve got the best of both worlds…

I think I wrote about the event that I dislocated it at actually… It was with my community support providers; Richmond Fellowship and by some strange reason, I was co-chairing their entire event!

A few months before that, in the June, I broke my collarbone whilst play fighting with a family member and didn’t realise that this meant my shoulder was still quite fragile. I don’t think I even turned that much when I heard a ‘pop!’ and felt my eyes tear up as I quickly excused myself from the event and ran to the toilets – the pain was so incredible that I actually felt sick with it.

Cygnet Healthcare #ChangeStigma Event | Ad

Stigma in Mental Health: The role stigma plays and strategies for positive change

Date: Tuesday 8th May 2017

Venue: Village Hotel Leeds South

www.cygnethealth.co.uk

Raf Hamaizia - About to have dinner with @CygnetNurses and @wayne2183ac but they don't eat as much as me so I have had snack beforehand

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Wayne S - and look who's just joined us, its @aimes_wilson

Raf Hamaizia - Having a catch-up with my @aimes_wilson after annoying @JulieKerry6 a little over dinner! Looking forward to tomorrow Anti-Stigma conference

Kicking off DAY TWO of #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MHAW2017 with @cygnethealth 's #changestigma event

24hrs with a Bulimic sufferer

24 hours with... Becky Thompson
Date: Friday 15th April 2016
Why have you chosen to write about today?
I've been wondering for a while when I'd feel like it was the right day to do this, but I got discharged from inpatient care yesterday so today is my first day in over 2 months while living  independently with my mental health conditions, which I thought would be interesting

Good morning!

What time did you wake up?
10:30 - before going into hospital in February I had a terrible sleeping pattern of going to bed at around 4am and waking up around 6pm which was terrible for my depression but since my stay in hospital I've gotten into a much healthier sleeping pattern

Why did you wake up at that time? I didn't particularly have anything on today so I got to lie in until I wanted and woke up naturally
Did you have a dream? I had many haha! I have a lot of recurring nightmares that I won't go into in much detail but generally being readmitted to hospital and having a breakdown in public are in there as those are two of my biggest fears

Do you think today will be 'good' or 'bad' day? (use your own definition of these words to answer the question)
I think it will be mixed - it's great that it's my first day as a free woman after being discharged from inpatient yesterday but there's also the struggle of being on my own for the first time in a while which could be difficult as I struggle with feelings of being alone, particularly when I'm out of hospital

What are the first three things you do after waking up?
Tuck Albert back into bed - he's my toy lamb that helped me through hospital when I was younger so now I sleep with him every night and give him a kiss before bed and when I wake up haha I'm like a little kid! I'll look in the mirror and try to gage how bad my body image is this day and then go for a cig

Do you eat breakfast? If yes, what did you have?
Yeah I had 2 bowls of Special K, I had one and still felt hungry so I had another and was going to binge but I managed to fight the urge to eat any more after that and kept myself downstairs so I didn't go to the bathroom

What would be your perfect breakfast?
Oooh that's super difficult because I love breakfast so much anyway but probably either pancakes and syrup or just some good old muesli

Is there anything that you have to do today but don't particularly want to?
I need to sort out all of my things from hospital and put them all away in my room but I really struggle with being messy and disorganised when I'm depressed so my room is pretty cluttered anyway - I need to properly sort it out and throw away all the old stuff I don't need but I'm finding it hard to put away my smaller clothes from when I used to restrict so it might take some time...

List five things that you do between 9am and noon.
Normally, I'll have breakfast, go for a cig, I'd like to say get dressed but I'd be lying if I said I did that every day - I got half dressed today though, go through my phone notifications as I've got far too many apps and I'll either go to college wed-fri or go and veg-out on the sofa with some bad TV

Did you eat lunch? If yes, what did you eat?
I had some goats cheese and pesto pasta today that my sister made when she got home from college - we'd planned it as a nice lunch together which is one thing that kept me from binging earlier on

-What would be your perfect lunch?
Very difficult but possibly a brie, grape and cranberry sauce sandwich - they're delicious and my dad used to make them for me as a treat when I was younger

List five things that you have done, said, thought, or that have happened between noon and 5pm.
I sorted out 3 of my bags of stuff from hospital and put some clothes to one side in my room that I know don't fit me anymore. I got a new iPod yesterday so I spent ages trying to sync all of my music over. I love Queen so I thought "oh yeah I'll download their best-of album, which turned out to be a cover album - very disappointing! When my sister came home from college we had lunch and a chat over some fruit salad and I had a chat with my mum about how I felt today when she came home from work. Oh and a few more cigs haha.

Do you eat dinner/tea? If yes, at what time?
At home I generally eat dinner between 6 and 8 but it's hard to get back into a normal pattern after hospital as they have it at 5! Who has dinner at 5? Seriously?

What do you eat?
We had pizza tonight as we have a tradition at home of having pizza every Friday, it's kinda like mine and my sister's special thing, although it's difficult not to turn it into a binge

What would be your perfect dinner?
Chinese food I damn love chinese it's my favourite!

What do you do with your evening (5-8pm)?
When I'm back at college I should be doing work at this time but tonight I went to the village pub with my mum for some wine to celebrate coming out of hospital

Do you have a 'get-ready-for-bed' routine? If so, what is it?
On a good day I'll wash my face then get changed, take my meds and take a drink up to bed. On an average day I'll just take my meds and stumble up to bed after some wine but regardless of whether or not I've been drinking I have a very specific skin-picking routine that takes at least an hour before I can actually go to sleep. Very annoying but I've never been diagnosed with anything due to it.

What time do you go to sleep?
It used to be between 1 and 6am but recently it's been more like 10 or 11 pm. It really depends on what time I take my night time meds as they make me sleepy.

Is this when you want to go to bed? Or is it influenced by what you're doing the following day?
If I'm going to college the next day I'll try to make it before 1am but sometimes it stretches to 2.

Do you share your bed?
Nope - all to myself! I only have a single bed though so I don't have a lot of room for spreading out

Which position do you tend to sleep in? e.g. foetus, starfish etc.
I tend to go to sleep in the recovery position just because I find it really comfy but I roll around a lot in the night. I also rock myself to sleep like a baby - I find it comforting and it helps me to relax although I'm terrible to share a bed with!

Reflect

What was your favourite part of your day?
Waking up and realising I'm at home and not in hospital! I have a lot of dreams within dreams and I'd already dreamt that I'd woken up back on the ward so it was a huge relief to be at home after

What was your least favourite?
Looking at all the stuff I have to sort out in my bedroom - I don't have the motivation to keep my room tidy but seeing it messy is also a big stressor for me.

Did anything happen today that you'd like to change or re-do?
I wish I hadn't eaten so much at breakfast - I know I need to lose weight but it's difficult to find the motivation to do it healthily without relapsing.

Did you 'learn' anything today? (use your own definition of this word to answer the question)
I learnt that I can cope on my own at home but that I think I need to keep myself busy. Not having anything to do is a trigger for me as it leaves me to brood on my thoughts so I need to find more productive ways of using my time

Are you looking forward to tomorrow?
I am actually! I don't often feel like this but I now have a weekend ahead of me as a free woman so I can go out and do what I want!
What do you have planned? I'm hopefully going to get my nails done tomorrow with a voucher my sister got me for my birthday - hopefully nice nails will give me a mood boost :)

24hrs with two Best-Friend's living 3,000 miles apart

24 hours with... Fran Houston and Martin ("call me Marty") Baker

Date: April 5, 2016

Why have you chosen to write about today?
Marty: My bestie Fran and I thought it would be fun to answer our questions on the same day. We chose this date on the basis we would each have time to do so. Fran and I live 3,000 miles apart - me in Newcastle in the northeast of England and Fran in Portland, Maine. We have been friends for almost five years. She lives with bipolar disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, and I am her main support and caregiver. 

Fran: Not too busy. Not too sick.

Good morning!

What time did you wake up?

Fran: 6.15am
Marty: 7:30am

Why did you wake up at that time?

Fran: Bathroom visit

Marty: My alarm went off as usual - but I went back to sleep and didn't wake properly until 8:10am! I leapt up, got washed, dressed and out of the house in a rush (!) on my way to work

Did you have a dream? 

Fran: No, hardly ever do.

Marty: Not that I recall. I very rarely do.

Do you think today will be 'good' or 'bad' day? (use your own definition of these words to answer the question)

Fran: It will be a day, I don't do good or bad.

Marty: I don't think of days as 'good' / 'bad', but thus far (lunchtime as I am writing this) the day has been somewhat stressy at work. I am intending to let go of that stressiness this afternoon so it does not spill into my evening.

What are the first three things you do after waking up?

Fran: Call my best friend Marty. Fire up my heating pad. Meditate

Marty: Cancel the alarm. Check Facebook/Messenger. Get out of bed.

Do you eat breakfast? If yes, what did you have?

Fran: Medication. Coffee. Apple

Marty: Nothing to eat or drink before I leave the house. On a weekday I make a pot of instant porridge when I get into the office. And a mug of filter coffee.

What would be your perfect breakfast?

Fran: Two eggs over easy on an English muffin is my favorite. My dad used to make that for me and I always warmly think of him.
Marty: My perfect start to the day is on a Saturday when I normally go into town (Newcastle) and have breakfast at Café Nero at Haymarket (the old Post Office building). There, I will have a goats cheese and roasted red pepper ciabatta. Large black Americano coffee. Another fave, but only occasionally if my wife and I have a hire car, is full cooked veggie breakfast at the Hartside Café (highest in England) on the way to Alston.

Is there anything that you have to do today but don't particularly want to?

Fran: I decided not to go to my senior fitness class. I had a fall last week, my energy is too low and my pain is too high. It's not that I don't want to. I enjoy the camaraderie with my friends there.

Marty: Too easy to say "go to work!" I am okay with that, to be honest. Nothing on the cards today that I would rather not be doing.

List five things that you do between 9am and noon.

Fran: Answer these questions. Read/edit the epilogue for the book Marty and I have written. Peruse Facebook. Prepare for a visit from my case manager. Receive Meals on Wheels. Rest

Marty: Message Fran good morning. Message good morning and meds check with another close friend. Journey to work (two Metro train, plus 20 minute walk). Make coffee as soon as I arrive in the office! Check my to-do list for the day.

Did you eat lunch? If yes, what did you eat?

Fran: Chicken carrots zucchini rice (Meals on Wheels meal)

Marty: Today it was mushroom and pasta salad.

What would be your perfect lunch?

Fran: Whatever Meals on Wheels serves up. They taste better and are more balanced than anything I could come up with. Cooking isn't easy for me.

Marty: Greek salad with loads of olives!

List five things that you have done, said, thought, or that have happened between noon and 5pm.

Fran: Massage. Call with Marty 2-3pm. Make macaroni and cheese casserole. Visit with my case manager 3.30-5.30. Thinking of yet another upset and struggle with a friend revolving around my being sick. Taking space always seems to be the best remedy. It's so hard to help people understand.

Marty: Started this questionnaire. Social Media (mostly Facebook and Twitter) - reached 2,000 followers on Twitter today! Messaged a friend I've not been in touch with in ages who is going through a rough time. Got a ride home from a colleague. Helped Fran compile some notes ahead of her meeting today with her care coordinator.

Do you eat dinner/tea? If yes, at what time?

Fran: Yes, usually 5.30pm
Marty: Usually between 5:30 - 6pm

What do you eat?

Fran: Usually Meals on Wheels but today macaroni and cheese casserole.

Marty: My wife Pam is the cook during the week so whatever she has prepared! It will be great, whatever it is!

What would be your perfect dinner?

Fran: I love hamburgers

Marty: Veggie roast dinner

What do you do with your evening (5-8pm)?

Fran: 6-8pm - Skype call with Marty. 8-9pm Netflix

Marty: 4:30-5:30 - Travelling home from the office. 5:30-6 - Dinner. 6-7 - It varies - maybe a trip to the store for treats, or chill at home with the Simpsons and Hollyoaks. 7-8 -  Skype call with Fran

Do you have a 'get-ready-for-bed' routine? If so, what is it?

Fran: No, but hopefully I stay out of the kitchen.

Marty: Not really. Most evenings I am on Skype from 11pm until 1am, then brush my teeth and change for bed. I try not to let 'make two rounds of cheese sandwiches and eat for supper at one o'clock in the morning' slip into that routine.

What time do you go to sleep?

Fran: 9 or 10pm
Marty: When my head hits the pillow.

Is this when you want to go to bed? Or is it influenced by what you're doing the following day?

Fran: I go to bed when it's time. If I could I'd stay up late. It's not influenced by the next day's events. I suffer insomnia symptoms regularly so staying regular and balanced is critical to me staying minimally crappy.

Marty: I am never influenced by what I am doing the next day. I go to bed when I choose to that night. If I am very tired (rare) or I am not going to be on Skype, I might go to bed earlier (before midnight).

Do you share your bed?

Fran: No, but it is a beautiful bed a friend made me with storage underneath, a canopy above, light sheer panels interlaced with Christmas lights. It is as if I am sleeping under the stars.

Marty: With Pemberton, a cuddly grizzly bear I made decades ago when I lived in London. He was named for a house I shared with fellow students in Pemberton Drive in Bradford when I was at university. He was gifted to a dear friend of mine from those days. My friend died in 2005 and Pemberton returned to me. He had been very well loved, and still is.

Which position do you tend to sleep in? e.g. foetus, starfish etc.

Fran: On my belly, knee up, one arm above, the other close to my breath.

Marty: Lying on my right side.

Reflect

What was your favourite part of your day?
Marty: So far, the conversation I had with my boss this morning. She knows I take a 'touch base' call from Fran around midday each day. Today it looked like I would be in a meeting at that time but my boss said my call with Fran was more important. In the end, the meeting had ended in time, but my boss' consideration meant a great deal to me, and to Fran when I told her.

What was your least favourite?

Fran: I prefer staying in the moment and being ok in that moment rather than judging favorites. That helps me not be attached to either rejecting or clinging onto anything in particular. This is an especially helpful attitude when living with chronic illness.

Marty: Work was hectic  this morning, with issues relating to several different systems my team supports. But we all pulled together to get the issues resolved, so it was a pretty positive outcome.

Did anything happen today that you'd like to change or re-do?

Fran: I practice cultivating acceptance rather than evaluating.

Marty: I never think that way. I don't really 'get' the idea of regret or wanting to change what happened.

Did you 'learn' anything today? (use your own definition of this word to answer the question)

Fran: Nothing new really. I enjoyed answering your questions. I enjoy my life to the best of my ability. Being authentic to truly being who I am has been my greatest revelation. So much of my life I have spent hiding.

Marty: I learned that connection matters - like reaching out to a friend you haven't been in touch with in a while, or paying attention to someone when they are sharing what is going on in their life.

Are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Marty: Yes!

What do you have planned? 

Fran: A quiet day of rest. I will spend some time doing homework for Brene Brown's Living Brave class and perusing photos from my recent New York City adventure. And make an acupuncture appointment.

Marty: Fran and I are putting the final touches to our book manuscript before submitting to the publishers. It is a very exciting - and scary- time!

Thank you for contributing to the series!

Goodnight! 

Links

Website/blog: www.gumonmyshoe.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/GumOnMyShoe

Twitter: twitter.com/GumOnMyShoeBook

24hrs with a Richmond Fellowship Support Worker

24 hours with... Elaine Jackson

Date: 3rd March

Why have you chosen to write about today? 

I’ve spent three hours with Aimee during a support session where we went to Newcastle for holiday shopping (Aimee’s not mine. Jealous!)

What time did you wake up?

7am

Why did you wake up at that time? 

To get to work on time

Did you have a dream? 

I don’t think so

Do you think today will be 'good' or 'bad' day? (use your own definition of these words to answer the question) 

Today will be a good day, I’m excited to see all my people on appointments.

What are the first three things you do after waking up? 

Turn my alarm off, check Facebook and check Twitter. That’s such a bad routine.

Do you eat breakfast? If yes, what did you have? 

I made a smoothie and had that for breakfast.

What would be your perfect breakfast? 

My mother in laws fry up. They are amazing!!!

Is there anything that you have to do today but don't particularly want to? 

Get up early.

List five things that you do between 9am and noon. 

See first appointment, make calls, reply to emails, drink tea and eat any food put in front of me.

Did you eat lunch? If yes, what did you eat? 

McDonalds. Standard dinner with Aimee! 

What would be your perfect lunch? 

Depends on my mood. I love a bacon, brie and cranberry Panini.

List five things that you have done, said, thought, or that have happened between noon and 5pm.

What have I forgotten? I love shoes! Why are we being looked at (after appearing from under a shutter) Mmm what shall I order? Driven around the North East.

Do you eat dinner/tea? If yes, at what time? 

Yes 7.30pm

What do you eat?

Spag Bol

What would be your perfect dinner? 

Pork Belly

What do you do with your evening (5-8pm)? 

I was working, travelling home and getting tea.

Do you have a 'get-ready-for-bed' routine? If so, what is it? 

Get a pint of water, plug my phone in, get washed then pyjamas and bed.

What time do you go to sleep? 

It varies. That night it was approximately 11.30.

Is this when you want to go to bed? Or is it influenced by what you're doing the following day? 

It is influenced on what I have to do on an evening.

Do you share your bed? 

Yes

Which position do you tend to sleep in? e.g. foetus, starfish etc. 

It changes all night so that I’m comfy.

Reflect

What was your favourite part of your day? 

Laughing at the banter in the car.

What was your least favourite? 

Being stuck in traffic at various points in the day.

Did anything happen today that you'd like to change or re-do? 

No

Did you 'learn' anything today? (use your own definition of this word to answer the question) 

I learn something new everyday.

Are you looking forward to tomorrow? 

Yes

What do you have planned? 

Volunteering, cleaning my house and getting a curry.

10 Things You Should Know About... Being an outpatient

Note: this post is regarding psychiatric community services and not medical outpatient services.

                       

   1. If you become an outpatient after being in hospital for a long period of time, then it could be a bit of a shock to the system, and that's normal and ok. For me, when I first became poorly and was admitted to psychiatric wards a number of times, it was for very short periods of time. This meant that I felt that I hadn't been in long enough to become used to the environment. Then I was admitted to a long term ward where the average length of admission was 12-18months; I was an inpatient for two and a half years. I definitely didn't miss the ward when I was discharged. It was just that there was a lot of adjustments to make in order for me to cope with the dramatic changes that I experienced. The main ones were that there wasn't someone to talk to 24/7; I couldn't just pop down to the staff office or knock on the door of another patient's bedroom door. If I needed to talk to a professional then I'd have to ring my community team and (usually) wait until someone was free to return my call. Constantly being surrounded by people also meant lots of noise. When I first moved into my own home I'd often leave the TV or music on because it would feel too quiet. The biggest change, though, was that I was now 100% responsible for my safety. In hospital, there was ALWAYS a chance that someone would either stop you from self-harming or if they hadn't then they'd at least ensure you got appropriate treatment for it. At first, I found it quite upsetting to acknowledge that I could hurt myself or even attempt suicide and no one would know. It meant that I'd either have to try incredibly hard to resist the urge to self harm, or somehow get help if I were to do something. As hard as it's been to make these changes, I've never had a moment where I've wished I was in hospital.
2. It might take a while to find the right professionals for you. Each individual has different needs and a different level of care and so, some may have many professionals and others might just see a therapist. Typically though, an outpatient will have a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN), a Psychiatrist, a Psychologist or therapist of some sort, and a Social Worker.  Personally, I haven't had the easiest of experiences with staff. I've gotten used to some staff and then they've left, I had an argument with my original Psychiatrist and refused to see her again, and I've been introduced to support workers that I've immediately not taken to. It is a double edged sword though, as you can either decide not to work with someone in the hope that you'll be allocated someone you'd prefer to work with but risking that you might be put on a waiting list or allocated someone you dislike more. Or, you can stay silent and try to improve the professional relationship but with the risk that it may get worse and have an impact on your mental health. It's a personal decision that's unique to each situation. Just know that you will eventually be happy with the people involved in your care; no matter how long you feel it takes. And if you're not, please don't be afraid to speak up. At the end of the day, there's no point in providing you with a service if it's not helpful; you need to be able yo take advantage of the services offered to you, in order to benefit from them.
3. Not all of the professionals on your team will communicate. And that'll be difficult to deal with and accept at first. Sometimes, the lack of communication is between themselves and other times it's even with you. I think that it's personal experience that will determine which situation bothers you the most. But thinking back on communication problems that I've experienced, I'm not sure that I could say which way bothers me the most. It's definitely frustrating when it's between the professionals; as an outpatient, you'll want consistency in your care. And it can be difficult for professionals to pass information on to one another if each of them are based at different offices and are likely to have completely different schedules. But as the outpatient, I think that when you're actually in the situation, it's difficult to just remind yourself of these factors because you feel let-down and annoyed. Sometimes the communication error might be that you've talked to one professional in detail about something important and personal for you, and if they don't tell the rest of your team then you might be asked to repeat it. You might also find that you'll make a plan or an agreement with one person and  they don't tell others then the inconsistency might result in you feeling let-down and unsupported. If such lack of communication is being detrimental to your mental health then rather than just trying to cope with those feelings, your time will be better spent on; firstly, telling the professionals how their behaviour is affecting you in the hope that the knowledge might aid them in altering their behaviour. And if they refuse to accept what they're doing or fail to change it,  you could try thinking whether there is anything that you could do to prevent it. And it's completely ok to be angry at the thought of that. To think"why should I have to do anything when it is them who aren't doing their job properly?" At the end of the day, it comes down to this: which is the worst scenario? Accepting their failings at communication? Or, putting in some effort to try and stop it from happening? Personally, some of my professionals listened when I told them what affect their failings were having on me, and for those who didn't make changes, I now pass information on myself! If I tell my CPN something that I want others to know, then I'll call them and tell them myself. Bit of effort but it's much better than all of the upsetting inconsistencies.
4. Always ensure that you have the contact details of a support service available to you out of hours. The kind of support you'd need out of office hours will depend upon which support service will work best for you. Often your community mental health team will give you a number for your local CRHT (Crisis Resolution Home Treatment team), often referred to as the crisis team, as this the automatic response. But, if you didn't want to call them or if you had and had bad experiences of working with them, then it's worth asking your professional team if they have any suggestions but personally, I think you'd be better off finding a support service yourself. There's so many helplines available these days and I've heard lots of people have very good experiences with them, but it'll be different for each person. I called a helpline once and it was horrible so I've never used them since. It is worth mentioning that if you aren't happy with one helpline then you could try another. Don't do what I did and assume they'll all be bad if one was. Your diagnosis could also affect which out of hour services would help you the most. For example, I work with Richmond Fellowship who specialise is Personality Disorders. I see two workers for sessions during the week and I have access to the service out of office hours. So it might be an idea to look into whether there's any support services who specialise in specific disorders that would be relevant for you.
5. If you think you need to be given extra support in addition to any therapy or appointments you have, don't be afraid to ask for it. It isn't something you should hide. Being an outpatient typically means that you are well enough to be supported in the community, and with that, is the hope that you're well enough to recognise when you're mental health is deteriorating and ask for help. All mental health professionals would rather that service users were in the community, and so providing you with additional support would help avoid the situation escalating and you needing to be admitted to hospital. If you are reluctant to ask for more help, then a motivation could be the thought that if
 you don't, you might end up in hospital. And professionals won't judge you; if anything, they'll probably thank you for being honest. Personally, I've found that just sitting down and talking about it, professionals appreciate it more. As if saying things are hard is better than doing something to show you're struggling. I would say that obviously talking is the best way to go about but if you really can't then I kind of feel like, what you do isn't as important as the fact you're doing it to get help.
6. It is not a sign of failure if you feel that you might benefit from an admission to hospital. I think
that admitting this to a professional is perhaps more difficult when you have been in hospital previously. If you've had a positive experience when you've been an inpatient in the past, then this will probably encourage you to voice your concerns. But it is important that you don't rely on a hospitalisation to maintain your safety. At some point, you have to take responsibility in keeping yourself safe. However, I have personally had many bad experiences during hospital admissions; varying from feeling judged and unsupported by staff, generally feeling ill-treat, experiencing lots of restraints and sedations, witnessing other inpatients self-harming, and feeling homesick. These have affected me in that I'm extremely reluctant to go into hospital and wary of voicing things that might cause others to worry and consider admitting me. Hence why most of my psychiatric hospital admissions have been compulsory, in that I have been sectioned and taken there against my will. However, the stage that I'm in with my recovery journey, does mean that I can recognise when my mental health is deteriorating, which will mean that I can ask professionals for help before I'm at the stage where an admission is required. I hope that, ultimately, no one wants to be in hospital so  it's important to determine your early warning signs, which you can do with your community team.
Note: there is a previous post in this series that is focused on being an inpatient and making the most of your admission: http://imnotdisordered.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/10-things-you-should-know-about-being.html
7. If you're on medication (whether it be medical or psychiatric), you must continue taking it unless instructed otherwise. Admittedly, I found this hard when I first came out of hospital because on , the only staff would call for you when your medication was due. In the community, as an outpatient, I have to remember when to take my pills; although it was made easier when the pharmacy began making up a dosette box. This where you have each day of the week and then four compartments for specific times during those days. Sometimes it's all about getting into the habit of taking them when they're due, and if you don't already have one, then you should ask for a dosette box to make it easier for you. I also have PRN medication, which means pills to take/use when needed e.g. I have a mild sedative incase I feel agitated and restless, or even just if I feel that sleeping is the only way to maintain my safety. And I really enjoy being in control of my medication; firstly, because it means I can fit it into my day as in hospital you had to take your meds at a particular time meaning that you couldn't have a lie-in! Secondly, I enjoy that I no longer have to practically beg for PRN medication;
in hospital, you had to explain every little thing to be given the pills,  and even then, you wouldsometimes be refused if the staff felt that you could manage without it or that you needed to try out it other coping strategies before resorting to medication. Even in the community
PRN is the last resort for me. Finally, do not abuse your medication now that you're in control of it, because your team will most likely make changes to avoid this being repeated. I once took too much of my anti-psychotic medication (on purpose) and ended up having to go to my local pharmacy twice a day to take my medication under supervision.
8. Try your hardest to attend all of your outpatient appointments. It's a good idea to have your diary etc with you when you do go to an appointment so that you can ensure that the next appointment date will fit into your schedule. Don't be afraid to ask for specific dates and times, there's no point in them giving you an appointment slot that doesn't suit you. If you see a number of professionals then it might be wise to avoid having all of the appointments lumped together. Some people will prefer this,
thinking that they want to get them all out of the way. Although, I found it difficult and overwhelming to sit through an intense therapy session with a Psychologist and then have to see a Psychiatrist the next day to have to make difficult decisions about your medication or care in general.
9. Enjoy your freedom! Whether you've been in hospital or not, whether you've been sectioned or not. You know how much could be taken away from you if you needed to be hospitalised. I'm not suggesting that you stress over the worry of this, just that you live like it could happen tomorrow.
10. I know that a lot of people might see this as being pessimistic, but I'd advise other outpatients to ensure that they complete an advanced directive. This is a kind of care plan in the event that you become too poorly to recognise what is good for you, and so you write it with your team and sign it when you're doing well and have the capacity to think ahead. It's especially focused on maintaining your safety should you become unable to maintain it yourself or should you stop co-operating with your treatment etc. Personally, a  part of my advanced directive, advises A&E staff that should I attend after attempting suicide and am refusing treatment that will save my life, then they shouldn't waste time on having me assessed by various professionals, and should just assume that I don't have capacity and to treat me against my will. I would go so far as to say that my advanced directive has saved my life.