I may never have received the support I needed if I hadn’t relapsed

a photo of Afrika in shilouette
Afrika in shilouette

A few months back I wrote about my time in hospital and the fears I had around my discharge and reintegration back into the community. Aside from being concerned about what people would think when they found out about my diagnosis of bipolar, I was worried about what care I would have in the community. When I was discharged the first time, after a 2-month stint, my psychology sessions ceased as I was no longer a patient. I was to continue seeing a care coordinator in the community once a week to discuss the week’s events. Unfortunately I found this support inadequate and one month later I was back In the Wedgewood Psychiatric unit as a result of taking an overdose.

‘I was worried about what care I would have in the community..’

When I next returned to the community the care package was increased. I was to see my care coordinator twice a week and have phone calls on the days in between as well as see a clinical worker once a week. I found talking about the previous week’s events wasn’t resolving the underlying psychological issues I was having at the time and when I raised this with my care co I was told that it was hard find a Psychologist who worked in our local area of Suffolk on the NHS. Because of this I had to settle for my care co acting as a Psychologist by consulting with a psychologist before each session. Unfortunately this support wasn’t enough and I relapsed and returned to Wedgewood for another month.

Finally the psychiatrists at the hospital put their feelers out and found an NHS psychologist willing to carry out the work with me. This time when I was discharged, things started to improve and I felt there was little chance of a relapse as I felt properly supported and my issues were being explored and managed in a way that fitted my individual needs. I often wonder if I had not relapsed would I ever have received the support I needed. What do other people with mental health conditions do for support in the community? Is the only way we can get the support, through hospitalisation?

‘..I found this support inadequate and one month later I was back In the Wedgewood Psychiatric unit..’

Reading back over my article, I realise that, in the end, the system did

Photo of Ritalin Tablets
Ritalin 200mg

work. What I now see is that the process required me to play a pivotal role. Without my feedback how can true and lasting progress be possible? I could have remained a victim of my condition allowing others to present me alternatives while I choose to accept or reject their suggestions on a whim or, be proactive in my recovery, become self aware and test out what feels right for me and if I feel I need a different support or intervention, then to ask for it. Maybe we’ve been brainwashed into expecting things to be right first time and that those with the knowledge should be mind readers and get it right first time.

It’s all too easy to have expectation of others without putting the same criteria on ourselves. To fail, or in my case relapse, was perhaps a necessary part of my recovery. In the words of Thomas Edison when struggling with his electrical experiments,

‘I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work’.

Afrika Green is a musican and blogger, she is a guest contributor for GBC and recently started a blog called http://www.my-bipolar.com which documents her feelings about her recent stay in Wedgewood Psychiatric hospital coming to terms with her diagnosis as Bipolar.

Disclaimer:The opinions expressed by the guest writer/blogger and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Link Up (UK) or any employee thereof. Link Up (UK) is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the Guest writer/bloggers. This work is the opinion of the blogger. It is not the intention of Link Up (UK) to “malign any religion, ethnic group, minority, club, organization, company, or individual.

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