Today, we are speaking with Marie*, who shares her experiences of mental illness, the importance of proactive rehabilitation and her time as a former service user at Elysium’s Spring Wood Lodge.
“I was a patient at Spring Wood Lodge for a year. Before that, I was in another hospital and my mental health had been really very poor. It was a culmination of many things; it was the middle of COVID.
“I was working in a high-stress job and my mental health deteriorated. I’d had previous admissions before, but I had never been that unwell. This needed PICU admissions and then I was supported in an acute service too.
“Then, I was moved to a rehab service in a relatively rural location. They were quite restrictive in what they did in terms of leave, what you could have in your room, where you could and couldn’t go, and you weren’t allowed grounds leave by yourself. It was restrictive and unhelpful. In the end, the placement broke down because I was so frustrated.
“In the three years I was supported there, I only had four incidents, but barely had any leave. It was not real rehabilitation at all.
“I came to Spring Wood Lodge because I had a social worker who said they were able to assess for autism. ASD had first been mentioned back in 2017, and I was on a waiting list as an outpatient for an assessment. But by the time I got to the top of the list, I was in hospital and taken off the list.
“The social worker thought it was important I had this assessment, and Spring Wood Lodge was able to do it. She also knew the MDT there, how it worked and the therapies on offer, as well as the trauma-focused work they do.
“Everything was just so much better. The location is in a little town, there’s so much more to do there, and the team are just much more proactive and positive about rehabilitation. I had leave immediately after my initial assessment and seeing the doctor on my first day there. Within a month, we were talking about taking me off my section. At my last place, they were vehemently risk-averse, while Spring Wood Lodge was willing to take positive risks.
“I had been deskilled really before, being in a place where there was no real rehabilitation. At Spring Wood Lodge, you have a budget to create your own meals, so you’re learning those skills again. I’d also forgotten how to socialise, really, and just be human.
“It was brilliant. By September, I was off my section. I had little things that the last hospital wouldn’t have considered, like ceramic cups, crochet needles and scissors, which meant I could do the things I enjoy again. That was so very helpful to my recovery. I had been stopped doing those things for so long, and it was lovely to find things I liked doing again.
“We also did Cognitive Analytic Therapy and it did help me find alternative coping methods than the things that had kept me trapped for so long.
“I was also assessed and diagnosed with autism. My care became autism informed, which makes it easier for people working with me to respond to my needs. For example, I’m in supported living now. Just people understanding the importance of timings – and why being with me when they say they will be with me or adjusting communications – it makes a big difference.
“We use colour charts, timetables and we use weekly planners – if something changes, they give me as much notice as they can. It is so much easier and much less stressful. It does make things a lot better.
“The Occupational Therapy team at Spring Wood Lodge went above and beyond when I was there. They really made specific person-centred plans which varied as my illness did. They planned and were there for evening sessions too – and not many places have that. Everything that Spring Wood Lodge did for me as a former service user was a really welcome change. It was the best hospital I’ve been supported in, they celebrated and encouraged my independence and truly lived least restrictive practice.”
*Name has been changed to protect privacy