Before I arrived at Roseacre Ward, I had been in hospital for around 4 years. I felt stuck. Trapped in the endless cycle of self-destruction. Nothing seemed to be helping and every psychiatric ward I was on just focused on risk management. It was decided that I needed specialist support with a programme underpinned by DBT. I was therefore referred to Roseacre Ward and felt that this was my last chance to get better.
When I arrived at Roseacre I was detained under Section 3 and was scared, overwhelmed and incredibly anxious. However, the staff made me feel very welcome. The first few weeks were a blur but I slowly but surely settled in.
From the offset the staff were amazing. From the HCAs and Nurses to the wider MDT I felt involved in my care. I felt able to reach out for support when I was struggling and most importantly, I felt listened to – I had never before been in a ward where I felt like I was heard. It was tough and I had a lot of very very low moments, but with the support of the staff as well as with a lot of very hard work from me, things began to improve.
I felt that the team collaborated with me to discover the best way to support me and the approach was very person-centered. The staff at Roseacre helped me to feel empowered; they helped me to find my voice and showed me that I didn’t need to engage in self-destructive behavior in order to be supported. Compared to other wards I had been on, the staff at Roseacre fostered a culture where it is encouraged to ask for help in order to prevent self-harm instead of providing that support once someone has self-harmed. This approach really helped me to learn to articulate how I was feeling instead of communicating using self-harm.
Alongside this, the DBT skills I was learning in groups and individual sessions really helped me, and I began to be able to cope with difficult feelings in much healthier ways. As time progressed, I successfully came off my section and stayed on the ward as an informal patient. This was the first time I had ever been informal, so it was a big achievement for me.
The team at Roseacre continued to support me and I spent more and more time in the community. This helped me to re-engage with life outside of hospital and I felt more motivated than ever to make this discharge my last one.
The discharge transition was smooth and I felt incredibly well supported by the team at Roseacre. Now, I am writing this having started University to study Mental Health Nursing and being a year self-harm free which is the longest I have ever gone since I began self-harming as a teenager.
Roseacre ward really did change and save my life. I am so grateful for all the staff at Roseacre did for me; providing me with the essential skills that have helped me to recover. And to anyone considering treatment at Roseacre; go for it. It is not easy but work hard and it will pay off, and you will be able to build a life worth living for yourself.
*Name has been changed to protect her identity
