Describing what it’s like to live with PTSD and depression can sometimes be hard. If you haven’t experienced it, imagine a weight constantly pulling you down. Some days you have the strength to fight it, get on with life. Other days It debilitating and you just don’t have the energy to. Being depressed is obviously not something anyone chooses and can’t alway be easily solved. In reality someone can be completely consumed by mental illness but it can’t always be seen. There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to treatment either. Everyone is so different. I have been receiving treatment since I was 14 (I’m now 20) that has included countless medications, therapy’s and hospital admissions . Over the years i’ve Learnt a great deal about myself and come across some amazing people. I’ve learnt how to talk, how to trust, how to smile and what it’s like to live again after years of just surviving. September last year I suffered quite a big relapse. I’d shut down, pushed everyone away and gave up fighting. 4 days later I woke up in intensive care after being in a coma. One of the scariest moments of my life. Once physically recovered I was moved to an adult psychiatric hospital prepared to give life another go. My brain however had other ideas. My PTSD took over my tired body.every day felt the same, i’d Open my eyes, take a deep breath and wonder what life was going to throw at me that day. I felt unsafe in my own mind, in fact I felt trapped there. Waiting for the next time i’d Be a mess on the floor wishing for the horrible memories to stop. It was a scary place to be. After a few months, brilliant support and some new medication I started to feel like I was getting the old me back. The bad days got less and my mind started to think of the future not the past. Recovery is a rollercoaster of things, maybe one day i’ll Be completely free, however for now I appreciate every little good thing no matter how small. I continue the fight with a smile on my face and just take each day as it Comes. I’m no longer just surviving, I’m lucky to have be alive and to have been given another chance.obviously it’s not my time yet. There are many more amazing things I want to do, so bring it on.
So it's been my first week of freedom, I've been keeping myself very busy and doing lots of wonderful things. It's been even better with all the sunshine. I guess I've been reflecting a lot on my time in hospital. I think finally accepting all the things that have happened is an inportant part of moving on. To be honest I am finding it quite hard letting go of how bad things really were. Even though there has been so much focus on fighting the stigma relating to mental health problems and raising awareness the things that happen behind the closed doors of inpatient units still never quite make the news. Inpatient services have their uses but long complicated admissions like mine can actually be quite damaging physically and mentally. Being admitted to a hospital or being kept in hospital against your will is mostly used when someone is not able to keep themselves safe outside a hospital environment. For a year and a half I was put on a section 3 which enables them t...
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