Some of the people who visited me while I was an inpatient said they were surprised at how homely it was. For those who are interested in what it is like inside a psych hospital, I hope this helps to explain it:
The wards don’t look like this;
they’re a little bit more like this.
If you’re lucky enough to have your own room, it’s less like this
and more like this.
The staff aren’t like this bunch;
they look a little bit more like these two lovely ladies (of course you get male nurses too now).
Most importantly, patients don’t look like this;
you’re more likely to find someone looking like this.
There’s still so much stigma surrounding mental illness, but 1 in 4 people will have a mental health issue at some point in their life. The stereotypes surrounding psychiatric patients and hospitals can be a big deterrent for people who need to seek help; I know I was so reluctant to be admitted, but if I had broken my leg I would be straight down to hospital.
Mental illness is still an illness, and needs to be treated just like any physical illness needs to be. We need to put a stop to the stigma so that everyone can get the help they need without worrying about what others will think of them.
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