After a close friend "Mary" struggled through a depressive illness, I have always shown interest in mental health.
I recently watched Don't Call Me Crazy, a BBC 3 documentary about an institution for young people with mental illness. Over the three part series, the program followed the lives of patients with a range of condition from OCD to eating disorders. Several patients had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and were being detained against their will. It was mostly how I had imagined; with many patients displaying what is perceived as 'normal' teenage behaviour most of the times with some unstable outbursts.
There was one particular female patient with depression, who had to spend time in the locked unit. This really made me think of "Mary". It made me remember what she had told me about the 24 hour surveillance- whether she was in the shower or on her period, there was always someone watching her. I fully understand that this was necessary as she was a risk to herself, but I still can't quite imagine living like that. In fact, it would be naive to think that I can understand what she was going through at all.
I've been to an adolescent mental health unit before, but it had been quite different from the one featured in the programme. Whilst "Mary" was in hospital, I had visited her. There were the same high staffing levels as shown on the TV but it looked nothing like a hospital. It was set in a manor house with huge grounds and lots of outside space. I distinctively remember the grand, sweeping staircase surrounded by big orange safely nets. That was what reminded me that it was a psychiatric hospital and not a hotel.
The thing is if we, as the general public, have had no experience then we will never know if the media is portraying the world correctly.
Having spent over six months of her life in two different institutions, I was really interested in what "Mary" thought of the programme. I was quite surprised that she had mainly positive things to say. She did however note that the programme hyped up the outbreaks; in reality it is far less eventful. Where she was staying there was a lot of sitting doing nothing, but I guess that doesn't make very interesting TV.
I'm going to conclude this blog post by sharing "Mary's" success story. I find it hard to express in words how proud I feel. After she was well enough to leave the hospital, "Mary" started at boarding school to complete her A levels. Despite her previous social anxiety, she made new friends and focused her attention toward to gym to lose the weight that she had retained through medication and being in the institution. Exercise and fitness became increasingly important to her and she has since ran in several marathons. She has secured her place at university to study sport science and has just completed her IronMan, coming in 1st place for her division and qualifying for the World Championships.
Seeing what she has experienced makes me so glad I could be there for her through the harder times. She really is a true friend. It's onwards and upwards now.
