This morning.
Robert Brady in the Irish Examiner, writes:
I am 19 years old and have spent 15 months in a psychiatric unit in Dublin. I was admitted as an involuntary patient.
There, I received a diagnosis of schizophrenia. I was on my own when I received this news as I was unable to see family due to Covid. To this day, I find it hard to believe. I was told I was extremely unwell.
My path was long and gruesome until medication could be found that was suitable and worked to get me stable. I was told my next step would be intense rehabilitation after being in hospital so long and due to the illness I lost all my skills.
My memory was affected and a referral to one of the only two inpatient rehabilitation centres in Ireland was made by my team.
I was then made a voluntary patient and I awaited my rehabilitation acceptance but bad news came. They refused me as I was not chronic enough in my mental illness for the programme.
My illness is lifelong, and my hopes were dashed. I was discharged back to my community. My days are spent lying around my house.
I feel that for young people like me we could be given a chance of a better outcome for our future if we had rehabilitation beds.
I am at lost how to handle this diagnosis I have been given and would like to be in a rehabilitation unit where I could gain independence, living skills, and the tools to help me live the best life possible with my illness.
Robert Brady
Walkinstown
Dublin 12
Pic: HSE
Contact Highfield https://www.highfieldhealthcare.ie/our-services/mental-health-services/specialist-rehabilitation-unit/
Not giving my real name, or any contact details pertaining to me. But, I can say they helped me with a similar diagnosis some time back.
I’d be interested to hear insight of others on this here; I have a close contact who has received a similar enough diagnosis, followed by a ‘tough luck, you’re not bad enough’ message, and some vague questions about whether they have considered mindfulness.
The Highfield suggestion above seemed interesting (and thanks to ‘Concerned’ for sharing it), but reading through it I have the impression that one would need a referral from HSE to access it, and their ‘useful information’ tab isn’t particularly useful. Anyone aware of non-HSE routes to support that might be explored?