Voices from within

Seeing the mental health system throught the eyes of the patient brings valuable insight into why some practices are more effective than others. I have spent the last 7 years as a patient suffering from mental illness, and in that time I have been admitted to several psychiatric facililties. I have seen over a dozen doctors and therapists and I have encountered serveral types of ‘treatments’ for a revolving door of diagnoses. What I have found from my own experiences, and observing and talking to my fellow patients is that we often share common feelings, responses, frustrations, and successes towards various menthods, but these reactions are often unrealized by the patients, and even less disclosed to their overseeing medical practitioners. Without this understanding progression towards wellness becomes an even greater task, and often locks the individual into the perpetual role of being the patient set up to fail. Psychiatry presents its own unique challenges in the medical world, and for the patient it is often a confusing and difficult journey filled with what seems to be insurmountable hurdles, and shame as we battle not only our own illness, but the stigma of society, and a system that needs to remember that we are people first and patients second. I am fortunate that after years of struggling, I finally found professionals that treated me as a person first and my journey towards wellness began. So what made the difference? Hear it from within.