I came to Cygnet Acer Clinic in September 2022 desperate for a chance to improve my life. Little did I know that Acer would not only improve my life massively but also help me to make changes that made my life a life I wanted to live, a feeling I hadn’t felt for nearly 10 years.
I first came into inpatient services when I was 21 after struggling for years with my mental health. I didn’t have a positive experience; I left my first admission feeling more helpless after being told I would “never get better”. In the years that followed I was in and out of acute wards and psychiatric intensive care wards, cycling between them and not making any longstanding improvements. I had lost all hope when I was referred to Acer. I promised myself I would give recovery one last shot, this was make or break.
When I arrived at Acer I was instantly made to feel welcome and I was listened to, I explained my fears and what I wanted to gain from the admission. One big difference between Acer and everywhere else was that they asked me “how do you want us to help you whilst you are here?” rather than telling me “this is what will happen whilst you are here”. It sounds small but I truly felt like I was treated as a person, an individual, with my own hopes and dreams. I wasn’t just a diagnosis. From the start the team saw me as so much more than that.
Don’t get me wrong there were really hard times at Acer, my problems didn’t magically go away instantaneously. But the team never once gave up on me, they believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Their faith in my ability to turn my life around gave me faith in my own capabilities and slowly I got on track.
With the help of the MDT and the amazing team of nurses and health care workers I made so much progress that I now struggle to recognise the old me. I learnt so many invaluable skills from my psychology and occupational therapy sessions. It always felt like a collaborative effort. You truly get out what you put in and the team were there to support me every step of the way.
I also was helped to improve my confidence by being involved in the People’s Council, being patient representative and getting involved in joint reflective practice. As well as this I was given the opportunity to visit a new service and help them with setting up a safe environment. All of this has given me invaluable skills I will take with me into my future.
The amount I have learnt about myself and my ability to cope with difficult things during my time at Acer has really set me up for a life in the community and I’m so incredibly grateful to the whole team. And now I’m ready to take on the rest of my life! A life that truly is worth living.