Robin
I am now 50 years old. I spent most of my time between the ages of 19 and 22 in psychiatric care in the Andrew Duncan Clinic in Edinburgh. This was mostly due to how I was coping with the break-up of my first serious relationship, and with leaving university after only two terms, followed by leaving my second university after one term. My family was very unhappy. I worked in a laundry and smoked more dope than was good for me.
The service I got at the clinic was first class, but I hated what I felt was the overuse of drugs to control my sadness and feelings of despair.
Whilst in hospital, I found that therapy sessions using art and yoga were very healing, and group meetings helped. Having no relationship with a doctor was perplexing but nursing staff and domestic staff were great.
I suppose I left hospital with my relationships with my former friends and my family in tatters and that was a very steep learning curve for me. The experience helped me to grow up and stand on my own two feet. Without psychiatric care I would have likely ended up lost and isolated for a lot longer.
What has helped me most is getting a life independent of my family, my interest in Bach Flower Remedies and homeopathy. I also found that having the freedom to study anthropology, astrology and other alternative subjects helped my own personal sense of wellbeing by giving mea feeling ofpurpose.
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