End-of-Year post: Free Your Mind in 2011

First-things-first: Thank you for continuing to support FYM!!! :-D

It has been a long year for the Free Your Mind campaign, and myself (N.E.); but we (FYM) are very excited about continuing to move forward in 2012!

During March and April FYM took part in an online "book-club" discussion, on Twitter and Facebook, with All-Walks - "an initiative founded by Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O'Connor working... to celebrate more diversity within the fashion industry" - in which we discussed Bodies by Susie Orbach.
Previous blog post: 'All-Walks Book Club.'

At the beginning of April 2011 FYM collaborated with Imagine-mental health charity's Croydon branch to hold an art exhibition, called 'Broken Paths', at Fairfield Halls (Croydon).
Previous blog posts:
pre-BrokenPaths promo: 'Upcoming art exhibition...'

I also posted a follow-up entry to this blog after the exhibition about some of my thoughts and ideas on how Free Your Mind can progress forward: 'FYM took part in first public event in April this year...'

Nicola E. (me, :-D) was sectioned twice this year; first in April, and then again in November - but despite the lack of quantity of posts on this blog, I am always trying to improve the quality of the content delivered by both FYM and myself.

I decided to start-up Free Your Mind after feeling I was being abused by nurses on a psychiatric ward who were prejudiced towards people with mental illnesses(!); and, during that particular stay in hospital I was arrested and charged with criminal damage (to hospital property) and alleged assault charges (pressed by nurses on the ward).

In October 2011 I appeared in court facing the above charges - after I returned from court I posted an entry to my Tumblr blog about what happened and my thoughts on the experience.

So, we end 2011 and move forward into 2012 - and at FYM we are grateful for all your support, and we look forward to you continuing to join us on this campaign's journey. :-D - Thank you!

Free Your Mind wishes you 

happy holiday cheer 

and all the best for the next coming year.

Being arrested on a psych.ward + my thoughts on these events. (link to Tumblr post)

I founded Free Your Mind in 2010 after feeling I was being abused during my time on psychiatric wards.

In early 2010 I was arrested whilst on a psychiatric ward, and on the 3rd October 2011 I faced the charges in court.

That same evening, with the charges out of the way, I posted a blog to Tumblr about my experience and my thoughts on the events:
My experience of being arrested whilst on a psychiatric ward + my thoughts on the events which followed.

Song of a Psychiatric Survivor (poem)

Recently I was sectioned for the fifth time in the past five years. I wrote the following poem during that period. ~ Nicola Edwards.


Song of a Psychiatric Survivor

They want to have control.
They want to always maintain the power. 

From the moment I was born,
Right up until my final hour. 

I've been beaten, I've raped;
At times I feel as though I'm lucky to be alive. 

But in the words of Gloria Gaynor
I know 'I will survive.'

The above poem will be added to the Creative Bank.

FYM will be away for a short while...

Hi guys,

This is a short blog post to let you know that I will not be posting as Free Your Mind for a short while due to being sectioned.

As soon as I'm discharged, I promise that posting will continue as usual.

Thank you for continuing to support Free Your Mind and thank you for continuing to read this blog.

Take care.

Peace & Love.
Nicola Edwards of FYM. x

Will Compulsory Treatment Orders Encourage Stigma Towards Mental Illness?

The government is discussing the use of treatment orders to force community care patients to take their medication. A CTO will mean patients released from hospitals in England and Wales could be forced back if they do not take their medication.

The central reason for the changes in the Mental Health Act is for these changes to be an extension of the powers which already allow people whose mental illness makes them a threat to themselves or others to be detained and, if necessary, forcibly treated. In this way CTOs may contribute to the stigma towards mental health problems by reinforcing the belief that a person with a mental illness is a threat.

For someone to be put on a compulsory treatment order (CTO), an application has to be submitted to a Tribunal by a mental health officer. The Tribunal itself is made up of a panel of three people:

1. A lawyer;
2. A psychiatrist;
3. A person with other skills and experience, e.g. a nurse, social worker, or someone with personal experience of a mental disorder.

Critics of the compulsory treatment orders are dubious of the scheme's ethics, and are concerned because it has not been shown to work in other countries. Mental health charities say the powers are excessive, will not improve people's health and could be misused.

Simon Lawton Smith, of the Mental Health Foundation said: 

'This may help a small number of individuals... but taking away anyone's right to treatment is questionable.'

'No-one with a physical health problem is compelled to take their medication, even if not taking it might be life threatening.'

Treatment orders have also faced criticism under the claim that a large contributing factor to them being put in place is to save money on hospital beds. However, Professor Louis Appleby, the national clinical director for mental health, and the man driving the introduction of the new powers, said it was "completely untrue" to suggest they were motivated by potential financial savings.

Compulsory treatment orders have already been in effect in Scotland since October 2005.

Do you think these changes to the Mental Health Act have been thought through? Do you think they will help people and improve quality of life? Or, will it only contribute towards the stigma and discrimination?

Psychiatric Wards 101: What it's Really Like Being Sectioned

When many people think of psychiatric wards they think of steel doors and padded rooms, when in reality the truth tells a different story. To enter a psychiatric hospital, a mentally ill person can go in voluntary, or, more often than not, they can be sectioned. I myself have been sectioned on four separate occasions in the past four years. However, you only want to be detained in a psychiatric hospital as a last resort.

When someone with a mental illness is sectioned, they are placed under a Section, which states the terms of their stay on the hospital ward. However, one can be taken off a Section, or have it prolonged by the ward psychiatrist during their time in hospital.

For you to be sectioned three people must agree that you need to be detained in a psychiatric hospital; there are, however, exceptions made in emergency situations. These three people would usually consist of: an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) or nearest relative, a doctor who has received special training and a registered medical practitioner.

A person can be detained for up to 28 days under a Section 2. An admission to hospital under this section is normally used when the patient has not been assessed in hospital before or when they have not been assessed in hospital for a considerable period of time.

An admission to a psychiatric hospital under a Section 3 can last for up to 6 months, but it is common for one to be discharged before this point. You can be detained under Section 3 if you are well known to the psychiatric services and there is little need for assessment.

My own experiences of psychiatric hospitals and their wards have been both negative and positive. (Note: there were no straight-jackets.) Every patient has their own room, there are communal areas, and most things are based on routine. You see the ward Doctor and have a meeting with them (known as "ward round") on the same day once-a-week, and meal times are also at the same time every day.

There are always staff on the wards at all times; some of whom, unfortunately, hold their own prejudices towards the patients and their mental illness.

Hospital wards often provide activities and therapies for the patients; including art therapy, occupational therapies and, even, massages.

Entering hospital for the first time can be frightening and very upsetting, but you do get used to things and you will usually find you adapt quickly.

The terms by which one can be sectioned under the mental health act are very confusing. But, as a patient, you wont usually have worry too much about it, unless you want to appeal. Being detained on a psychiatric ward can be scary, but you do get used to the routine.

I would love to hear your own experiences with psychiatric hospitals and wards.