Lived Experience Forum

[eth]

@redheaded  best wishes for a smooth transfer.  I know it's sudden  and will be thinking of you and travelling with you in spirit.  At least you will be back in your hometown which I think you have said you wanted.  Take care.  I understand your anger.  I had an attempt some years ago and was angry at lots of things afterwards.  We can talk about whatever you want when you get the chance.

[redheaded]

Thanks @eth

[Queenie]

I do a lot of reality checking @redheaded to help me cope when living with acute psychosis. I find it good to post about here on the forum because at the moment my Mrs is seeing a carer's counsellor (she's my primary carer). This counsellor likes to play warden with me and sees any mental ill health as a means to have me put into respite (against my will mostly). I hear voices very regularly and mostly that really gets me down. 

Having said all that the medication I take helps me enormously. That and therapy with a psychologist (I do a combination of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy). Also, I've recently discovered the benefits of exercise and hobbies as a way of boosting endorphins (those natural feel good chemicals) and have found that although my psychotic symptoms are still there, they bother me less.

I hope you are still allowed to have your phone with you in the psych ward. In my state, public psych wards are phone no go zones. Because I go private however, I get the luxury of having my phone and laptop with me when I am hospitalised. 

Please let us know how you get on,

Q

[redheaded]

@Queenie I've been to the psych ward before and I'm glad to say your allowed your phone. I'd be lost without my phone there. And tomorrow I'm getting my best mate to bring in my pad amongst other things. I also tend to chill in the art room a lot.

I've never done reality checking, I don't know how to, though I'm in the process of trying to get a therapist to help with that.
It's only been in the last 6 months to a year that I've been honest about the aliens and where they come from. Before that I was too scared and just said they were voices.

[eth]

Hi @redheaded  hope you got there safely and without incident.  To answer your question from earlier about dealing with psychosis ... Mostly I rely on the meds I'm on to keep me on a more even keel so it doesn't happen again.  But there is also personal management and strategies like learning to recognise when things are starting to change, knowing my triggers, letting someone know what's happening (a trusted person - too rare for me) or the CATT team if necessary and my GP and psychologist.  Then I focus on a sleep routine, quiet activities that focus my mind like adult colouring books or reading recipes and cooking or crocheting.  And getting some exercise and eating a good diet make a difference too, though I've only started walking and swimming again recently.  Didn't have anyone to go with and couldn't do it by myself.  Family is making a difference for me too.  My adult child and my brother and sister-in-law specifically.  I moved interstate for their support 6 months ago and life is better.  Avoiding high stress is important too, but not easy.  Travel is another potential trigger for me so I haven't done that alone for a couple of years.  I miss it a lot.  It helps to have a WRAP - wellness recovery action plan - with a lot of these things recorded in it so that when things start to change I can look at it and put things in place in case they change more.  Keeping mood and sleep records at those times helps monitor what is happening.  If you google WRAP you can find out a bit more about this stuff.  Hope this answer is helpful to you.

[Former-Member]

Good Morning @CheerBear, @Queenie and everybody. Free hugs for the taking here 🙂

[CheerBear]

Would love to take and give them in return thanks @Former-Member 🙂 Good morning to you too and hope it's a good one for you 💗

[redheaded]

I got some good news this morning, my gp text me and said she organised a mental health plan and I got a referral to a psychologist. Hopefully I'll be able to learn strategies on how to deal with my psychosis.


I'm on meds and they help block the way the aliens get into my head but not all the time. I'll probably be getting a med review while I'm inpatient

[Queenie]

Hi @redheaded, a referral to a psychologist could be a very good thing to help you manage your psychosis. I've found it very beneficial myself. I've learned how to challenge delusional thinking through cognitive behavioural therapy.