"A positive outcome"

I recieved inpatient treatment for a month towards the end of 2015 at the Nightingale. Overall, my experience was very positive. Of course, it is not a flawless recovery system. However, I onky found one one member of the therapy staff to be unhelpful, presumptuous and unprofessional with their comments to myself and other patients- the vast majority of the therapists were very helpful. The food, I can't lie, is disgusting. However, the ward kitchen provides toast and tea, and you can get by pretty well cooking for yourself. The rooms are very comfortable. However, the staff do not always knock before checking on you, which as a young woman, I found very unnerving. There was one incident where another patient entered my room, distressed and confused, in the middle of the night, and a psychotic patient harassed me continuously during her time there. Some of the nurses, were wonderful, understanding, and found the balance between humour and respect while interacting with us, the patients. Others spoke very poor English and treated me as a precocious child, despite the fact I was in the adult General psychiatric ward. I was told many times how young I looked, but I felt this was no excuse for some of the nursing staff infantilising me. Additionally, I had to be vigilant when checking I was being given the correct medication, as I was nearly given Valium by accident on more than one occasion.

All this aside, I do not regret spending a month at the Nightingale. It was not a perfect treatment experience by far, but I am feeling better for it, and learnt a lot about myself and my mental illnesses. Compared to the experiences I have had with CAHMS as a younger teenager, it was paradiscal. I was diagnosed with an eating disorder and OCD post-discharge at the Surrey Centre for Eating Disorders, and my eating issues were not taken seriously enough at Nightingale to afford any treatment. However, I made great progress in dealing with my depression and anxiety as in inpatient. I would advocate trying treatment at Nightingale- if you go with a real desire to help yourself, help will be given to you in a way which is transferable to the outside world.