Iona's Story

*The above photograph is used for illustrative purposes and does not represent the person quoted. 

For our Better Care = Safer Care campaign, calling for improved care in mental health settings, Iona reflects on how receiving compassionate care after experiencing a psychotic breakdown helped her to recover.

After experiencing a psychotic breakdown, I was admitted to inpatient care feeling terrified and overwhelmed. Being treated with compassion and respect helped me feel safe enough to engage with treatment. The support I received transformed my recovery and showed me the power of good mental health care.

In 2014, after months of mounting stress and anxiety, I experienced a severe adverse reaction to medication which led to a psychotic breakdown. By the time I was admitted to hospital, I was terrified. I had lost touch with reality and was experiencing thoughts that frightened me deeply. I remember thinking that I might hurt other people, and I was scared of my own mind.

I was admitted to a mental health hospital in Roehampton for 28 days. Looking back, I can honestly say that the care I received there changed the course of my recovery.

When I first arrived, I felt very afraid - I didn't understand what was happening to me and felt completely overwhelmed. But something important happened during that first week: I began to feel safe.

The staff treated me with kindness, dignity and respect from the moment I arrived. They listened to me without judgement, even when I was describing thoughts that felt impossible to say out loud. They didn't dismiss me, patronise me or make me feel ashamed. Instead, they gave me the space to talk honestly about what I was experiencing. Having people who were willing to listen made an enormous difference.

What stands out most is that I was treated as a person, not a problem. That distinction matters. The staff encouraged me to take part in activities and therapeutic courses rather than simply spending my days confined to a room. They helped me maintain a sense of purpose and connection at a time when I felt completely lost.

I had access to both a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist, and I was able to speak with them regularly throughout my stay. Those conversations helped me understand what was happening and gave me confidence that recovery was possible.

My mum was my main source of support throughout this period, and the hospital made sure she was kept informed. They communicated with her about my care and involved her in what was happening.

One of the most important parts of my recovery was that the environment removed the element of fear. In the beginning, I was utterly terrified. But as the days passed, I came to understand that I was in a safe place. I was surrounded by people who knew how to help me, and by other patients who were going through their own mental health challenges.

Once I felt safe, I was able to engage with treatment. I became more cooperative, more hopeful and more confident that I could get better. Recovery wasn't immediate, but for the first time in a long time, it felt achievable.

Years later, I was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and later discovered that I had Quiet BPD, a lesser-known subtype where I appear more high functioning. This was misleading to many health care professionals because I didn't ‘demonstrate' the typical symptoms of classic BPD, such as outbursts of anger, and I was able to 'mask' my symptoms, so they didn't take me seriously.

In 2020, during another period of severe distress, I asked to be admitted to hospital but was told I didn't meet the threshold because I appeared to be coping well on the surface. That experience showed how difficult it can be for people to access support when they need it.

My experience showed me what good inpatient care can achieve. When people feel heard and are treated with compassion, recovery really becomes possible. The care I received gave me the stability and support I needed at one of the darkest points in my life, and I will always be grateful for that.

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Add your name to support safer mental health care. This year, we'll be pushing for improvements to inpatient mental health care and updating you on ways to get involved.