Tag Archives: NHS

These are not the little things: unsanitary conditions on mental health wards

Posted on March 21, 2019 by purplepersuasion

Today I got angry after reading a tweet. Just a regular day then, you might think, except this one made me so angry I have had to blog for the first time in months. I was reading a thread about … Continue reading →

Posted in Hospital, Inpatient care, Mental health, Mental health services, NHS services, Psychiatry, Social media, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on These are not the little things: unsanitary conditions on mental health wards

Who’s listening?

Posted on April 14, 2017 by purplepersuasion

It’s no fun being trapped in a pit. You were walking along in the forest and you just kind of… slid. And now you’re on your own in the darkness, looking up at the moon through a circle of dirt. You didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis care, Depression, Hospital, Mental health, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychiatry, Stigma and discrimination, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Who’s listening?

Look Mum, no antipsychotics!

Posted on July 8, 2016 by purplepersuasion

On (re)diagnosis in 2011 I was recommended quetiapine, but also asked to consider lamotrigene. I was given the chance to go away and read the leaflets and come back the following week, but I wanted to get started. Also my … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Crisis care, Medication, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychiatry, Recovery, Side effects, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

999: Is your emergency deserving enough?

Posted on January 1, 2015 by purplepersuasion

[Content note: A&E for mental health crisis, poor care experiences, suicidal thoughts, self-harm] The strain felt by A&E departments as we move into winter has been much in the news. Today the Guardian pronounces the whole A&E system to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis care, Mental health, Mental health services, Politics and current affairs, Stigma and discrimination | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Ten ways to make service user participation more meaningful

Posted on July 8, 2014 by purplepersuasion

I’ve been to a few events in past months as a patient/service user representative. Some events have had a specific mental health remit, others have looked at the wider NHS, but either way the focus has been on improving individuals’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Five hot buzzwords in the future of mental health

Posted on October 3, 2013 by purplepersuasion

Yesterday I attended a day at health charity The King’s Fund on the future mental of health in London. The event was for stakeholders (which basically means people who are invested in the process of planning services) and attenders included … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Mental health, Politics and current affairs, Stigma and discrimination | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Guest post: Some history of bipolar disorder in the UK (part 2)

Posted on June 17, 2013 by purplepersuasion

I am very pleased to introduce the second part of this wonderful guest post reflecting on how professionals understood and responded to bipolar (or manic depression) in the mid-20th century. I met many others who had this same label of … Continue reading →

Posted in History of mental health, Mental health, Stigma and discrimination | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Comments and complaints on healthcare: do you dare to share?

Posted on October 3, 2012 by purplepersuasion

I am a firm believer in complaining. I’m not talking about whinging or grumbling, although I think it’s important that sick and disabled people are allowed to do that too. I’m talking about making it known when the health or … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments