Sameeha

Sameeha experienced a single short episode of psychosis in her early 20s during an unusually high period of stress. Although she was hospitalised, the psychotic thoughts stopped after less than two weeks with no sign of a coming back.

Sameeha experienced psychosis for the first time when she was 21. She was in her third year of a law degree and was under an unusually high level’ of stress due to problems with her loan, her job and her landlord. She was also rethinking what she wanted to do with her life. She began to lose awareness of time and what was happening around her and one night she just walked out of her student accommodation feeling very paranoid and with delusional thoughts. Her housemate brought her to A&E and she was eventually compulsorily detained in hospital for two weeks under a section of the Mental Health Act.

She clearly remembers the day and moment when she felt better. Someone was fixing the dim lights in her room in hospital and turned them on very bright. Colours looked brighter and everything just illuminated and she felt her consciousness coming in. Whereas before she hadn’t been aware what time of day it was, she was suddenly aware of the time of day and interested in reading her books. Despite the fact that she felt completely well, it was another 4 or 5 days before she was allowed to go home because staff were not available to assess her and release her from her section’.

Staff in hospital didn’t interact with her, they spoke about her’ as though she wasn’t there. She thinks that staff need to be aware of the environment they are creating. She thinks staff who are not happy and comfortable being with people who experience psychosis shouldn’t be doing that kind of work.

Sameeha says that getting plenty of sleep was very important for her recovery in hospital and suggests that doctors should help people to just sleep for a few days and then slowly bring them back, talking to them, telling them who they are, grounding them’, and explaining why they are there.

After she left hospital, a psychiatrist told Sameeha she had experienced psychosis. She did a lot of research online after that, and what she found most helpful was hearing about other people’s experiences. She found Youtube was a great source of information and decided to record her own story and post it on Youtube too. Talking about what had happened gave her a sense of release.

Friendships and her own spiritual beliefs have helped her to move on from her experience of psychosis and she has become very good at checking in with herself to make sure she is ok. She listens to music and finds meditation helps her to stop buzzy’ thoughts in her head. She says it’s important not to feel ashamed or guilty about what happened and not to judge yourself but to look inside yourself for solutions.

Sameeha suggests when people first come into hospital they need to just sleep for a few days and then have someone chat to them about what’s happened to bring them back to reality.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha says family always do things out of love but they have to be careful not to overdo it.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha encourages everyone to follow the source of your own happiness.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha explains how meditation helps her and what she does.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha feels there is no one cause and effect for psychosis. She thinks her experience of psychosis came from a bottling up of emotions.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Posting a YouTube video where she talked about her experience of psychosis helped Sameeha’s recovery.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha remembers a member of staff being off handish and rude. She says you can tell when staff don’st want to be there and don’st have any sympathy.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha describes desperately wanting to leave hospital and having to wait because doctors were on leave or too busy.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha had posted a video on YouTube about her experience of psychosis because she felt she needed to speak about it and move on.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha felt as if she was sitting in her own chest watching herself. It was upsetting to hear afterwards how her actions had affected others.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha remembers being referred to EIP after her discharge from hospital. She didn’st feel she needed further support but it was some time before they discharged her.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha’s flat mate was concerned when Sameeha left the house during the night and she was taken to A&E. She describes still being delusional and running away and feeling imprisoned.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha was in her third year at university and a number of things were making her highly stressed. She lost touch with reality.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha was aware something was coming and was going through a transformative period rethinking what she wanted from her life.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

A friend of Sameeha’s was kicked out of school when she was experiencing mental health difficulties. Sameeha talks about why it’s important to take people seriously when they say they are struggling.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21

Sameeha describes being very out of touch with reality. Her mind seemed to be creating a storyline of its own, which she was acting out.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 21