Katherine’s history
Katherine* is a young woman with multiple mental health diagnoses, including Bipolar disorder and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). She had an unsettled childhood and first came into contact with mental health services in her teens, when she spent time in a secure children’s home due to self-harm.
Her unstable childhood was very difficult for Katherine to cope with, and after a turbulent few years engaging in risky behaviours and taking illicit substances, she was admitted to hospital. This was followed by numerous admissions into her 20’s. Due to increasing paranoia and delusions, she became involved with criminal behaviours and briefly spent time in prison before being re-admitted to hospital.
In her last placement before she came to Cygnet St Teilo House she was violent, aggressive and had assaulted the staff.
When Katherine came to us
On admission, Katherine was highly anxious and very withdrawn, she was acutely unwell and had been experiencing auditory hallucinations which were extremely distressing for her. She kept these feelings to herself not wanting to open up to staff.
Katherine’s paranoid thoughts and delusions continued to trouble her and she felt that she was to blame for any negative experiences happening to those around her.
With no daily routine or motivation to take care of herself, Katherine had been neglecting her personal hygiene.
Katherine’s care
When Katherine arrived the team quickly identified the severe anxieties that she was feeling, the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) reviewed her medication in order to address the hallucinations. This helped Katherine and she began to feel more comfortable to open up to the staff.
Katherine settled into Cygnet St Teilo House fairly quickly with the help of the team’s positive support and reassurance. They worked with her to improve her self-esteem and alongside her new daily routine, this helped her begin to take care of her appearance and looking after her personal space by cleaning her room every day. They found this to be a positive coping technique for Katherine and was something she took pride in.
As she engaged with the in-house psychology and occupational therapy (OT) teams, Katherine’s confidence grew. They used a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based approach to challenge her negative thoughts and feelings, whilst continuing to reassure her about her progress. The OT team supported her to take walks and access the community, which was a huge confidence boost, eventually Katherine was able to access the community un-escorted and would often return and share with the team how proud she felt that she was now able to do this safely and without any worries.
After showing a caring nature towards her peers, Katherine was appointed patient representative at Cygnet St Teilo House. With her new found confidence she was very chatty and engaging to be around and was asked to support the team with interviews for new members of staff. She also enrolled at the local college.
Katherine today
Katherine was discharged from Cygnet St Teilo House to a supported living service where she enjoys her independence. She is proud of how far she has come and what she achieved at Cygnet St Teilo House.
Katherine manages her anxieties well and is confident with her daily living skills, she really enjoys doing her own shopping and cooking. She is delighted that her rehabilitation has enabled her to not use drugs or alcohol.
Since leaving Cygnet St Teilo House, she has started at college and the team are confident that with her new found skills she will continue lead a happy and healthy life.
*Name has been changed to protect her identity.
