Newly discharged from hospital

[Mavis1989]

Hi I’m a 31 year old female and (non biological) mother of 1 baby daughter with a female partner of 5 years. I’ve been reading the forums for months now as I battled my worst ever MDD relapse (although they all seem pretty awful when they are happening) I thought it was time to introduce myself. I got discharged from hospital 2 days ago and I’m really struggling now that I’m back in reality 😔 while I do feel better than before my 2 week hospital admission, my mood is still low and I feel close to tears a lot of the time. I feel overwhelmed with the mundane tasks of daily life and dread going back to work (as a nurse) and feeling so exposed as everyone knows where I have been for the last 2 weeks and most people know I have been struggling for the last 3 months. Do anyone relate to this? How can I move forward with my life when I don’t feel that much better? Not constantly thinking of suicide at least but that doesn’t mean I feel ok 😔 any tips on life after hospital are much appreciated.

[Sophie_M]

Hi Mavis1989, 

Thank you for coming to the forums and sharing your experience, it takes a lot of bravery to reach out for support. We can hear that you are finding things overwhelming at the moment, we are really sorry to hear this.

We think that it would be useful for you to reach out for further support on our BeyondBlue Phoneline (1300 22 4636) to chat to a counsellor. You can also speak to Lifeline if you like on 13 11 14.

Please check back in on the forums when you feel ready for it and have a read of the other experiences that others have shared. 

Kind regards, 

Sophie M

[Mavis1989]

Thanks Sophie for your quick reply. I think it couldn’t hurt speaking to a counsellor at some stage but what I also hadn’t mentioned in my intro was that I’m supposed to be a bridesmaid tomorrow for one of my best friends so all of my focus will be on that this weekend. I think I’m most nervous about going home to reality though. The wedding might be a good distraction I’m just terrified of going back home to the everyday grind and not feeling capable of life which is what brought me into hospital in the first place. I do have community support in place but they know I’m away for this wedding so it’s on hold atm. I guess I’m mainly just posting to feel less alone with this illness that always seems to pop back into my life since the age of 13 😔 I’m just wondering how other people have coped with discharge from hospital and also wondering how long it took to feel ok again?

[Sophie_M]

Hi again Mavis 1989, 

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now, that must be really tough. It is great that you have found your way to this forum community where you can find many stories and experiences of how people have managed to cope and thrive.

I have put a link below to our 'Staying Well' series of threads which you might find especially helpful - hopefully there is something that resonates with you there 🙂

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/staying-well

Kind regards, 
Sophie M

 

[Ggrand]

Dear Mavis1989,

A warm and caring welcome to our forums...

I am currently in hospital for my 3rd stay in 3 years...It is very hard to transition back into the community and start to regain our trust in ourselves and everyday life decisions...

The first time I was discharged from hospital from a 6 week stay..and I struggled so much to manage my mh because all the support promised me just didn’t happen..and ended back in hospital for 2 weeks....I live alone in a small village...and found it to hard without support....This time the support happened and I managed better...

Please don’t be ashamed of your mental health...it can happen to anyone...even Drs, nurses, lawyers, mh doesn’t discriminate who it wants to hurt....Be proud of the beautiful and strong person you are ..you are a survivor and you are strong.,,,

I think..the best way to move forward is to make little lists of what needs doing and tackle it that way..it doesn’t matter if you only made your bed for that day....because that is an achievement....it’s okay Mavis to not being able to do everything everyday....you can only do what you can do each day....and that is good enough for anyone including yourself...

Please lovely lady...be very gentle on yourself...and take each day, hour, minute as it comes....

Talk here anytime you feel up to it....We are here to try to support you the best we can..,,

My kindest thoughts with my care, Dear Mavis..

Grandy...

[Guest_1643]

hey mavis i think this is relatively normal after leaving hospital - the adjustment is so so hard and many struggle

also sometimes they hype u up a bit at the hospital that u will be "healed' on discharge.... i don't think that's possible

i fully 100 percent believe in healing, change and the power of support at the hospital, but its not quick fix

yet mentally we sometimes do hope to leave with less problems than we come in.... maybe give it more time and think of ur stay as the beginning of getting better, not an end point

glad u did say you feel somewhat better and less suicidal - well done on that although i know u do wish to feel better.

mundane tasks are something i struggle with so much too, so i relate and empathise . hope ur okay today mavis x

[Mavis1989]

Thankyou so much grandy your words mean more than I can say 💜 also I have a ‘grandy’ my grandmother who is very important to me so I found your words even more comforting. It’s honestly a really lonely world mental illness and while I do have an amazing support system I still don’t feel totally understood with this disease that people who don’t suffer could not even begin to understand. I also feel an expectation from others that I should be all better now I’ve had time in hospital. Definitely not the case. Thankyou for your support and I wish you a quick recovery 💜

[Mavis1989]

Thankyou so much sleepy you have really helped me with your words. I love how you said to look at it a little differently with thinking that this is the start of the recovery rather than the end. I wish others could also see it that way as well. Hospital is so far from real life and while it was a needed break I don’t see how recovery is possible when we aren’t facing the reality of life and those daily tasks that feel like soo much effort when I’m unwell. Thankyou again 💜