Symptom Management Group – A patient′s View
Chat Issue 22 Spring 2008
How does my medication work? How will I manage my anxiety? What is a relapse? If you′re a patient here at Caswell you have possibly asked yourself these and similar questions, and with one in a hundred people suffering from Schizophrenic type illnesses at some point in their lives, you′re not alone.
Before I began learning about my illness, I often thought these experiences were unique to me, and I didn′t know what the early signs of a relapse were or how to spot them.
The Symptom Management Group is a great platform to begin learning about mental illness and how it is treated. Topics are discussed in a group although you are under no pressure to talk if you don′t want to, and everything is kept confidential within the group.
In the first session we created some ground rules for the group such as showing respect for each other, being honest, and not discussing what led to us being admitted to hospital. We also looked at some optical illusions to show how easy it is to fool the mind. Some of them were quite clever.
In the following sessions we looked at symptoms, medication, anxiety and relapsing. Everything is discussed informally yet thoroughly, with respect and consideration.
And if that wasn′t enough, we also have decent coffee and delicious biscuits.
If you feel you could benefit from the Symptom Management Group, discuss it with your clinical team and put your name forward for a future group.
I feel that by completing the course I will demonstrate to my team that I am moving forward in my care plan, and also gaining valuable skills to utilise in the future.