Mae's poem
As part of our Raise the Standard campaign, lots of people have bravely been sharing their stories of being in a mental health hospital.
Mae wrote this poem about their experiences in inpatient care.
at fifteen years old,
school with friends turned to a locked ward with strangers.
dance classes turned to doctors upping the meds again.
and again.
and again.
until i couldn’t feel anymore.
all i could do was sleep.
then they locked my room,
so sleeping was now on the floor in the corridor.
clinging to my teddies like a child again because they seemed like the only things that would keep me safe.
the people there didn’t keep me safe.
meals out turned into fortisips and tubes.
terrified of the nurses coming with blue gloves.
terrified of the clinic.
terrified of men holding me down
dragging me.
hurting me.
hands over my face.
over my mouth.
i couldn’t breathe.
they didn’t listen.
i tried to escape.
i tried to end my life.
and when it failed,
they would scream at me.
“you selfish girl”
“you stupid girl”
“you will never get out of here”
i still have nightmares.
every day.
How you can help
The Mental Health Act is 40 years old. It's the law which says when you can be detained (or sectioned), and receive mental health treatment against your will.
But it’s outdated and not working. People detained under the Act don’t have enough say in their treatment.
It's time for the UK government to Raise the Standard of mental health hospitals, and change the Act before the next election.
Sign our petition, and help us call for this.
Where to get support
We know that going into hospital for your mental health can be really scary. If you're affected by any of the issues on this page, know that you're not alone. We have information on going into hospital, the care you might get, and what happens if you're sectioned.
