By Eric and Carol – Rosewood Involvement Volunteers
In September 2015 we attended the Diamond Resource Centre (women’s unit) and the male PD (personality disorder unit) Chiltern Ward to assist patients in writing their stories of their personal recovery journey through Rampton Hospital.
The patients were enthusiastic and wrote stories varying in length from one to three sides! They were given some prompts to help them.
For example:
“What was it like when you first came to Rampton?”
” What has helped you in your recovery?”
“Where do you see your future?”
One patient would like to use his experiences to help inform students and others in schools and universities in the future, and another would like a small business.
Some of the patients were happy to read out their stories and some preferred to have them read out. All this took place at a Day Care Conference at Rampton Hospital held at the end of September. As well as their peers and staff, patients invited doctors to come and listen to their story. One patient even invited his psychologist.
All in all a good experience for us as involvement volunteers and the chance to support Rampton Patients in a unique way.