Woman gears up for first Christmas in three years away from a hospital ward

A woman who has resided within inpatient mental health services for most of her life so far is getting ready for her first Christmas out of hospital in three years.

Holly Day from Hampshire was admitted to St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton, a mental health charity that specialises in complex health needs, in 2021. 

Holly said: “It’s been a long road to recovery, but I feel very hopeful for the future. Finally, after all these years, I am living in the community. I have secured a placement and have even applied for a college course too.

“I am especially excited about Christmas as this will be the first time in three years that I won’t be spending the day on a hospital ward. I’m spending Christmas Day with a friend and we’re sharing the cooking and doing all the presents. Then, Boxing Day is a family day. I’m going to my sisters’ and my nieces and nephew and mum will be there. It’s going to be an amazing couple of days, which I’m really looking forward to.”

Holly attributes much of her recovery to the Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) she received during her stay at St Andrew’s. DBT – otherwise known as ‘talking therapy - is used to help regulate emotions, which can be a common problem with people who have an Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) diagnosis.

Holly said she finally feels like she has the skills to live in the community and plan for her future.  

She said: “DBT has really helped me because I can feel quite extreme emotions. This can sometimes really impact me as I get very angry or sad very, very quickly and easily. But DBT has made me understand and accept my feelings and I’ve learnt better ways to manage them.”  

DBT teaches people new skills to allow them to understand and regulate their emotions.  

Dr Emily Fox, Director of Psychological Therapies at St Andrew’s, said: “Whilst short-term distress tolerance skills, such as distracting and self-soothing techniques, get individuals through a crisis, we need to support individuals to solve problems and regulate emotions.   

“Once emotions are regulated and the strength of the emotion fits the situation, individuals are able to effectively problem solve. This is really tough to do as often our emotions hijack us and individuals who don’t have these skills revert back to previous, and often destructive, ways of coping. DBT is a treatment of hope where we work with the individual to build a life worth living.”  

Holly said: “From the age of 15 I have struggled with my mental health and I’ve been in and out of inpatient services for most of my life. I had lost all hope and just thought I was destined for a life living at mental health hospitals where I’m placed for my own safety. But DBT has really helped me shift my way of thinking and for the first time in 15 years I have hope for my future. 

“I’m so ready for the next stage now. It’s a big step, but I know it’s the right step. But whatever the future holds for me, I’ll always be grateful to St Andrew’s Healthcare and DBT which basically saved my life. I urge anyone who may be struggling with their complex mental health condition to seek help. I am an example of how it really can change the course of your life.”  

Dr Fox added: “Committing to treatment is a big decision and takes courage to take a different path and chose to learn new skills and generalise the skills to all parts of your life.   

“Whilst we work in inpatient settings, our goal is for individuals to use the skills away from the ward, so they can engage in vocational and educational activities with family and friends. These are not skills for hospital, they are skills for life. 

“Holly is an inspiring example of how powerful using an intense therapy can be. Ensuring that we deliver a full DBT programme, which involves DBT Skills Groups, Individual Therapy, Skills Coaching when struggling, alongside ensuring the environment supports the generalisation of skills, has been vital in Holly’s recovery.  We are thrilled that she’s getting ready for her discharge and has hope and life-worth living goals for her future.” 

St Andrew’s has been providing specialist care for women with personality disorders, including those with a primary diagnosis of EUPD, for more than 25 years.  

The DBT programme is unique because it is delivered through a complete risk-managed pathway of care, creating a sense of momentum and motivation for patients. 

Patients receive treatment from a full multi-disciplinary team, a number who are DBT therapists and all have training in understanding DBT and Personality Disorders, under one roof where they are provided with personalised care via a collaborative approach.