“Inside The Mind: A Journey of Mental Health Care"

The nominated staff member has been a home nurse in mental health care for 34 years, and over time, I’ve seen a lot. But in 2011, his path took a special turn when he started caring for 18 years old patient diagnosed with Bipolar Affective Disorder. He came to the patient during a rough time in his life, and to say there were challenges would be an understatement. They faced countless hurdles together, and there were days when he wondered if he would ever find stability.

There were nights the staff couldn't sleep, worrying about what the next day might bring, wondering if he had ever reached a point where life wouldn’t feel like such a battle for him. The staff wasn’t just the patient's nurse; he became the patient's anchor.

Years went by, and slowly things began to change. The treatment started to work, and the patient learned how to manage his emotions better. Both the patient and the nurse developed a routine that brought a sense of calm to the patient's chaotic world. It wasn’t easy, but bit by bit, the patient began to trust the nurse. Something the patient struggled with before, the staff wasn’t just giving him medicine or making sure he followed patient's treatment plan. The nurse was offering him stability, something the patient hadn’t had for a long time.

Now, after all these years, the transformation is remarkable. The patient is cooperative and has come to rely on me in ways that the staff never expected. The patient won’t make a decision without the nurse, and the nurse have become more than just his caregiver, the staff became his family. The patient is like a son to the nurse now. They have built something beyond the nurse-patient relationship.

The patient listens, he is more independent in his thinking, but he still values the staff's guidance. They share conversations that are deeper than what they have experienced with most of the staff patients. There is a bond of trust and care that runs deep.

Looking back on the staff and patient's journey together, we see a man who grows, but the patient also sees how much the staff has grown as a nurse and a person. The staff improvement wasn’t just because of the treatment and routines, it was because of the connection they built.

The staff remember one night, around 12 midnight, when he was asleep at home with his family, out of nowhere, there was a frantic knock at the door. It was the patient. The patient had come to the staff's flat, looking disheveled and anxious, his eyes wide with desperation. Before the staff could even ask what was wrong, the patient grabbed my arm, pleading for me to go with him. “I need to talk to you, please!” he said, his voice trembling, “Please, you have to come with me. I can’t do this alone!”

The staff could see that the patient was deeply distressed. His hands were shaking, and tears were already beginning to well up in his eyes. At that moment, the staff knew this wasn’t just a request; it was an urgent cry for help. The patient was lost in his depression, consumed by darkness that would not let him be. Without hesitation, the nurse got dressed and followed the patient outside, leaving his family behind. They walked in silence to the nearby coffee shop. The streets were empty, and the stillness of the night only seemed to amplify his pains.

One time, the nurse arrived at the patient's home, and the patient collapsed into a chair, his face buried in his hands. The patient started to cry, leaving sobs that seemed to come from a place so deep. The nurse couldn’t imagine the depth of his sorrow. For hours, they sat there. They talked about his loneliness, his fears, and the overwhelming sadness that had taken hold of him. The patient told the staff how he felt like he was drowning, and the only person who could pull him out was the nurse.  The nurse listened to every word, reassuring the patient that no matter how bad things were, the nurse would be there with him. They stayed at the coffee shop until the early morning hours. The nurse made sure he felt safe enough to return home.

This was one of those moments where the nurse felt he meant so much, more than just administering medication or following a treatment plan. The patient needed someone to be there, to understand, and to care. And that night, the nurse became that person for the patient. That experience stayed with the patient for a long time. It reminded the nurse how fragile the patient's mental state could be and how easily the patient could be overwhelmed by his emotions. But it also showed the nurse the power of their 011bond. That trust the patient placed in the nurse to be there when no one else could. That night wasn’t just a challenge for the nurse, it was a turning point in their relationship, solidifying the trust they have built over the years.

The patient's journey has been long and hard, but he found a kind of peace. He is still standing on that cliff, but he is now balanced. The transformation the nurse witnessed in him is nothing short of extraordinary. This is not a story about a nurse and his patient, it is about human connection, about being a lifeline when someone is lost in the storm.

The nurse has learned that healing is not just about medicines or treatments. It is showing up, night after night, day after day, and reminding someone that the patients are not alone. This is what changed his life and mine.

In the end, the nurse feels an indescribable sense of pride when the nurse sees the smile on his patient's face and the joy in the faces of the patient's family and friends, especially his mother.

Depression can be tricky because it doesn’t always look like what you expect. A person with depression might not seem sad or isolated. Instead, they might act overly happy or laugh a lot, trying too hard to show that they are okay.