The Cassel Hospital
 

It looks as though I could be going to The Cassel Hospital. Has anyone been there before, if so what is it like?

Hey,

I didn't actually go The Cassel in the end because it wasn't the right place for me but I went for assessment and spent a couple of days there meeting people etc.

It's a really great place and certainly all the people I spoke to said fantastic things about it which gave me a lot of hope for it being a good place.

It's a therapeutic community as you probably know and I found it a very supportive atmosphere. You all support one and other and then there are staff there as well.

I hope it works out well for you. Are you going to have a look around the place?

xx

Thanks for your reply.

They are doing a referral for me and going to get someone to come and assess me. They are not sure if I'm suitable at the moment.

I hope the referral comes through quickly for you.

They didn't think I was suitable because of my self harming but I also didn't feel I could cope because I have emetophobia and it was shared bathrooms. I feel really sad that I couldn't manage to share a bathroom because it was a great place.

Wishing you the best of luck and sorry I don't have more information,

xx

I'm currently self-harming quite badly and suicidal so I don't know whether I will fit their criteria. Shared bathrooms puts me off a bit. However, it does seem much more relaxed than The Dene which is where I was for 11 months.

My mum has just been discharged from there. Do you have any specific questions?

Basically it's a TC that mainly deal with BPD. There is a lot of group work but you also get individual therapy twice a week. I think all the rooms are shared. There are doctors there too. By the sounds of it it is very challenging especially in terms of self harm but it's viewed as a good programme with good results. They've recently changed the structure of the hosp but I don't think that would make any difference. I think the main approach to SH is that you can do it but you have to be open and honest about it. Patients are strongly encouraged to help each other out along with the support of the nursing team. You cook and clean together. I think there can be a lot of drama and it's tough when you've got a number of people struggling at once but overall it's a good place to go.

I was there back in 2006/2007 but I can only assume it has changed since then (i think the families unit was shut down) but the main ethos is probably still the same.

It's a great place to make a change in life but the saying always was 'you get out as much as you put in'. Also, they loved to highlight people being uncommunicative, they want you to be very vocal. It's a good place, but i can't stress enough that you have to want to make a change. I regreat my time there, I was too young and lacked a lot of confidence and hence wasn't able to speak in groups, there are a LOT of groups. I liked the dance and movement therapy though.

You go home on the weekends as they like you to remain in touch with that aspect of life. When i was there they sent people on 'short leave' which is basically being sent home to think about what you have done that wasn't acceptable but they are very in touch with your needs. Some people were short leaved for self harm but that very rarely happened to me due to my very intense issues around rejection.

A lot of people acted out and I for one self harmed a fair bit whilst I was there. It helped me in the sense that I learnt how to communicate my needs and feelings and emotions, although I wasn't able to stop harming.

The patients take on a lot of responsibility and at night the (i can't remember what we were called :/) would hand over to the night staff. When I was there, there would be a member of staff sleeping at night and a night orderly awake.

Sorry I've rambled and it's been years since I was there! Feel free to ask any questions though.

Yeah, you do get pushed quite hard, it's quite a challenging place.

I'm not quite sure it's the kind of place that would suit me. I'm very quiet and shy and don't engage well in groups. Also my self-harm is said to be very high risk and they are considering sending me to a PICU prior to The Cassel.

That was the issue with me, that my self harm was considered very serious. However, perhaps you will find that once you have been to the PICU that will be somewhat resolved.

With the groups, I'm guessing that comes with time. Nobody will go there feeling very confident but as you get to know people it will become easier and you will begin to trust you. Obviously this isn't my experience of The Cassel as I didn't go but another unit where a big part of it was group work.

I did group work in the past for six months and I found it was a nightmare, not for me at all. I'm scared about possibly going there now.

The Cassel sounds like a place for people who are willing to engage and want to recover. I'm quite the opposite.

It's worth telling the staff you're with that. You may not always feel that way and it seems pointless to go somewhere as hopeful as The Cassel, not engage, not get better and not be able to use the opportunity a few years (or however long) down the line if you DO want to get better... if that makes sense?

I do agree that if at the moment you feel you don't want to recover, you need to make that known because there will probably be better suited places.

They have got the go ahead for funding so I'm going to have an assessment.

Why don't you want to recover?

Well I guess a part of me would like to get better and have a different life than the one I have now but another part of me just wants to curl up and die.

Ah ok. I think you should keep trying to get all the help you can get. Things will get better.

I hope they do get better.

They have a high probability of getting better if you get all the help you can get. Do you have a mental health advocate? They can be very useful. I don't have a mh advocate but I have an autism advocate and she's really good, she's helped me out of a lot of bad situations.

No I don't have an advocate, perhaps I should look at getting one.

Yes, ask about getting one, it might help the situation.

I agree. It's definitely worth having a MH advocate, especially whilst you are under section and they are making decisions about your future. Mine is absolutely fantastic and I dread to think of how I may have been treated if it wasn't for her input.

*agrees* my advocate (although for autism, but similar thing to a MH advocate) actually typed a comprehensive letter to the ward explaining my difficulties and needs, the day after I went non-verbal because of getting overloaded, and then a nurse kept shouting at me "you can speak! So why don't you?!" over and over again.

Good luck, I hope things get better soon for you.

The Cassel are coming to assess me tomorrow. I'm feeling very anxious about the assessment, wish me luck...

Good luck lovely. When I was assessed, I found them all really lovely and helpful. x

Good luck with your assessment tomorrow.
Let us know how it goes.

Good luck tomorrow. I hope it goes ok :-)

Well I had my assessment. I think it went as well as it could have done. It sounds like quite an intense place. I have to go back for another assessment in a couple of weeks time.

I'm glad it seemed to go well lovely. I had to go back two weeks later as well (was a nightmare transport wise!). I really hope that it will work out for you. Whilst it's intense, I think they have a brilliant success rate and if you could go then it could really change your life around.

Did you get to speak to any of the patients this time or are they thinking of that next time? I found speaking with the current patients/residents really beneficial. x

Hi Tig, no I didn't get to speak to the patients this time but there is a day where I go for half a day and meet them.

That's what I did too. I know it wasn't right for me but honestly, it was fantastic to speak to the patients because I think it gives you a proper eye-opener to what's involved and there seemed to be so many positives too x

I'm quite unsure about the place to be honest. Hopefully if I get to the half a day visit I will get a better understanding of the place. At this stage I'm not sure it's actually the right place for me.

I think that's why you go a few times so you can all decide together whether it is the right place for you x