Bedlam case studies

18 October 2013

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Episode 1: Anxiety

James:

At 23, university student James is bright and engaging but has spent most of his teenage years in and out of psychiatric institutions suffering from extreme OCD. He lives on an isolated farm in the Cotswolds with his mum Penny who's seen her son’s life torn apart by an irrational fear that he cannot control his bowel movements. He has spent up to seven hours at a time in the toilet - too scared to leave in case he has an accident. Last year James' anxiety became so severe that he had to drop out of university. Penny talks about how she’s lost the little boy she once knew and how she’s desperate for him to live a normal life again. The rituals and behaviour of people like James can often seem odd or bizarre but they are driven by a less well-known aspect of OCD called intrusive thoughts.  James was treated at Bethlem Royal Psychiatric Hospital’s specialist residential anxiety unit and responded well to the 12-week therapy programme. He has since been able to return to university.

 

Helen:

Helen is a 33-year-old librarian working at the British Museum in London. For the past two years she's lived as a virtual recluse in her parents’ home. Helen’s anxiety is a severe form of OCD, driven by intrusive thoughts, which cause an irrational fear of harming strangers – she believes that somehow she's put strangers in bins or killed them in road traffic accidents. It became so severe that she was unable to work or even leave the house and her long-term relationship broke down. Helen was treated at Bethlem Royal Psychiatric Hospital’s specialist residential anxiety unit where she took part in a 12-week therapy programme. Although she still struggles with intrusive thoughts, she made sufficient progress to go back to work and has been there for six months.

 

 

Episode 2: Crisis

Katrina:

Katrina is a 22-year-old student at a top drama school who lives with her mother, Linda, in south east London. She was first diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder three years ago after an extreme manic episode during her second year at university. She was eventually sectioned and admitted to a psychiatric hospital.  When she is manic, she has turbulent mood swings and can spend hundreds of pounds shopping.  In December 2012, after an argument over an iPhone, Katrina threatened her mum and was admitted to Lambeth triage ward. She is currently much improved and taking medication to regulate her moods. Katrina has signed up to an art course and is hoping to return to university next year.

 

Dominic:

44-year-old high flyer Dominic was admitted to Lambeth triage ward – a mental health A&E for patients in crisis – after trying to commit suicide. He is married to Rachel, a teacher at an independent school in south London, and they have four children aged between 11 and 18. Dominic was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder in 2010 and his career as a creative director in an IT company started to spiral as his mental health deteriorated in 2012. After a second attempt on his life, he returned to triage and was re-diagnosed with a personality disorder. Dominic speaks openly about living with mental illness; his wife and children also talk about the profound impact his illness has on family life and how they cope. He's now self-employed and having regular therapy to try and tackle the roots of his unhappiness.

 

 

Episode 3: Psychosis

Tamara

Tamara is a mum of two in her thirties who has a form of psychosis called persistent delusional disorder. Her particular delusion is that her body is infested by bed bugs that have entered her body, are behind her eyes and in places it’s physically impossible to reach. When her illness is severe she is unable to stay in her flat and instead sleeps in the communal corridor outside. Her illness left her unable to look after her two children who are both in care. She was first admitted to psychiatric hospital last year and is determined never to return. She is currently being treated in the community.

 

Lloyd:

Lloyd is 44, a former market trader and was once a successful stand-up comedian. He started to develop psychotic symptoms six years ago after two stressful life events: the break-up of a relationship with his long-term partner and the death of his mother. Lloyd has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and hears a persistent voice inside his head called Martha. He lives with his dad, Ray, and neither of them have quite come to terms with what the illness means or how the outside world will view it. Lloyd is afraid of the outside world and seldom leaves the house. To cope with the anxiety he often turns to alcohol. His psychiatrist is worried about the effect it will have and soon Lloyd's deteriorating general health becomes more of a concern than his mental health.

 

 

Episode 4: Breakdown

Sylvia:

Sylvia was 70 before she first experienced mental illness. Following a series of deaths of a number people very close to her, she became severely depressed. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder – in her own words, “I’m not sure what it means. I think it means I’m double nutty!”- she ended up having electroconvulsive therapy treatment (ECT) on the Older Adults Psychiatric Ward at the Maudsley Hospital. Despite the success of the ECT treatment, Sylvia still takes Lithium every day, which helps to stabilise her mood. Two years later, she volunteers every Friday in the ward where she was once treated to chat to the patients and generally help out. Friendly, warm and chatty, Sylvia is an example that recovery is possible.