This piece is a powerful example of the Good Life Vision in action. It shows that even during the most acute mental health crises, recovery and hope are possible when services are built on respect, patience, and human dignity.
Our collective goal is not just to point out flaws, but to illuminate a path forward—and this is what that path looks like.
When I Was Living 20 Lives at High Speed
In 2021, I was hospitalised at Fremantle Hospital Ward 5.1 (Djiti-Djiti) for one and a half months due to a manic episode. It was a really difficult point in my life, and I was entertaining a different delusion every few minutes. It felt like I was living 20 different lives at a high speed all at the same time. Sometimes I was grandiose, sometimes I was paranoid, sometimes I was very dramatic. But I am incredibly grateful to the staff in the ward because of how they treated me while I was cycling through all these states. And despite how much suffering I was going through at the time, and my loss of freedom, I actually treasure the time that I spent in the ward there, because of the intense, incredible friendships I made with other patients, and also because of how the staff treated me.
The Foundation of Dignity and Compassion
What was really important to me and which still strikes me as incredible is that I was always treated with respect and human dignity, no matter how strange my behaviour was. The staff on the ward would engage me in conversation, and go along with whatever my delusion was that day. Sometimes we would even have deep and meaningful conversations.
Specific instances of compassion and flexibility stand out:
- I remember one of the kitchen staff was from Singapore, like me, and we discussed Singapore politics and his youth. Once he knew I was Singaporean like him, he even gave me a piece of pandan cake which he brought into the hospital, bringing me a small taste of home. I still tear up when I remember this.
- One night, after lights out, I begged the nurses to let me back into the dining room because I had left a necklace that my grandfather had given me in there. They let me take it. There was flexibility to the rules, and we were treated compassionately. I didn’t feel coerced or restricted while I was in there, even though I couldn’t leave.
- I made so many inappropriate remarks and comments while I was there, and I even pulled the emergency tab a couple of times for a laugh, but I was never treated harshly or punitively. I really learned from the people in the ward that simply agreeing with someone entertaining a delusion was a way in which we could get along. There is no need to correct us while waiting for the medication to work. We will reach back into reality in our own time.
The Healing Power of Green Spaces
I think one of the most important aspects of the ward’s design was that there was a green space which patients could access – a small veggie garden, a pavilion out the back and a large tree which overlooked the car park. I think this green space genuinely helped us stay okay while being restricted in our movements. There was one afternoon when a windstorm blew a branch down and we were all not allowed out into this space, and you could feel the tension in the ward build to unbearable levels. The power of plants and an outdoor space to be in the sunshine made such a difference, compared with another ward I had been in which didn’t have greenery in its outdoor spaces.
Hope and Healing Post-Discharge
Since being discharged I have been an outpatient at Fremantle Hospital and I have received so much help in recovering from what was a terrible crash out. I had sustained PTSD from my manic episode and the psychologist, Susie, who specialised in trauma counselling helped me to overcome a debilitating driving phobia that I had developed because of the PTSD.
The care I received from Susie demonstrates the impact of long-term, trauma-informed
support:
- She was patient, kind and compassionate towards me as we went through the difficult task of EMDR treatment over the course of eight months, twice a week.
- It was a painstaking treatment, and very turbulent as I had to relive and hold in mind the traumatic memories that were causing PTSD. She never rushed me, even though I felt like I was processing slowly.
- She always made sure that at the end of the session I left feeling safe by practising safe space imagery. I learned to trust her from her repeated guidance, when I processed memory after memory safely.
I have much more freedom now, and I am incredibly grateful to her, and to the whole team at what we colloquially call “Alma Street”. I would have never received the quality of care and compassion for my mental illness in the country I grew up in, so I am very glad that I experienced this care in Fremantle. Not everything was perfect, and in particular I found the transition from the ward to being “warded” at my own place to be particularly difficult due to a case manager I was assigned, but for a mental patient to say they miss the ward (in some ways) is an incredible reflection of the people who work there. I am still working on my mental health with the Fremantle Hospital Melville team, and I can see myself and my life improving in many ways since being warded.
The Future Without Fear
Thanks to the team on the ward, I know that if I ever need to spend time in the ward again, I will not need to fear it. I would be among friends.
This experience provides undeniable proof that our collective Good Life Vision is achievable. The fact that JH can say they no longer fear future hospitalisation is the ultimate measure of success. By supporting mental health services that prioritise genuine partnership, compassionate flexibility and healing environments, we can ensure this quality of care becomes the expectation rather than the exception for everyon