“My schizophrenic son finally received treatment but was discharged from the hospital at Travelodge”

Jackie Mann tried to help her mentally ill son Will for a long time before writing a letter to her local general practitioner warning them that something bad was about to happen.

Eventually, a psychiatrist visited her home in Leamington, Hampshire to talk to Will, who reacted badly. A 42-year-old man attacked a psychiatrist who ran out of the house, jumped into his car and drove away, leaving Jackie to take care of her very upset son, not making sure she was ok, right? to call for help. Will then attacked his mother, claiming he wanted to kill her, which led 78-year-old Jackie to lock herself in her bedroom and call the police, fearing for her life.

“We tried to make Will mentally ill, but until something bad happens, there is almost no help for you. I sent a warning letter to the local GP to say that something bad was about to happen, and eventually it did,” Jackie said. I. “Will turned himself in to the police and was soon segmented. Then the problems got worse.”

After the autopsy, Will was placed in three different psychiatric hospitals – Basingstoke, Winchester and Havant – each of which treats mentally ill patients with different needs. Despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia, he was sent to Travelodge upon his release.

“And when he was at the Travelodge in Christchurch, they sent him to another Travelodge for the night. [after New Forest District Council’s housing team forgot to renew his room]which was very remote and had no transport links,” Jackie said.

“It was pretty stressful because he practically stayed there. He then returned to the original Travelodge before being moved to a small accommodation, and now to something decent, but again temporary. It’s all so stressful because you’re only in the hands of the municipality to find suitable housing, which is so hard to come by.

“Will needs a managed property where he can stay, not where someone can move him at any time and he will have to start over.”

Jackie has spent over 20 years trying to find the right help for her son. After a “normal” childhood, Will’s father died at the age of 19, which led to his drug and alcohol abuse. It wasn’t until Will stole an ax from a neighbor’s garage that he was arrested and helped. He returned home four months later, but was not offered any help, and his mother had to constantly call her general practitioner for help – until a serious incident a year ago.

Will is one of more than 500,000 people in the UK living with severe mental illness – people with mental health problems that are often so debilitating that their ability to participate in functional and professional activities is severely affected – exposing huge inequalities. On average, they die 15-20 years earlier than the general population.

Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are the most common serious mental health problems in the UK, with about one in 100 people being diagnosed with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia in their lifetime.

Louise Hallett, founder and chairman of Hammersley Homes, a charity that provides lifelong housing for people with mental illness that helps families, said Will’s case is typical of many vulnerable people who have little to no support after death. You will be released from the hospital.

“Mental health has received so much attention in recent years, but it seems that mental illness is completely excluded from the conversation and people are reluctant to tell their own story due to the widespread stigma. Too little is known about mental illness unless you live with it in your family,” Ms Hallett said.

“There is a fear of mental illness and a feeling that it is “dangerous” or “criminal.” But when these vulnerable people can be supported and protected, they don’t have to deal with the criminal justice system. Kindness and compassion will go a long way.”

Ms. Hallett has lived with her family for nearly 50 years with mental illness and has seen the “endless cycle” of challenges people like Will face in seeking support and stability. Will is now one of about 30 Hammersley clients on a growing list of people waiting at home.

“Nothing ever changes, and if anything has gotten worse,” Ms Hallett said. “Public money is currently being allocated to improve crisis aid, but we don’t really want crises. What is needed is constant support on a very regular basis to prevent reaching the breaking point, to break the endless cycle that we have been seeing for so long, and to resolve the problem at the fear point and not the psychotic phase.

“We have seen this work in many of the transition services that are already in place, but they are all focused on ‘recovery’ and returning to independent living – and we know that is not working. These conditions are long term and long term support is required.

The New Forest Council said its accommodation teams are working closely with local mental health services to ensure people are discharged from hospitals with support and placed in suitable and affordable housing at the time.

A spokesperson said: “In some cases, taking into account a particular client’s health assessment, the level of mental health support available to them (including the board’s own mental health practitioner) and hotel accommodation may be an appropriate short-term solution. ”

Jackie said she was surprised to find government services in the state they are in. about the new initiative, they say: “We have already heard it all.”

“People are tired of all this. As soon as you think that something big is about to happen – the government is investing new money in mental health – people get tired. And for us, the life situation, which we also found much more difficult.

“We tried to get over it and hang out at home with Will, but then I realized it wasn’t working. I told him, “Something will happen here if you don’t get help,” but it didn’t really happen out of the blue. And something happened, and it was serious. In fact, there are no mental health specialists in GP offices. It takes real effort to try and get help.