disablility

We are so humbled and frankly pretty emotional, to see so many people standing with us to say what we’ve always known… that this isn’t ok!! 

For our little family, this has felt like such an enormous mountain to take on but we’re so grateful for your support and can’t believe so many people- most of whom don’t even know us- have helped our children and others like them. 

Still no change from Whitbread so we’re going to contact some media organisation as this afternoon to try and put some more pressure on.

It would really help if everyone could continue to share the petition or share it again, so that we can have the best chance to demonstrate our collective voice.

An enormous thank-you to each and every one of you!

Kate, Emma, Izzy and Milo x 

Dear Supporters, 

First and foremost, thanks for signing the petition and sharing. Sending the deepest of gratitude and warmth your way. The photo linked to this update is a recent sunrise captured at the Tor, Somerset while on a little adventure.

When I imagine a room of 99 people all supporting this very sensitive cause which has launched my (metaphorical) game, view of the world, ambitions, careers and some relationships out the window (climbing these rocky mountains show you who are authentic friends/social media links/colleagues/associates; or those who were just there for the good times... you get my drift. Those I know on a personal level - thanks for sticking with me buds). This petition is distilling a sense of belonging amongst a community of us who through either personal experiences/knowledge, political views or a great EQ know that having a separate Act and infrastructure for ‘Mental Health’ needs to be shown the backdoor and laid to rest and rot.

One cannot separate mental from physical health, and that’s why the current treatments affect organs and weight. After being manhandled and forced 800mg of anti-psychotics (which, despite being 5 years ago, I still have to look at the physical effects the treatment caused my body each day) means I’m not going to stop sharing these horrific incidents and practises still classed as legit and ethical; when there are other treatments, natural ones referred to in an earlier update for example, that could help those experiencing mental distress, ‘out the ordinary’ visuals and auditory experiences or creative perspectives, views and opinions, which potentially landed me in that mess because apparently 'free speech' isn’t acceptable in some subject areas - not without repercussions (learned that the hard way!!!) - there are of course other possibilities yet to be confirmed.

Being the biological niece of a space scientist who lectured at Oxford University for many years later in life, I’m not adverse to the possibility these experiences classed as mental illnesses for some could well be a scientific revolution if viewed differently and of course, knowledge and contemporary research fed to the public will, over time,  change attitudes and promote inclusion. And the determination, strength and skill that enabled my Great Grandmother to gain the position of Captain of Liverpool's Cricket team many decades ago will also never, ever leave me.

I feel the need to state I’m not 'against the system' (rebel with a cause maybe) but I will continue this pursuit with dignity and clear explanations as much as I can; not only for myself but for the hundreds, if not thousands of people who are without a voice, an education, a friend, in a hospital ward, being told they are ill and made to take tablets that only mask issues and result in further physical health problems when the system and health treatments need a revamp - that’s all!

Huge shout out to those wonderful souls I spent months on a ward with, sharing experiences, life stories, all very peacefully, often with music and laughter but always with the strongest of support towards me as another patient - you will always been remembered and have a huge part of my heart - I’m sorry we’ve lost touch.

Those moments I just recalled, were from the first time I was detained under Section 2 in Kent, a private ambulance from London took the courtesy to drive to Deal, 111 km south to collect me from a relatives out of the blue (I was replying to a Police Conduct complaint at the time they arrived) - only to drive another 72.2km back north to a detention centre… aka psychiatric ward in Maidstone, Kent. Quite a few psych building on that site…. I was told the assessment wouldn’t take long by the crisis team. I was there for three months. One of the two doctors who made the decision to implement the Section 2, said the 1200mg of CBD tablet I consumed daily to balanced my mental alchemy was ’too much’…. That speak for itself. When and where was he trained? What year? How frequently are psychiatrists enforced refresher, current practice training? Questions I would like to hear answered by the Government’s Department For Health / Parliament. Many health institutions are private, pardon me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is it's not the NHS's fault, the scapegoat service many times blamed for systematic failures that derive from an infrastructure [potentially] out of their control (that rant came from the recent news of the NHS being blamed by the media for the man who escaped from a forensic psychiatric unit to commit another crime). If we stop seeing mental health as a separate ‘issue’ - that man would have been in a high security prison and the victims may still be alive. I hope despite the tragic ending to the victims life’s they find peace in their premature rest - my deepest sympathy goes to the loved ones and neighbours affected by the harrowing incident.

Back to my story... calm but shaken, unsure of why the crisis team arrived when I was chillin’, emailing, been out for a stroll and embarrassingly unaware of the Mental Health Act Sections (despite studying a Mental Health Awareness course at 16 years of age part of a Health, Social Care and Early Years Extended Diploma at Blackpool and the Fylde College, my bad, I was definitely adolescent and otherwise occupied) - I was taken in and although ward staff read my rights, as they are legally obliged to, I was not informed that if I refused treatment it is BRUTALLY forced upon you, especially if you resist which I obviously did with having had no explanation of why the flipping heck I was there (even though I may have answered that earlier, or that could just be a theory, I like to think free speech applies to all people and all subjects, genuinely). So, I called 999 as and sane person would do terrified out her wits as 5 ward staff came in with blue rubber gloves and a 3-4 inch needle (I hadn’t watched horror films since seeing the House On The Haunted Hill many years earlier, petrified doesn’t come close to the distress that system, those members of staff, unprovoked put me in). A member of staff snatched my mobile and hung up, I know the police and a number of other professionals put in safeguarding concerns on my behalf because of that incident, the way some staff treated some females on the female only ward (operated largely by males of different ethnicities telling one white girl from Margate to ‘cover up’ because she had a crop top on…. what on earth!!!).

I reacted poorly to that treatment having a history of allergies - the hospital didn’t have my medical records nor did they seem to care. I raised a yellow card through the ‘making medications safer’ site - https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

Then, a few days later, while calming making a cuppa tea with warm water a member of the ward staff, chummy with the psychiatrist tried again to give me medication…. still unaware it could be enforced under the direction of the lead clinician (who should have been present if a patient refused but wasn't) this time resulted in a man quite literally aggressively dragging me down the floor of the ward by my arm, leaving an abrasion, to have my Collective (Camden market vintage fashion shop, epic, check them out) catsuit undressed from my body for them to inject me again, in the buttocks, with very little dignity (or warning, explanation, basic respect). 

I’ve going to leave this update here. It’s evoked a deep sense of disapproval and disgust in Britain per se. 

Oh, and a special thanks to the mental health advocates who said they wouldn’t support be because I can speak for myself…. that ‘thanks' was a sarky one. I was still stuck in there being  disrespected, ignored and detained. And I will repeat once again, I presented as NO RISK to myself or to other people. God only knows where the written documents which stated claims of ‘suicide attempts’, ‘threats to family’ and the other nonsense provided by the physiatrist to a court tribunal came from. 

What these events have reinforced, is where there’s darkness, there’s light. Where there’s sadness, there’s laughter, and when there's an Alice with no apology or compensation for the malpractice of staff and clinical reports and injustice - change will come via mother nature by force. Bet you £100!

Please keep safe, stay open minded and share this petition with those pockets of society that may not be the strongest readers, researchers, the vulnerable, lost and people I will always support and rest, despite what they might think of people from backgrounds like mine (a cosy one, parents climbed the local authority working ladders with great success, but I still have to graft for cash to get what I need and where I want to go, no silver spoons so to speak). Cheers to the BBC, politicians, film & TV script writers and other radio, TV and notable folk for allowing me to be the ‘ghost writer’ producer, idea catalyst and 'mug' to much content out there right now, the credit is overwhelming. Also to the musicians and industry experts! You flatter me, honestly guys!

There’s more to the story… we’re only a couple of years in… it involves another ward, less time there, and a few more psychiatrists that in time, have come round (I’m spread eagle touching every piece of wood with every part of my body possible). 

Love to all despite those I’m still working on forgiving! 

Alice Elizabeth

Another day, another update.

 Hoping that I can have a sigh of relief about Sir Kier Starmer's decision to bring NHS management back under the control of ministers bringing radical, positive enforcement; the much needed and overdue changes within primary and secondary mental health processes; firstly by merging rogue/poorly management psychiatric wards   with physical health hospitals and 'mainstream' GP systems and practices. Not many people dare vouch or publicly cover l how bad some wards are (the one I refer to is in south-east England).

My cause, petition and some news coverage highlights an area of the health industry that's been overlooked and in many counties stalled for decades. Yes, those places have saved some lives and helped many back on track, but it often isn't sustainable, inclusive or well managed from my experiences. It also gives room for emotional abuse the way the doctors rely too heavily on reports and statements of family members rather than getting to know and understand the patients well-rounded, deep and often complex situations and needs. They do not have enough training on special education needs or better herbal treatments (the power of CBD for example).

Ministers being well-educated and informed by up-to-date research from many leading universities, charities and independent studies will surely lead British healthcare, specifically mental health laws and treatment to a modern, just and dignified position we can all be proud of. 

As a trained health care professional prior to training as a qualified teacher then transitioning into broadcasting (before the horrific experiences mentioned in the main petition description), this is a topic I'm going to keep discussing and sharing some of the 'not so good' practices such as the manners in which ward staff spoke to patients (disrespectfully) and leaving one women with physical movement restrictions sitting in her own urine for hours when there were several members of ward staff on duty standing around.

They wouldn't allow me to view the hospital policies which I had a right to see and there are more dramatic recalls to come.

It's difficult to speak about those days and nights as I've felt intimidated by the current system, assessments and lack of support from NHS England complaint team and the Care Quality Commission over the many issues raised. Also, due to the current diagnostics which don't factor in the vast potentials of modern day technology and ancient spirituality/gifts (mediumship) despite being a Protestant country all present huge barriers. 

Thank you to the Government for taking back control and (hopefully) taking firm, action to eliminate the pits in mental (and physical... let's combine them) healthcare practices and infrastructures many patients are stuck in, misunderstood and outcast.

Very best, 

Alice Elizabeth 

@aliceElizabethlund @alice__amel