I’ve shared a few stories about people I’ve met through my time in psychiatric hospitals. But some people stay with you. Isla is one of them. I think about her a lot.
She had the kindest heart — the kind of heart that cared deeply, even when she was hurting. Isla hadn’t had the best start in life. Mental illness ran through her family. Her mum also struggled. Isla was brought up in care. Neither of her parents could give her the support she needed as a child. She had several brothers and sisters, all still in her life in some way, but none of them were raised together.
Despite all of this, Isla loved her mum deeply. They spoke on the phone often. She visited every couple of weeks. She didn’t expect much — just felt grateful to have her mum in her life at all.
When I met Isla, she was 24. She had been in and out of psychiatric hospitals since she was 18. She lived with both physical and psychological pain, and every day felt like she needed to escape. Yet she had the most caring, empathetic soul I’ve ever met. She had so little, but never complained. She never asked for help — even when she needed it most.
She became a close friend. She always knew when I was struggling. She’d check in, try to make me laugh, offer comfort. She made me feel seen. She made me feel less alone.
And Isla was the kind of person you would do anything for — but she’d never ask.
I didn’t know until I was admitted myself that if someone is hospitalised for a long time, many of their benefits stop. Isla was left with just £80 every two weeks to live on. That barely covers anything — but she never moaned, never questioned it.
When she was too unwell to live alone, Isla was told she’d be moved to supported accommodation. But every time a discharge was close, the funding would fall through. She was left in limbo — stable enough to leave, but nowhere to go. Over and over again.
Even at 24, she could already see how her future might look: temporary stability, followed by relapse, hospitalisation, and disappointment. Her life was a loop that no one helped her break.
Leave a Reply