A massive bugbear of mine is how inpatient treatment for mental health is portrayed to people. Unfortunately, it just isn’t the reality.
I often come across ads on Facebook or other social media platforms for inpatient support services — but almost all of them are private. And while it’s encouraging to see that good care does exist, it’s equally important to highlight that this isn’t the experience for most of us.
Many of us don’t have the luxury of private healthcare. When we’re inpatients, we don’t have a structured support plan with a clear goal in sight. Most of the time, we’re just trying to make it through each day. The truth is, NHS inpatient facilities are nothing like the ads we see. And honestly — why should the quality of our care depend on our disposable income? It just doesn’t seem fair.
What We See vs. What It’s Really Like
It’s not just social media that gets it wrong. TV shows often try to depict what it’s like to be hospitalised for mental illness — and they rarely get close.
I joke that we aren’t all as lucky as Phil Mitchell — but honestly, I’m not joking.
NHS facilities can be chaotic. There aren’t many opportunities to sit in a circle and talk about your feelings, like you see on TV. Most group activities are cancelled because of understaffing. Days are spent surviving — and that’s about it.
And let’s talk about the “smuggling” storylines. I mean, when Phil casually walks into another patient’s room and pulls a can of beer out of his pocket? Completely unrealistic. For all the failings of NHS facilities, one thing they never missed were searches.
You’d go through metal detectors, your pockets would be emptied, your bags checked. It was impossible! (And for the record, I only ever wanted to smuggle in my vape.)
The Way We’re Portrayed
Another issue I have is how inpatient care is shown in shows like Behind Her Eyes. People are often portrayed as completely “unhinged” — and that’s simply not true.
Look at me — I’m fairly normal! (Only kidding… but really, so many of us are just people trying to survive something difficult.)
And don’t get me started on the gardens. On TV, patients are always outside in beautiful open spaces, soaking up the sunshine. In reality? If you were lucky, maybe twice a week there’d be a member of staff available to take you for fresh air. And even then, it was usually a small rectangular garden surrounded by high fences — more like a holding pen than a peaceful retreat.
For the other five days of the week, if you didn’t have unescorted leave, you just sat inside staring at the door, wishing you could escape.
Why I’m Sharing This
I’m not saying this to criticise individual staff — most are doing their absolute best under impossible pressure. But I think it’s so important to talk about the reality of inpatient care.
Because when we pretend it’s something it isn’t, we silence the people living through it.
And if we really want things to get better — if we want compassion, understanding, and meaningful reform — then we have to start by telling the truth.
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