"The staff have very much worked with us as a family"

My relative is being followed up by the EIP Service following a 9-week inpatient admission due to a first presentation psychosis. He was extremely unwell and detainable if he hadn't agreed to say as an in-patient. His world had crashed, and the future was uncertain,. We were in unchartered waters.

Almost five months on due to the intense, regular input he has had from his nurse and OT, I can't believe the difference in him. He is back at work, which is a part-time job because he was doing an OU degree. His nurse has supported him to break a 10 year cannibas habit, which he used to self regulate his ADHD. He now accepts that cannibas is a trigger. He is taking his medication and now accepts he needs it, but there is a plan over a two year period to reduce his antipsychotic and restart non stimulant based ADHD medication.

Breaking away from his cannibas friends, the OT and Nurse have supported him to get back to work and introduced him to the SAMH Chrysalis Project. He is enjoying this and meeting other people which in time will support him to develop friendship groups. He also has had support worker and peer input at social group which again is supporting more positive social networks.

I am aware his nurse is now considering clinical psychology which I feel will address some of his issues around poor self esteem because of school experiences and trauma around bullying at school.

The staff from EIP have very much worked with us as a family, providing reassurance and support all the way. One such conversation was that my son wanted to go back to OU in February. We expressed our concerns discreetly, and they facilitated that a longer break from studies would be wise, which he accepted from his nurse.

His nurse is now facilitating with Consultant Psychiatrist a return to driving, and we are just awaiting to hear from DVLA.

Probably one of the most important things in my son's recovery has been that he has been scaffolded by both the Team and ourselves to be a parent to his son. I hear them talking and playing now Dad is less tired and much more engaged which is lovely to witness.

I never expected one of my children to have a serious psychotic illness. He did,  but he is not slipping into being a long term patient within a CMHT. He's reclaiming his life, he is learning from the experience and has been supported by the specialist skills of a multidisciplinary team, at the right time in his recovery to become a productive member of society again, son  brother and father.

My husband and I can't thank CONNECT EIP enough. In my opinion, their early timeous intervention is an investment and preventative measure to prevent a long term interventions and journeys within Psychiatry Services.

Thank you so much!