My Week of Denial and Disorientation: A Lived Experience Narrative of a Stay in a Psychiatric Emergency Department

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric emergency departments (EDs) are common settings in which patients receive crisis care, yet their experiences in these environments remain understudied. Aim: This lived experience narrative recounts the first author's week‐long stay in a psychiatric ED, providing insight into the experiences and challenges of inpatient psychiatric care. Methods: The first author used a narrative approach to develop a series of vignettes that captured significant moments of her inpatient experience. Both authors reflected on these experiences, drawing on professional expertise and existing literature. Findings: The narrative reveals a lack of communication on the unit, power imbalances between patients and staff and the dismissal of patients' concerns, experiences and identities. It illustrates how patients' behaviours are often misinterpreted, contributing to further distress and disempowerment. Discussion: The authors examine systemic problems in mental health care, such as epistemic injustice, the dominance of the biomedical model and restrictive control over patient autonomy. They argue for the need to shift to a more compassionate, pluralistic and trauma‐informed approach to mental health care. Conclusion: This narrative highlights the need for reforms in emergency psychiatric care. By centring patients' voices, mental health services can foster a more respectful and healing environment for people in crisis.