#1 ESCAPING (A LOVE STORY)

“I spent some time receiving involuntary treatment in the summer of 2019. My partner came to visit me in the hospital, I got very overwhelmed and upset. This meant that I even got a little frustrated. Later, when my partner had left the hospital I began to feel bad about how I had behaved. I thought that I needed to remedy this.

I dragged a chair to the outer fence and stood upon it and pulled myself up over the large fence. Luckily I lived nearby, so I started walking home. I wanted to apologise for everything and I wanted to tell my partner I loved them.

I was wearing blue hospital issue pajamas as I walked sweatily down the street. About half way there, I saw the psychiatrist the hospital had given me walking towards me. I was a bit worried but I saw that he had two reusable bags full of groceries, he was just doing his shopping. I told him what I was doing and he said to go back to hospital when I was done.

I walked home. Told my partner I was sorry and that I loved them. We hugged on our couch as we both felt overwhelmed. I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself for being in hospital, absconding gave me some power to claim back my autonomy and my identity.”