'Finding my Hard Hat': Reflections of recovery from a service user and caring professional

What is known on the subject? Lived experience narratives of recovery can provide an insight and subtlety where academic papers can often fall short. There is a need for people who work in mental health services to address and take care of their own psychosocial needs. What the paper adds to existing knowledge? This paper provides a unique insight into a care professional's recovery from mental ill health. Looked at through this dual lens of service user and care professional provide the reader with a rich narrative from the perspective of both sides of the caring role. What are the implications for practice? People who work in caring roles need to be vigilant of their own needs and the impact that the work can have on them. Safety protocol for managing one's own mental health should be a requirement for people within the caring profession.

Introduction This is an account of my experiences becoming unwell and accessing general and mental health services in Ireland. Aim It is hoped that this lived narrative of my recovery will shed light on accessing mental health services from a dual lens; that of service user and social worker. Method It traces this experience from initial contact with my general practitioner, to admission to a secure psychiatric ward where recovery slowly began. Results It is also hoped that reading my experiences of recovery and some of the insights shared will help those in the nursing or social care profession consider how they may be affected by their work. Discussion It is important to note that this account views my experiences within a neurobiology framework and this might not align to other people's experiences. However, my narrative of help-seeking is complex and includes multiple points where I uncover insights and encounter different healthcare professionals.