I wish I had told docs about my hallucinations before crisis

Mai Weston struggled with postpartum psychosis after suffering from severe stress while pregnant during the pandemic.

The condition is a severe but treatable form of mental illness which can include delusions, mania, or depression. It can get worse very quickly and should always be treated as a medical emergency.

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However, the 31-year-old, who lives near Partick, refused help after hearing voices and seeing things out of fear she would be “locked up for the rest of her life”.

This left her battling her mental health which continued to decline until she was picked up by the police after being found “speaking gibberish” and begging to make her hallucinations end.

Mai wants to remove the stigma around mental health (Image: Sourced)

Mai told the Glasgow Times: “I had never had serious mental health issues in my life, but while pregnant with my daughter in the pandemic I felt very stressed and helpless.

“I started to hear voices and see things, it was like someone had hacked my brain, and I was terrified to confide in anyone about how bad things really were.

“I had seven referrals for mental health services but I refused every time because I was so scared that they would lock me up and throw away the key for the rest of my life.

“It got to a point where I reached crisis level and the police had me sedated and sectioned in an intense psychiatric ward for six weeks.

“It meant eventually I got the help I needed, but if I had accepted it sooner it wouldn’t have had to go to hospital and it wouldn’t have been so traumatic.”

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Mai is now sharing her story to inspire others to reach out for support after making a full recovery.

Since leaving the hospital she has secured a bachelor's degree in Applied Bioscience and Zoology, whilst also launching her own business.

She is also focusing on being a mum to her two children Teigan Maclean, 3, and Brodie Maclean, 5.

Mai with daughter Teigan (Image: Sourced)

Mai said: “There is such a huge stigma when it comes to mental health so admitting I was really struggling was very difficult and felt like a risk.

“When I finally did get help people weren’t against me or taking opportunities away from me, it was the opposite. They really helped me be able to reach my goals.

“It makes me sad I waited so long because I also missed a lot of my daughter's newborn phase because I was so ill, I don’t remember a lot of it.

“I want others to know that it is better to get help as soon as possible so you can avoid getting so overwhelmed, you don’t have to do it the hard way like me.

“My recovery has been a huge success and I hope it can inspire others to know they can get well too.”

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Felicity Lambert, National Fundraising Co-ordinator, Action on Postpartum Psychosis, said: “We are so grateful to fundraisers like Mai.

“Not only are they raising funds to help us increase our reach and impact, supporting families impacted by PP and lobbying for better services, but they are also raising awareness of this devastating illness that affects around 1-2 in every thousand births.

“Postpartum psychosis is a serious mental illness and should always be considered a medical emergency, which is why awareness is so important.

“The sooner women are treated and have access to the right care and support, the better the chances of recovery. And we know from our community that so many women can, and do, completely recover.”

If you are struggling you can contact Action On Postpartum Psychosis on 020 3322990 or email: app@app-network.org

You can also see your GP about you mental health or call NHS 111 for out-of-hours service, or attend A&E to get urgent help.

If you think there is imminent danger, call 999 and ask for an ambulance.