"CIC Gartnaval"

Each and every one of us is different. I have carried so much pain and had to be so determined in everything I have done in life that I am now very low in reserves. I had started to have pins and needles down my face and down the left hand side of my body. It was proving difficult for me to hold down a job and I was just feeling exhausted and, to be honest, defeated. At this point I was invited in for an in-patient stay in the CIC ward. Having always lived on adrenaline I had to keep pushing myself and struggled to still myself to take advantage of the care on offer. I did learn, throughout the five days, that stilling myself and being gentle with myself were the way forward. A very valuable concept grasped.

The next time I went in for a stay I was more able to settle in and find that gentle way. It has been truly transformative. We did not all learn how to look after ourselves growing up, learn about boundaries, grow in an atmosphere of loving warmth. Some us were not kept safe and grew with constant fear and ridicule: the health consequences are substantial. How do you repair this damage? I relied on my mind creating a more positive reality, but ultimately it was exhausting.

The CIC offers valuable care and an immersive experience of guided learning in self care, shared with a small group of others who are learning alongside you. In-patients are equipped with the skills required to manage chronic conditions. But now NHS Scotland want to close it? This is terrible news. What will replace it?