Keywords:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Attachment Disorder, Sexual Abuse, Challenging Behaviour, Self Harm and Suicidal Idealisation.
Age 16 years on Admission, 20 month placement
The Starting Point:
Katie had been in hospital for 2 years before her placement at the Medusa Project. Katie has a history of sexual abuse, and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and attachment disorder and would often use self harm and overdosing as a means to coping with difficult emotions. Katie was heavily medicated on her arrival to the project and this continued for a number of months. She presented with extreme behaviour that was challenging for both her peers and professionals as a means of keeping people at arm’s length. Katie had very limited or supervised contact with her family and found relationships very difficult to both understand and form, which had a profound effect on her education and social life.
The Achievements:
Katie struggled initially with being in a community-based project, but since being placed at the Medusa Project, Katie has been able to work through the many traumas she experienced growing up. Over time she began to develop trusting relationships with team members, this was gained by taking the time to listen, having discussions, asking Katie opinion, being interested in what she thought, spending time doing activities together. This enabled Katie to explore herself in a place where she felt respected and safe. Over the months Katie began to develop an understanding of relationships, her self-esteem and self-confidence.
Katie was a high risk young person who self-harmed severely prior to moving into the Medusa Project. During the course of her stay, Katie gained more of an understanding of herself through our development programme run at the project and the therapeutic ways in which the team worked and her self-harming decreased as she developed other positive strategies to cope with difficult emotions. As Katie’s self-esteem and self-confidence grew, she was able to begin unlocking her true potential. Katie became more active and joined a volunteering club; she enrolled at college and began socialising, that led her to develop friendships outside the Medusa Project. Katie also participated in workshops and enjoyed singing and drama clubs, she was able to explore her artistic side and performed for both her singing and drama clubs.
The Future:
Katie turned 18 and has been able to move on from the project into a shared flat, happily and confident about her future. Katie is continuing her education and enjoying it, she continues to receive outreach support from the Medusa Project to support her independence. The team at the Medusa Project are very proud of Katie’s achievements and believe that she has a very bright future ahead of her.
The Medusa Project have impressed us with their professionalism, competence, transparency, flexibility, can-do approach and the high quality service they deliver for vulnerable young people.
