psychiatric day center

09/05/2026

Last week I started spending my mornings in a psychiatric center and at first I felt so out of place. Most of them had been here for years so they kind of already knew each other (some days we're in seven others in four) and my first day there was spent mostly sitting alone on the swing but thankfully I smoke and managed to talk with the others by asking for a cigarette to a girl. 

On the second day I woke up feeling shitty, and the thought of going there and be forced to interact with others made me feel even worse but no one really bothered me. I went there without greeting anyone and went straight to the swing to smoke. During the activity I napped with my head on the table letting them do the work alone. I was so sure they'd hate me for it but on the contrary they invited me to play UNO with them the next day and acted like yesterday didn't exist.

The more I spent there the more I realised that the reason no one brought up that day was because they understand how I feel. Some days others would also act the same way I did and no one bothered them. It was so comforting to know that I didn't have to pretend there. A handful of them has bandages to cover up scars or didn't and no one judged them for it which gave me enough courage to wear a short sleeved shirt. No one judged me for the way I dress, my clearly not washed hair, how when I'm uncomfortable I start closing my eyes faster than the usual, how yellow my teeth are and so on.

I'm glad that my poor mental health lead me to that place.