To be referred tocare in forensic psychiatric services can be seen as one of the mostcomprehensive encroachments society can impose upon a person’s life, as itentails a limitation of the individual’s freedom with no time limit. This study focuses upon patients’ experiences oftheir life situation in forensic psychiatric wards. Using a ReflectiveLifeworld Research approach founded in phenomenology, we analysed eleven qualitative interviews with patients cared for in a maximum security unit in a Swedish forensic psychiatric service. Results show how forensic psychiatric care canbe non-caring with only moments of good care, from the patient’s perspective.By use of different strategies, the patients struggle to adapt to the demandsof the caregivers in order to gain privileges. At the same time the patientsare lacking meaningful and close relationships and long to get away from thesystem of forensic care. Being cared for entails struggling against anapproaching overwhelming sense of resignation.