Once we've been referred to the crisis team (now called Home Intervention) then we can self refer. Recently I had a really hard time. I was the victim of an attempted mugging which left me bruised, shocked, very tearful and distressed. Luckily I have contacts who rallied round me and supported me but it still took the best part of 5 days to stop crying. A few weeks later I had a series of small explosions in my kitchen - the electrician from the Council claimed there was nothing to be found, the woman on the switchboard thought that in light of my health problems perhaps nothing was happening. It was happening and judged by a competent electrician to have been a fire risk. I was really wound up after all this and rang HI and explained in great detail. Apparently they decided that because I could say coherently what was wrong and how I was feeling I was no where near as bad as I claimed I felt and that I should just ring a friend. I'm extremely high functioning, high intellectualizing and that just makes me more aware of how dangerous my situation can get. Just because I can ask for help doesn't make me well... Needless to say I am complaining when I see the psych/GP next. I'll have to be really up against it before I get in touch with them again. Maybe I would have got more sense out of an answering machine?! Sorry - rant over!
Dollit i can understand your dispair at there reactions ........... i'd have gone for the juggler knowing me 
