Hmmm, what to do?

[macca78]

Hi all

I'd be interested in hearing about other experiences on this. I strongly suspect I may have cyclothymia or bipolar 2. To be honest, it just seems to be getting worse and more intense and the moods are very rapid. I firstly went to see my GP about anxiety and then depression. Was referred to, I'm assuming mental health team, to see someone and to see if I need a mood stablisier and to get a daignosis if this is the case. I was referred in March. My doc has been chasing up since and last time I went was 3 weeks ago. GP said they'd try and get me top of the list and seen more urgently. Doc phoned back that morning and said I was now at the top of their priority list and would be contacted within 2 weeks. This was 3 weeks ago. How long should I leave it? I'm going out of my mind and feel a bit odd at the moment. Very very restless, angry, yet down and have been getting very little sleep since Monday.

 

[DiagnosisBipolar2]

Hi macca and welcome to the forum.

The waiting list for mental health assessments does seem particularly bad in some parts of the UK. I had to get an assessment done privatley in the end which is bad.

I would certainly get back on to your GP he has the power to refer you as you know. If you feel you are getting worse it may be worth contacting your local mental health crisis team or paying a visit to A + E which would mean you'll be seen by a consultant psychiatrist.

Take care and best of luck with the assessment.

 

[Lynnie B]

With the NHS you just have to keep on at them or you will end up waiting forever.. Just keep goin back again and again untill your seen..

In my case, i was continually let doen by the NHS over 10 years and now like BipolarDisorder2 have gone private and am finally getting the help i need..

Good luck and dont let them fob you off!!!!!

xx

 

[macca78]

Thanks a lot. Am going to go and see my GP again this week or next and see what happens!

 

[Lynnie B]

Let us know how you get on . You can send me private message anytime.. x

 

[macca78]

I went yesterday to see my GP (who's been fabulous but is leaving today so I'm feeling mega cranky and upset about that) and said I'd not been contacted. Anyway, according to her knowledge, I have already been contacted and am seeing somebody. I got really agitated and said this was not the case. Previously I'd been referred for CBT with mental health service and I'd chatted to this woman who is my so called case manager but is useless. My GP says that this appointment with the psychologist or psychiatrist will in fact be dealt with by this same mental health service and that my case manager knows all about it and should have phoned me about it. That just blew my mind and confused me as I had rang my case manager last week to say that I didn't think I needed the CBT but I was increasingly concerned about my moods, more so than the original anxiety disorder I was originally referred to CBT for! This case manager says 'oh right, I'll go and investigate this other appointment for you can call you right back...' She never did. So feeling particularly irritable, tearful, highly stressed in work, wound up, angry, depressed today I decide to phone this so called case manager thinking 'ah, at least can ring her and I know that she will be able to help me and sort an appointment out.' But no, no, NO! She says that a male colleague of hers was meant to phone me last week but never did, and he wasn't around today. I said that my doctor had told me that my case manager (i.e. her) would be contacting me about this other appointment. She says no and that her male colleague was going to phone me but only to discuss how to proceed with the original referral which was to do with the anxiety disorder and the CBT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She says she will get back to me this week....yeah right.

I'm at a loss, I can not stand this any longer. What do I have to do? This is destroying my life. I can't think straight!

Sorry for the rant. I'm feeling so lonely and have shut myself off from people.

 

[Lynnie B]

OH MY GOD!!! Im angry for you!!! I can totally sympathise as i have been on the receiveing (or should we say not receiving) end of the NHS Primary mental haealth care and they are totally useless!!! And many times been in exactly the same postition you are inn now and being sat at work feelin alone..

Man, it makes you wonder how they got into that profession, sometimes it seems like they dont know what they are doin...

Put please dont give up. You deserve this care and yeh they will try to fob you off just to tick those boxes but dont let them.. Go to your GP everyday if you have to to get the help you deserve.

Man, i am sooooo mad and its not even me! Its just they have done this sort of thing with me, luckilly my new job provides private health care so ive now gone to them otherwise i would still be battlin it out with the NHS.

Dont wait for that woman to ring you, keep ringin her then she will have to do somet cause she'll be sick of you ringin everyday.. xx

 

[DiagnosisBipolar2]

Hi Macca why not contact your local crisis team and get one of them to come out to you? It may be a quicker way to get yourself seen! If you dont know the number pm me as to whereabouts you are in the country and i'll look them up for you.

Stay strong xx

 

[macca78]

Still no word at all from the mental health team. Unfortunately I feel horrid currently...snappy, irritable, restless, like I want to do everything but can't rest enough to get started, suicidal and I have this 'f*ck you, you're all a bunch of w*nkers' attitude towards the mental health profession! I also have this consuming paranoia that all of my neighbours are talking about me and laughing behind my back and I can sometimes struggle to leave the house if I see some particular neighbours hanging around outside. I get panicky. It's hell if I'm dying for a cuppa and can't get out to get some milk!! Anyone ever feel like this? I'm so confused :-(

 

[keepsafe]

Yes a lot of the time I have felt like that, can you get in touch with your g.p or talk to someone like the samaritans, can you call the local mental health team again - they should have a duty officer that you could talk to and explain how you are feeling.

I know it doesn;t help a lot but I know how you are feeling.

I suggest you revisit the g.p.

Take Care
KS

 

[mad as a hatter]

mh services can be a joke at times they don,t seem 2 care that some 1 might be at crisis point in there life as long as it doesn,t effect them there a bunch off arseholes at times