In a bit of a dilemma re: CMHT/CPN

[coldwater00]

So as some of you probably already know, I was discharged from EI in December. All went fine, was glad to get them off my back. I had been aware that my "care" was being transferred to the CMHT and I went to the appointment to meet the new psych and my CPN. Really wasn't impressed with the CPN, she even managed to forget the few simple things she was supposed to be bringing to the meeting. Not a good start in my book. She also seemed like one of those people who would probably try to patronise me, which is something I loathe. I explained to the psych and her that I am an independent person and it's not really in my interests to be reliant on psych services at the moment (or hopefully in the near/far future).

So since then I've ignored two phone calls and a voicemail from her. I got these calls and the message about 2 or 3 weeks before Christmas. She hasn't tried me since. Should I just carry on ignoring her? I don't have the inclination to call up the CMHT and navigate the arseholes trying to contact her and explain I'm trying to avoid her. I'm not sure she'd be too impressed anyway, but I'm fairly certain she's not worried, otherwise she'd be pestering me (and there's no reason to be worried anyway).

Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[SomersetScorpio]

It's a tricky one.
Some of them are useless, and I can't help but feel like when someone is first referred to the services, they try it on and pair you up with one of the crap CPNs.

I've changed mine a few times over the years. They made out like it was "my issues" and nothing wrong with their staff..
I'm still not happy with who i've got, but she's the lesser of the evils to be honest.

It does take a while to get a good CPN. It just depends on whether or not you're actually wanting to engage with one at the moment?
There's no reason why you can't explain that you didn't hit it off with your CPN and would like a different one.

The only thing I would say is that if you keep ignoring them, sometimes you can just get discharged from the CMHT. Obviously things like this are different depending on where you live, but just thought i'd warn you.

Oh and they're never arsed! Even if you tell them you're suicidal and stop taking their calls, they don't bother checking up on you. x

 

[Purple Chaos]

I suppose it depends on what you actually want and what you really need, in terms of help, and finding a happy medium.

If the CPN has not contacted you since before Christmas, I would probably leave it for now, unless you decide you need to see her. If she tries contacting you again then would be a good time to say you don't think you need to see her.

If you're not happy just leaving things, could you arrange an appointment to see your psychiatrist again so that you can explain how you feel to them? It might be a good idea to do this anyway.

 

[Purple Chaos]

You beat me to it SS and with much better advice. I didn't realise they could discharge you for ignoring them. Shocking.

 

[SomersetScorpio]

You beat me to it SS and with much better advice. I didn't realise they could discharge you for ignoring them. Shocking.

Perhaps that's just the shoddy practise of my local MH team? Not sure, but it's worth knowing I think. x

 

[coldwater00]

Perhaps that's just the shoddy practise of my local MH team? Not sure, but it's worth knowing I think. x

No, they do it all over the UK or so I'm told. It's just I didn't really want to go to the CMHT to begin with and I told my old CPN I'd rather be discharged back to the GP but they just referred me anyway.

I think she has probably given up trying to ring me now, which is fine but my GP is probably not going to be very happy when he finds out, I think he started to feel more relaxed when I was transferred to the CMHT for some reason. Last time I saw him he asked me when I was seeing the psychiatrist again and I just said I don't know because I'm only supposed to see her once or twice a year and I wasn't planning on seeing her any more than that! I'm going to have to try and avoid him for a bit too.

Thanks for the suggestions though you two

 

[coldwater00]

Kind of hoping I have just been discharged for ignoring them, would make things easier.

 

[Rose19602]

Ha! You do make me laugh Coldwater....independent or what?
I know exactly where you're coming from.

I suppose the most important questions to come out of this are these:

1. Do you want to be under a psychiatrist and if so, what for?....although you'll get referred back if things go tits up presumably?

2. Do you want a CPN and if so, what for?..... particularly if she's disorganised and lacking in experience.

I would imagine the CPN support will be withdrawn and you will get discharged, if you don't engage with her, so that's the one to consider carefully if you want the kind of support CPNs offer.

As for your GP, he will be pissed off too if you get discharged no doubt! Think about that one....could you end up with no support at all and a GP who does the bare minimum for you?

Might also be worth thinking about WHY you're refusing to engage with her. Are you pissed off with their decision to discharge you to the CMHT, so you are being churlish perhaps? No offence, just an observation....I'd feel entirely the same!

If there's a chance of that....give her a chance. You can always rebel if she's useless or perhaps discuss what you want and need and ask for an alternative CPN. I doubt you'll get exactly what you want, but at least you will appear to be compliant - if dissenting - on file. (Does that make sense?)

x

 

[coldwater00]

Ha! You do make me laugh Coldwater....independent or what?
I know exactly where you're coming from.

I suppose the most important questions to come out of this are these:

1. Do you want to be under a psychiatrist and if so, what for?....although you'll get referred back if things go tits up presumably?

2. Do you want a CPN and if so, what for?..... particularly if she's disorganised and lacking in experience.

I would imagine the CPN support will be withdrawn and you will get discharged, if you don't engage with her, so that's the one to consider carefully if you want the kind of support CPNs offer.

As for your GP, he will be pissed off too if you get discharged no doubt! Think about that one....could you end up with no support at all and a GP who does the bare minimum for you?

Might also be worth thinking about WHY you're refusing to engage with her. Are you pissed off with their decision to discharge you to the CMHT, so you are being churlish perhaps? No offence, just an observation....I'd feel entirely the same!

If there's a chance of that....give her a chance. You can always rebel if she's useless or perhaps discuss what you want and need and ask for an alternative CPN. I doubt you'll get exactly what you want, but at least you will appear to be compliant - if dissenting - on file. (Does that make sense?)

x

Hi thanks for the reply.

No I don't want a CPN or a psychiatrist as I generally find the appointments tedious.

I'm hoping I will be discharged before I next go to the GP so that he can't stop them doing it. I can maybe try to reason with him except he has a tendency to be very nervy and I think he'll probably think I'm not being mindful of that if I leave the CMHT.

I'm not sure churlish is the right word.. I'm not trying to be rude. It would be rude if the people I were ignoring were organised and I respected them, but I don't.

My GP will probably continue to support me, I've known him since I was 18 (4 years) and we get on ok.

The only other thing I thought of is that when I saw the psych she said the York HTT were making an arrangement with Humberside police. Basically they were making them aware that if I was arrested on a s136 again, I'd go to the York 136 suite instead of being dragged off to the 136 suite at Miranda House in Hull - a place I have severe trauma issues around as I was in the PICU there. I'd hope that arrangement would still be in place if I wasn't with the CMHT.

 

[Rose19602]

Just a post script....

I didn't mean to imply that you were being rude CW. I've probably used the word churlish incorrectly if that's what it means! I meant more that you might be being deliberately difficult due to the crap they've put you through leading up to this....perhaps I should have said that!

Re: the police arrangement.....I hope that the arrangement stands too. What happened to you sounded pretty horrible.

take care
x

 

[coldwater00]

Just a post script....

I didn't mean to imply that you were being rude CW. I've probably used the word churlish incorrectly if that's what it means! I meant more that you might be being deliberately difficult due to the crap they've put you through leading up to this....perhaps I should have said that!

Re: the police arrangement.....I hope that the arrangement stands too. What happened to you sounded pretty horrible.

take care
x

It's ok I wasn't offended.

x

 

[Tiddle]

Hiya! Just another angle for you - don't know any of your history but you do know you can discharge yourself from services?

Unless you are sectionable for any reason or don't have mental capacity then they have to accept your request.

Considering your cpn has not really chased you up and you are only due to see the pdoc once or twice a year I think they would let you go.

If it's really what you want it may take some of the stress out of not really knowing what's going on in terms of your cpn.

 

[coldwater00]

Hiya! Just another angle for you - don't know any of your history but you do know you can discharge yourself from services?

Unless you are sectionable for any reason or don't have mental capacity then they have to accept your request.

Considering your cpn has not really chased you up and you are only due to see the pdoc once or twice a year I think they would let you go.

If it's really what you want it may take some of the stress out of not really knowing what's going on in terms of your cpn.

Yes I was aware i could self discharge but I've been trying not to do that and just let them do it for me because they might want to step up GP contact if I self discharged. Anyway, they could just discharge me regardless and tell the GP to take me on. So basically I'm in the same position either way.

 

[anklebiter]

In my area it depends on what illness you have as to whether you will be treated well by a cpn. Those with a diagnosis of bpd either can't get one or has one short term and is treated badly. I know a few people locally who have bipolar and they find the cpn's of great value

 

[flatz]

Your psychiatrist in the CMHT is the head of the team.

If you don't wanty a CPN then talk with the psychiatrist.

I guess id say to be careful because I finished all contact with the CMHT and they insisted on one last chat with the pdoc at the psych clinic and during that chat I got sectioned.

 

[fazza]

Wow flatz that sounds bad. I get the feeling i am going to get sectioned everytime i get a review with my pdoc.

 

[Tiddle]

Flatz can I be nosey and ask why you were sectioned? No worries if you don't want to say but I'm trying to be discharged and am worried that they will try and do the same to me because if my self harm

 

[flatz]

I don't know why I was sectioned the last time. I was in a state of paranoid terror amongst other things.

 

[coldwater00]

There is no way I would be sectioned again for not wanting to see a CPN. The reason I was sectioned last time was because of severe paranoid psychosis.

I agreed with the psychiatrist last time I saw her that hospital is not helpful for me and they can't do anything to help anyhow - seeing as I've done better off the medication than on it.

CPN wrote to me at my flat and wanted to see me on the 28th. Ignored it.

I'll just have to talk it over with the GP.

 

[coldwater00]

I was in a state of paranoid terror amongst other things.

That's probably why you were sectioned then.