PALS

[Fedup]

Any body used their services?

I have and am so dissapointed in the responce that i've asked to take it further.

An after thought was ......... would it make any differance tho as they all seem to " pee in the same pot " so to speak !!

 

[Dollit]

As they're regionalised I would imagine that they're only as good as the people they attract from that area. I think that sometimes we kid ourselves that we have a voice. Having said that, well as long as I breathe I still fight.

 

[Fedup]

Thank you Dollit .......... i will do some more thinking on this one .

 

[Libra1]

Fed up, I've used them and found them to be very helpful.

Pm me if you want to ask anything more.

 

[dunglen]

not heard of PALS what do they do?

looked at their web site but not sure how you would use them - not available in scotland though

 

[nickh]

As they're regionalised I would imagine that they're only as good as the people they attract from that area. I think that sometimes we kid ourselves that we have a voice. Having said that, well as long as I breathe I still fight.

Maybe I should new topic this one as it isn't really about PALS (sorry Fedup but I haven't used them so can't really comment). I wanted to say that your attitude is inspirational Dollit. A big chunk of my life used to be (I am talking 20 years ago before my worst patch hit) activism - not mental health but political. I gave it all up because of the illness, because I thought the stress involved was contributing to the illness (which it may well have been in part). Now I am coming back to it in a very small way through mental health issues - I guess that I feel able to do so at all is a sign of recovery, although I am very aware how even small things can affect me now so I am careful. But that's part of the problem isn't it? I guess among the minority of people with mental health issues who want to fight ('cos in my experience it is always a minority and I never criticise anyone for that - we all have to live life on our own terms) quite a few will feel the same - that fighting is in itself a threat to our stability/health etc.. I think this partly explains why our voice is so weak compared with other groups ; I mean numerically we are a vast presence but that isn't really reflected in the noise we make. And working from my own case I think this is to do with the fact that activism can be a dangerous thing for us in a way which it isn't for other groups of whatever nature. I mean dangerous to our health.

This is not properly thought-out and I am sure there are people here who have thought all this through carefully.

And it isn't relevant!

But we need to encourage each other and you have done that brilliantly Dollit.

Nick.

 

[Dollit]

Thank you Nick and it is relevant. You're speaking about the ability to use your voice and so are the other people on the thread. I wish I had the ability to work again I really do. If I didn't get so tired and washed out I could achieve better things but even though each of us only has a small voice, linked together we can make a difference, and we will.

 

[Fedup]

Quick question ............. do you have to use PALS to complain ?

Or should i be able to ask for the complaints dept of local MH team ?

 

[Dollit]

No but there should be a clearly defined complaints procedure for you to follow.

 

[ramboghettouk]

I made a complaint about some officious guy in Brent Mind before christmas and filled in a complaint form, the whole thing disapeared so a few days ago i phoned central mind, they've now got some one specialy employed to handle complaints about local assocs, i guess they're getting so many now mind is privatised mental health care, i spoke to this person, i've heard nothing since

I guess i should be used to organisations having a complaints procedure and a policy of losing complaints