What help do you get

[mac]

I've just been through a bad patch and had to go to friends in an other county before I got any help.

I phoned and phoned here but no answer from crisis team and no-one at the clinic i attended ever got back to me.

What do you all do when you get really high and can't get any professional help.

I was admitted to the local unit where my friend lives and was treated efficiently and quickly but I can't keep moving every time I need help.

 

[midnight]

hi mac - thats a shocker definately not right

I must say although the services here could be improved in places things like the crisis team line are never left to ring but having said that you have to be referred from your gp or emergency doc to get their help. But if you have a history its really no problem

have you not got a CPN?

 

[Dollit]

It's not too bad in Bristol but last time I had to talk to the crisis team the woman on the phone told me I was obviously much better than I thought I was because I could articulate my problems. So intelligent people suffer less - hmmm. I told my consultant that I was furious about him and he had words with them. I don't think there is a system that does work properly because it's people who work in the system.

 

[Lyra]

I'm in Lincolnshire too and when ever I've phoned the crisis team I usually get an answer machine - you leave a message and no-one ever gets back to you.
The care is really really bad here - if you can call it care.

 

[Ashami]

It's not too bad in Bristol but last time I had to talk to the crisis team the woman on the phone told me I was obviously much better than I thought I was because I could articulate my problems. So intelligent people suffer less - hmmm. I told my consultant that I was furious about him and he had words with them. I don't think there is a system that does work properly because it's people who work in the system.

Dollit I have heard you mention that you have a consultant a couple of times. What sort of consultant is this? I didn't know there were MH consultants.

 

[Dollit]

He's a Consultant Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry and I've been seeing him for 4 years (or maybe 5). The consultant before that 2 years. The consultant I see now is the one who has me talk to his students and they've done recordings of me for use in seminars so my experience hits a wider audience. He works me hard, challenges my perceptions of everything but he is the best psych I have ever met.

 

[midnight]

Dollit I have heard you mention that you have a consultant a couple of times. What sort of consultant is this? I didn't know there were MH consultants.

YEh there are definately mental health consultants - its part of the structure of any part of the NHS

Mind you chances of seeing one, especially in our area, is pretty slim as we tend to have loads of vacancies and when they do fill the positions they are temporary or very short contract periods

 

[Dollit]

Most MH patients see an SHO (who works under a consultant for a fixed period) or a registrar. Very few patients actually get on to the consultants patient list. My consultant runs a bipolar clinic which means he sees every patient on his list at least once every three months. He does tend to see the very ill people as do the other MH consultants in this area. This means that I'm actually one of the more serious cases in south Bristol. Because he also does a lot of research (predominately in depression during and after pregnancy) I get to take part in that - self-harm the most recent one. I also take part in other research as he's linked to lots of other people.

 

[daffy]

I dont often get to see my consultant, but have done on the last cople of visits cos my health has not been too good. Normally tho i see the SHO but they are on rotation and are only there for a year usually. You just get used to them and they move on.

 

[addy]

not much help right now

I'm not getting any help right now, have been trying to get into the MH system for a couple of months now since having to come back to the UK from Australia (wasn't much better there either).

It gets really really hard sometimes but somehow I'm managing to struggle through.

Hopefully things will start looking up soon.

 

[Ashami]

I'm not getting any help right now, have been trying to get into the MH system for a couple of months now since having to come back to the UK from Australia (wasn't much better there either).

It gets really really hard sometimes but somehow I'm managing to struggle through.

Hopefully things will start looking up soon.

Hi addy

I'm sorry you are having a struggle getting some help and empathise as i struggled to get some help here and the help I did end up with was unfortunately not so good. It's very much a lottery, and persistence pays off. I like you blog page, that in itself is a very positive and worthwhile effort on the road to recovery. Well done you!

 

[mac]

Still very little help here. Aparently I will become over dependent if I get long term help and staff are now limited to seeing you for six sessions only. Whats going on. So much for NICE guidlines.

 

[daffy]

Just reading back thru this and looked at my care plan. It gives a list of people then out of hours team and if thats no good i have to go to A&E where they have on call psychiatrist.