How do I get help?

[Pink_and_Sparkly]

I desperately need some help. I ended up ODing quite badly last week and ended up in hospital. I have only told 2 best friends, and they are at a loss as how to support me anymore than they already are.
Apparently I dont meet the criteria for the CMHT (I dont quite know how depressed you have to be to get support from them then...) so I am receiving no support from them. My doctor is supportive, but everytime I see them, they just phone the CMHT, who in turn phone me, and tell me 'phone the duty social worker if i have a bad day' but I feel desperately suicidal every day. My life is such a mess and I cant see any way out of it. I am hurting all the people I love, and I cant ruin their lives anymore. I am hurting myself more and more everyday. I feel ill every single day (probably to do with the amount of laxatives and duiretics im taking and making myself sick) but I cant stop or dont know how to stop and have no support in trying to stop. I feel so low and I cannot go on anymore. How do I get someone, anyone to help me? Please help?

[finding_reason]

Hi There,

Thanks for writing and reaching out. I think its great that you want to seek help for yourself and how you are feeling. Granted I am sorry that things aren't going so well for you at the moment but I think wanting help is one of the biggest first steps to moving things forward.

I don't know how the CMHT system works at all however I am wondering what happened surrounding your recent hospital admission and what services they were able to offer you? If you are feeling in serious danger of yourself you always have the option of ringing an ambulance or rocking up to an emergency room and asking for some mental health support given that you haven't been able to get it any other way.

I also think that you continue to identify supports that you have in your life that can be helpful for, while your two friends can't support your mental issues they can be friends and provide and do friend things with you like hang out etc. I am wondering if mapping out what supports you do have and what people can offer you would be useful. Not everyone needs to even know about what you are struggling sometimes just for yourself knowing what you get from different people can be a comfort. I know for me, when I was a dark place I really needed to be reminded that people didn't "have to know" about what was going on for me, I just needed to spend time with them and do normal things. While at times I found it hard within myself to full engage the time and distraction that it offered was helpful and essentially life saving in some regard.

I have no doubt that some wonderful people who have more awareness about the CMHT system will be able to provide some more thorough thoughts and experience but I did want to know that I did read and hear what you have to say and what you are currently going through. It takes a lot of courage to recognise that you need help and to identify that you don't have all the capability to do it on your own. It's not easy but things will get better, they may just get a little bumpy on the way.

Take good care, and please don't hesitate to get in contact.
be well.

[twinkletears]

wow i cant see how you dont fit the criteria for the cmht, im with them but i think the best help for me was a counsellor. Are you on any meds? Have you looked into a counselling service called signpost. Also have you told your doctor you need more help maybe go to see another doctor who will refer you.

[Pink_and_Sparkly]

I don't know how the CMHT system works at all however I am wondering what happened surrounding your recent hospital admission and what services they were able to offer you?

My recent hospital experience was a waste of time really. After bloods and ECG etc they spent about 3 hours deciding what do, and decided I could go, but would need to speak to the duty psychiatrist before they discharged me - which I guessed was standard procedure for an OD? - But they were out on an emergency and all the appointments for the next day (which was a Friday) were taken. So in the end they discharged me and said to book an appointment to see my GP they next day, which I didnt see the point of, as there is very little they can do. So pretty much they offered me nothing and there was no follow up :notsure:

[Pink_and_Sparkly]

wow i cant see how you dont fit the criteria for the cmht, im with them but i think the best help for me was a counsellor. Are you on any meds? Have you looked into a counselling service called signpost. Also have you told your doctor you need more help maybe go to see another doctor who will refer you.

Me neither :-( But apparently I dont, I guess there are a lot of people out there a lot worse than me, which is very sad.

I am taking Mirtazapine, been on that for about a month now, I was on Citalopram for about 4 months before that.
I did go to a counselling session at the GP surgery, but they couldnt offer anything on an ongoing basis, and it was such a horrible experience I never went back. Im on the waiting list to see a psychologist, but there's a 4 month waiting list.