Originally Posted by
LetMeSlipAway
Thanx for your replies guys.
loopylucy08 while in hospital were you detained? and did u deam yourself to be mentally fit while applying? I ask because right now i see myself as fit but how long do you have to be well before your fit for these sort of things, if that makes sense?
I had been seeing a social worker and psychiatrist at the time of my application so I was already diagnosed "mentally unwell", but I wasnt admitted to hospital for the first time until February 2008 by which stage I had received an offer conditional to passing a health check. And I was a voluntry patient, no detained. I believed right up until the very end that I would have been ok on the course and part of me still thinks that if I had gone to uni, the motivation to stay well enough to stay on the course could have done a lot for me, but whats done is done and there is no point me dwelling and saying what if.
The old NHS guidelines stated that a person must be fit and free of medication for 2 years prior to under taking training. This guideline has now been REMOVED and they are supposed to take it on a case by case basis, evaluating your state of health leading up to application and whether they can accomodate for you on the course and whether it would potentially damage your health. The phrase that Ive heard a few times has been "sustained period of stable mental health", but that in itself is ambiguous. I certainly know that in my case, as well as the hospital admissions, the doctor assessing me wasnt happy with the amount of contact that I was having with mental health services. In a fair point to him, he argued that I would struggle going from weekly appointments with a social worker to nothing at uni, which would be the case when I first started. However Ive been tempted but luckily been sensible enough not to thus far, just discharge myself, thinking "it'll look like Im well". Do not do this!! It gives them the perfect excuse to label you incompliant with treatment which looks even worse.
Any other quesions, just let me know!