I've just been told that I have a CPA on the 18th August to decide what adult services are gonna do for me. My psychologist told me that he thinks I should get 'someone a bit like him' to talk to there. I'm terrified, I've only just been able to open up to him after 6 months of 3 x weekly sessions, how on earth am I going to deal with a new person?!
I've heard so much bad stuff about adult services, it sort of makes me not want to get referred there. Especially as I feel if I couldn't tell them about the abuse etc they would think I was just wasting their time. I know these places have long waiting lists with loads of people who need to be seen, so many people need psychologists more than I do, it's not fair on them If I get one just cos I've been in CAMHS a long time.
I just wanted to know what people thought about adult services (cmht) really, if anyone has moved from camhs to cmht what are the main differences? Is it really as bad as everyone says? Any replies would be greatly appreciated x
Ar, um it is gonna be hard for you which i am sure you are aware of, however, i had this same problem and am now seeing somebody in adult services. i know that you have heard that they are not too good, but i am still hoping that in time i will open up to my new therapist in the adult community service.
I do not think that they are as bad as people say.
I really hope everything works out for you, and if you ever want to PM feel free to do so.
Here is an angel of healing i drew for everyone needing that extra hope... God bless you all and i wish you a speedy recovery...
Im with CMHT, I was with an independent worker not affilated to CAMHS before, but specialising in child/adolescent mental health. Also had some experience of CAMHS when I was 14. To be honest, there really has not been much difference for me. Essentially its the same set up- you're seeing somebody on a 1 to 1 just like you were before. Of course every therapist is different but thats more to do with the individual therapist than the fact that they are adult/ child. They will also treat you as an individual, according to your age any way. Quite obviously, a middle age or old age person suffering from depression is going to have quite different needs and triggers and stressors in their life compared to a 20 year old with depression. Adult mental health specialists know that the transition from childhood/adolescence to adulthood is difficult- in all aspects of their lives- and will have done training to meet the needs of people they work with in that area. A good therapist/psychologist/ CPN will treat every client according to their individual needs, taking into account particular factors associated with their development at their age, so thus would be able to treat a 12 year old or a 70 year old.
In fact there are certain benefits of going into adult care which you may not have considered. Being in adult services means you are treated like an adult- you have more say on your treatment, your diagnosis, how much your family are involved ( no family therapy unless you request it) etc. Yes, the waiting lists are long. I may have been lucky but it certainly hasnt meant in my experience that my care has been compromised or that I havent had the time with them that Ive needed.
Most people find that they build up in their head how big a thing it is moving from child to adult but when they start adult its a bit of an anticlimax. once they are assigned their psychologist/cpn/social worker, it is much a case of same old, same old. So please dont worry about it, it wont be as bad as you imagine.
I know it's a scary thought right?! I'm not just being irrational, lol.
I've outstayed my welcome a bit at camhs, I was supposed to leave at 18 but they kept me on for 2 more months, i'm such a drain on resources I swear D:
I'm moving to the 16-19 team there at the end of august...so i obviously dont know what its like yet....but if you find that you cant talk to the new person they give you after a while you should ask to see someone different.
I hope it goes okay sweetie.
Amy x
'Cause I'll always remember you the same.
Oh eyes like wild flowers within demons of change ♥
LoopyLucy08 - Thank you so much! That was really helpful. I probably am worrying about nothing, I mean how different can 2 psychologists be? Do you think there would be a longer waiting list to see a psychologist than a CPN or whatever? Eep.
It will be helpful I think when I have more say in my diagnosis, I have a lot of problems accepting the diagnoses they are saying I might have, I don't really agree with them so maybe they will take that into consideration more. And no more family therapy is definitley a bonus!
there are waiting lists but you will have a care coordinator probly like a cpn or something like that. i have found adult much more helpful because they listen more and more open to your thoughts and feelings. they have more flexibility with how they can help you because they have more resources. i know its scary i did it just over a year ago. i didn't open up for about 6 months but she was soo nice.
hope this helps
pm me if you wanna talk more
xcheryl xx
Ok with me, the waiting list I was on was a general waiting for the CMHT and that was for a meeting with a CPN ( who is now a social worker because I started off seeing a man but I wanted to work with a woman- adult services even took than on board and accomadated me!) It was only after quite a lot of assessment and support by the social worker that it was decided I needed to see a psychologist and then I was waiting about a month for the psychology appt to come through.
However in your case its slightly different because you are moving through CAMHS who will have links with the CMHT and have made their own assessment of your needs which they can pass on whereas like I said, I was with an independent worker just before CMHT. Therefore you may well have a psychologist organised for you straight away. It really depends on the teams you have and will be seeing and what they think is most appropriate. Also waiting lists vary from place to place and with urgency of case- and this is the same for both CAMHS and CMHT.
iM GLad what Ive said above helped and if there is anything else u wana kno, keep your questions coming.
I had an assesment with adult services yesterday.. I am moving from CAMHS.
They do take your history again, I guess that's so they are hearing from you rather than from what CAMHS have written.
I have been told CBT would be excellent for me but the waiting lists around me are about 18 months long so I'll be placed on the list and then assigned a CPN or something.
Thank you for all your help everyone! I'm a little less nervous now I think!
Gosh..18 months is a long time Syrup! I don't think I could wait that long to see a psychologist, I would chicken out before then...but I probably won't get referred to do CBT as I've already done a year of it without much success.
Does anyone know what adult services are like in terms of diagnosing people? A friend told me they er, enjoy their diagnosingness a lot more than CAMHS. That scares me a bit as it has been mentioned that I might be bipolar but I'm hoping to avoid that diagnosis but yeah, if they take my history they might say I have it or something, eeek.
Ehhh Glitter, funny seeing you around here. I too am in the process of a transfer to adults and am being kept by camhs for three months past my 18th birthday. From what i have been told is that if you are staying in the same area the change is pretty gradual with some sessions with both camhs and cmht people. But thatsin my area anyway. Goodluck with the CPA.
Hannah! Yeah camhs have kept me 3 months longer than they were supposed to, there is a lot of jealousy in my group by people who are getting turfed out the minute they hit 18! I haven't heard of them doing sessions with both, I don't think they do that in my area they just get rid of you, but I'm not sure lol.
I'm really nervous that if I get a new psychologist, they won't wait around for me to open up. It's taken me 6 months to open up to each of my last 2 therapists, and I know adult services are too stretched to be hanging around waiting for me to feel comfortable with them. Eeekk.
Ive been in adult services, on twice weekly hourly appointments for well over a year and the only problem Ive had is trying to persuade them that I dont need to see them as much as all that! They are currently showing no signs of trying to get rid of me, even when Im asked for discharged. I think once you are accepted, they have a duty of care and will act in your best interests, so they will give you as much time as they think you need, providing they feel it is benefitting you.
xxx
Ugh...I hated CAMHS - they had no privacy policy, wrote letters about me to others, told the police things about me, had two people in the room all the time because I never just saw the shrink on his own, my shrink was totally useless anyway and showed no sympathy, had family therapy which always ended in an argument, they didn't even tell me what my diagnosis was...I had to find that out from a letter they'd sent to my parents. Basically, they were ****
I phoned NHS direct a few months ago, saying that I think I need treatment because my cutting had gone worse. The woman on the phone was like: "oh, you can go back to CAMHS despite the fact that you're 18 now". I was like "noooooooo...never!"
I never wanna go back with CAMHS. If I'm ever in treatment again, I'm only using the adult services, nevermind how bad everyone says they are. At least I might get some confidentiality with them...
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead
Yeah hopefully their confidentiality will be a bit better. Actually now i've turned 18 CAMHS are a lot better re confidentiality, they haven't told my parents a few pretty big important things i've told them whereas had it been a few months ago when I was 17 they probably would have.
Okay I have the details of the meeting, I tried asking my psychologist today what was going to happen there and he tried to explain but yeah...not the best job, i'm still puzzled!
One thing he did mention was that there is going to be psychotherapists there, because they might be who helps me. I have no idea what the difference is so am a bit confused. What do psychotherapists actually do & how are they different from like, a psychologist? Are they as good?
Can't think properly now, but I wanted to say in CAMHS I was in and out of hospital for two years, constantly in crisis, Adult services have dealt with me so much better, it's taken time to get decent help, but they've committed themselves to sorting me out and not letting me end up in hospital.
Omg, I was soooooo sad about leaving my CAMHS group yesterday. I cried so so much. I got hugs off all my therapists though hahaha.
My CPA is in a couple of days, got a letter through and it says there's going to be a Dr G from adult psychiatry, a Dr M from psycotherapy and possibly someone to represent the cmht.
My CAMHS psychologist who is the only person who has ever really helped me has raised the possibility that he might continue being my psychologist. I'm not sure how this is possible but apparantley it is an option. I'm not sure who gets to decide but if he does end up being my psychologist I will be a happy bunny knowing that I will be getting such good help.
For me, adult services are a MILLION times better than CAMHS ever were. CAMHS never took me seriously, they told everything to my parents and were generally ****.
Adult services really listen to what I have to say. My care co-ordinator is lovely and I see her once a fornight.
My psychologist is private though, but the NHS fund it. I've not seen a psychologist on the NHS before, but I know the waiting lists average at six months which sucks.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
Here is an angel of healing i drew for everyone needing that extra hope... God bless you all and i wish you a speedy recovery...
