I left CAMHS officially a couple of months ago, although I stopped attending appointments & taking medication around christmas time, because I felt much better. My parents decision was basically not to have me referred to the CMHT, as they thought it wouldn't be much help to keep going over the same issues and problems that weren't really affecting me at that time anyway.
Fast forward a few months, and I'm back to my old ways. Struggling to do even the most basic activities - wash my hair, leave the house, walk the dog etc. I've become pretty angry, and a little self destructive.
So, in the early hours of friday morning, having had no sleep, I tried to cut, scald and then burn myself, each time resorting to the next thing because the previous didn't work well enough. In the process of trying to burn myself, my hand actually ended up getting burned instead, and I almost set my house on fire. Accidents happen, and this one was manageable, so I wasn't too worried about myself.
I decided to go to the doctor though, and tell her that I wasn't really coping, and that sleep had become a really big issue, so the receptionist managed to squeeze me in for friday morning. It was actually the first time I have seen a GP without my mum being there (yes, i am 18.) so I was really nervous. Shaking from head to toe, struggling to breathe, heart pounding, that kind of thing.
I couldn't really get the words out, but I did tell her about the sleep and the burning. She asked me to leave the room so that she could phone up and get me an urgent assessment with the mental health team. This worried me a bit, as I don't think I need anyone particularly urgently. She called me back in and said they would phone asap with an appointment. She told me she wanted to see me on tuesday, though, and said i could have zopiclone to help me sleep until then.
By time I got home, the CMHT had phoned, but as my parents had no idea what was going on or even that i'd been to the dr's, they didn't really have a clue and told the woman on the phone to call back on tuesday.
Anyways, yeah I just find it a bit worrying that I have to have an appointment so quickly, my friend's sister has been on the waiting list for like half a year to get an appointment, so I do feel pretty bad. I don't think I really said anything too worrying to her, so for her to put it through as an emergency makes me wonder if she can see something I can't? She asked a few weird questions, which I don't really remember my answers to but even still I don't think they were abnormal or anything. Maybe because I am so used to self harming or whatever, burning myself doesn't seem bad to me, but to an outsider I guess it might be a little alarming.
She also asked if I wanted to go back on risperidone, which seems a bit excessive as I'm not psychotic or anything. She also wanted to start me on mirtazapine - big no no, bad side effects. She basically said that I have no chance without medication, but honestly I don't even believe it really works.
I do feel really awful that I basically get to skip the que to get an assessment, just because I have a panicky GP. I'm worried that when I get there, they'll think I'm wasting their time too. I'm just depressed. I'm not psychotic, and I'm not suicidal. And I wouldn't want to hold up someone that might be one of those things from getting an appointment, because they would obviously need it more than me.
Also - what can i expect from a CMHT assessment? Is it with a psychiatrist, nurse, someone else? Will it be similar to the questions you get asked at your first CAMHS appointment? Or will they have all your old notes and things? Do they diagnose you at all? I do sort of have a diagnosis but it's very vague and in the 'not elsewhere classified' category.
They can't put you in hospital for just self harming, right?
Also, if you refuse medication, will they decide you're non-compliant and refuse to see you again? Is there any way they can force medication on you?
i expect the reason you've got such a quick referral is because you were with CAMHS before and it sounds like things are deteriorating for you. if you had difficulty communicating that will have worried the GP too. if you've been psychotic in the past the doctor will want to guard against a relapse and that might be why she offered you risperidone.
i don't remember my assessment actually. i think it was with a nurse and an occupational therapist. it was pretty similar to CAMHS, but probably more grown-up. mine did have my notes but they didn't bother to read them. if you don't have one already, i think a diagnosis comes later when you see a psychiatrist.
they can put you in hospital for SH if it's very dangerous, but they're unlikely to. i haven't been put in hospital for suicide attempts so they're quite reluctant.
if they offer you meds and you turn them down without accepting other treatment i think that yes they can discharge you - but that's unlikely to be teh case, there should be talking therapies, CBT and so on, available. they can force meds on you if you're under section, but only then, and that's unlikely to happen.
good luck seeign the doctor on tuesday and i hope you get an appointment with the CMHT through soon.
I'm pretty sure I'm not borderline, I fit like 2 of the criteria and the hospital I was in (who practically diagnosed every other teeange girl there with it..pshh) said I didn't fit it, so yeah. My CAMHS psychiatrist prescribed it in the first place because they said I was 'high', not in the drugged sense of the word just a little overexcited. They thought it would even me out. I did end up back in hospital not long after taking it though, and they just gave me it whenever probably for the sedative effects like you said. And somehow that turned into like a year of taking it.
Hmm, I think I have encountered a problem now actually! I don't want meds, the side effects are horrible, and CBT I find absolutely useless. I've done about three years of it. The only thing that has really helped was talking to a psychologist, I'm not really sure what kind of therapy that would be but it was pretty intense, yeah, if I do therapy I'm going to need someone with a lot of patience. I get labeled 'difficult' a lot, generally because I fight back against a lot of what they tell me (with reason, of course!). If it's a female that has to work with me, I do actually feel sorry for her. I am not compatible with females unless they are super nice, which is rare!
Ugh, I am really annoyed that they called my home phone. They have my mobile number, and it was on all day. I specifically said that I didn't want my parents to find out, and they go and call the family telephone! This has actually got me in a lot of ****, my mum wants to do full body self harm checks now and is generally being a pain about the whole situation.
Oh, and I'm not dismissing all meds by the way. I will ask if there are any that don't have such terrible side effects. Fluoxetine didn't really have side effects but it didn't really do anything either! But I know mirtazapine causes weight gain, and it actually gave my friends sister seizures, so I'm pretty reluctant to try that one. Something like risperidone probably would be helpful, but there's nothing I can think of off the top of my head that doesn't have terrible side effects.
