On the whole, professional medics and therapists are good people. There are good doctors, psychiatrists and psychotherapists out there. As well as CPNs, social workers, counsellors, the whole bundle.
It can be easy to complain, especially when we're feeling really vulnerable or frightened, about how we feel they don't understand us, or treat us badly.
Good people have bad days, or they misunderstand sometimes, or they're in a rush. This isn't personal to you. They're human, just like us.
If things aren't working, communicate.
There's an article coming up in the next eZine that might be helpful for you folks. Look out for it. <-- shameless plug, sorry! :P
Anyway.
I'm really grateful that I have an excellent psychotherapist, skilled and compassionate and able to bear difficult feelings with me. I also have a warm and reassuring GP. My managers at work are also very empathic and strongly on my side.
I thought we could have this thread where you can say something about how any of these professional support people have helped you, as well as the times when one of them really said or did something that helped you understand yourself better, and so move forward in your recovery.
im glad i have such a great gp,cpn and support worker,who have let me have most of the input to my new careplan-and treatment....so we now all know what we're doing,and i dont feel pressured,and they dont feel as lost/not knowing what to do.
that and im glad theyre so understanding.
the services where i am are really,really cr*p,BUT my team make up for that(most of the time!)x
I am very grateful for a psychologist I met while I was in hospital. She was so personable and lovely, and really connected with me while I was there. The best thing about it was that she pushed me, even though I didn't want to be pushed she gently pushed me into a positive direction, and a lot of the tools I have now are a result of her, so I am very thankful for her.
One thing she had me do was a "24 hour acceptance challenge." It was 24 hours straight where every time I had a negative thought I would hear it, accept it, and work with it through mindfullness and self soothing. It was really proactive and she put posters around my inpatient room, which showed a lot of dedication to me, which helped me complete the challenge, despite it being quite difficult.
*hugs Stellata* What a lovely thread! When I was under MH services my CPN was awesome, 5 years on we're now good friends and work together on some womens MH events - I owe her a lot, she pushed me when I really needed it, even though I didn't know it was what would help. She rocks!
From the pov of someone who is on the staff side of things too now, please tell us that we're doing something right - sometimes we are going by instinct and it can feel like you're letting someone down, especially when it comes to SI. Tis nice to feel appreciated, not much of it in this job!
I really appreciated the support of both of the counsellors I saw at uni. They were the first people who I felt didn't give up on me and accepted me for who I am. I still keep in touch with one of them and he continues to support me.
Also, my current psychologist who goes out of her way to find me appropriate support.
Aaaaand...even though this was probably not what you wanted the thread to be about, thank you everyone on RYL who continues to be there for me. You are hugely appreciated.
I put it down on paper and then the ghost does not ache so much.
Don't try to calm the storm, calm yourself, the storm will pass.
I love this thread! My psychiatrist has done nothing but show me support from day one. I always come out of her office feeling happy and motivated! Im 6 months free cause of her! Im willing to work with her and CBT is working great cause of her. She gives me lots of free books to keep about stress and CBT and stuff that might cost a tenner in the shop. She has inspired me to do medicine. (and if I can stick another few years in college, psychiatry) I honestly could not say a bad word about her. She lets me call her in the middle of the night if I need to. Shes like a role model for me! (Plus she lets me see all of her prada bags and mess with her blackberry lol...)
As for my doctor - shes my aunt. I couldnt say a bad word about her either. Im comfortable enough to tell her anything and she has done all my stitches and never judges me. She talks to me and calms me down and whenever I see her outside her clinic or if she has seen me in my house she never mentions the whole SI thing unless I bring it up. Very professional!
Hmmm, I'd like to thank my astonishingly wonderful psychotherapist that I had from age 17 to 19 at CAMHS - she helped me save my own life - and the two lovely psychiatrists we worked with. I'd like to thank my GP and practise nurse for their patience, and the general medical staff in A&E for always being kind and gentle and never getting angry. I want to thank the therapeutic community I've just left for helping me so so much and making me feel so safe and cared about.
I've been disgruntled about many things in the past - mainly Adult Service psychiatrists and acute wards - but I cannot fault those who have stood by me and I know I have been extremely fortunate to have received the psychotherapeutic imput I have and also thanks to the PCT for funding it!
i'd like to thank the doctor i had at a&e the last time i was there for keeping me informed of evertyhing that was happening to me and generally being kind and caring. I'd also like to thank the home treatment team for constantly being there to pick me up when i fell down.
I'm so thankful for my counsellor who is so patient and down to earth and generally amazing! Some of the nurses and nursing assistants in hospitals who were so caring and basically just fab..
Also for some of the doctors at A&E/general hospital wards who treated me in the past with so much respect and concern and made me feel so amazed and touched that strangers could care so much...made me want to live and take care of the body they'd just repaired and saved...
There are some incredible proffessionals out there...
So.. thank you!! =)
Last edited by Undomiel : 08-06-2008 at 02:21 PM.
Reason: Added more
'Won’t you run, fly, open up your lungs tonight, breathe freedom for the first time in your life..'
The Home Treatment Team have been amazing with me; not only have they brought me out of the deep depths of schiz. into some form of reality, but they also talked to my Mother and got her to stop being so horrible to me at times, and helped her understand my illness.
And in the past, when I was in Aquarius Ward (adolescent ward in London), the doctor there, although he was harsh, helped me out of sh*t.
I always write thank you cards and give presents to doctors/cpns that help me.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
My GP rocks! When I was under my old psychiatrist it was my GP that would explain meds to me (cos the psych wouldn't bother). She is generally very understanding and just decent. She has been my doc since I was 19 and has a scarily good memory.
Recently I had to see her for non depression related stuff (dizziness). Before she took my blood pressure she took time to ask me how my cuts were,and could she check them out. I was hesitant to show her (as I had very recent ones)but she just said that was ok had a quick look and took my BP on the other arm. (I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but she was just really decent and I am so glad I hadn't just seen a random GP)
The bad ones often stick in your mind, but continued good care does too :)
I'd want to say a huuuge thankyou to my named nurse when I was in hospital, for four months he put up with me moaning and asking for help and advice continually. For just anything I knew I could go to him and ask for his advice. He was a total star.
And the Nursing assistants who put up with me when I needed hugs or whatever, there was a particularly nice lady who sat with me all night and gave me hugs when I came in to hospital the second time and was very scared.
basically all the staff in hospital were amazing, the nursing assistants for putting up with my day to day moaning and problems and the doctors for listening to me properly! (unlike my current doc)
Also the staff where I am now (supported accomidation) have been brilliant
When I was really unwell and in full pychotic mode they made sure I was ok
and got me to hospital before I did anything silly to me or anybody else
Then were great, and still are!
"In the driest whitest stretch of pains infinate desert, I lost my sanity, and found this rose"
I am grateful for the social workers i met in the day program i was in.. it wasnt just one or two of them.. all of them were extremely supportive and helped me get through a hard time.
So greatful for my fantastic key nurse from the unit i was in. She helped so much got to know ME and gained my trust so i could tell her a secerite id kept to myself for 5 years. She was amazing!!
Also ALL the other staff in the unit were fantastic, they listened never judged helped and gave me back a bit of normality and the courage to live agin.
Without those people i wouldnt be alive today. They gave me back some trust in humans xxx
After all this has passed, i still will remain
After i've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain
There are so many people that I am thankful towards.
When I was with CAMHS I had an absolutely amazing CPN who I really thought gave everything to her job. I remember many occasions where she probably did save my life by speaking to me and also through her straight forward talking, she was honest and I think I needed that.
Also, my psychotherapist from when I was an in-patient, there was a point when I had been discharged from her care but when she knew I was being admitted to an adult psychiatric ward she spoke to me and chatted to me for ages and for the following weeks. She actually managed to talk me out of a very dangerous situation and I am really greatful to her because she didn't have to do that.
I'm thankful to my current CPN & GP, also to two members of the crisis team who have on many times given me valuable advice. One member of the crisis team gave me a technique to deal with anxiety which has enhanced my life an awful lot.
Annnd, my final thanks. I know I've had a lot to give and I'm a very lucky person for that! The nursing assistants on the acute ward I am often on, are immense. The problems they are faced with in providing the right care is quite astounding but certainly, most of them, provide amazing care which you can't fault. There is one particular Nursing Assistant who really is outstanding. She gives me hugs when I need them, she offers to talk when I'm unable to ask and just sits there if I need it. She also read something of mine that I really needed someone to read and has kept it, it's helped me to move forward and I would say that this NA has really helped me to focus on recovery.
although it isn't part of the treatment team, I want to thank my form tutor, learning mentors and 2 other teachers. if it hadn't bee for them stepping in and doing all they had to do i'd be dead now and they got me to a counsellor who, even though i struggle to work with, helps a great deal!
THANKYOU
i am really grateful to my DBT therapist for her help over the past year. also to the nurse at my last school - she was really great, and when everyone else was telling me how terrible SI was, she was the only one who realised that sometimes it was the lesser of two evils, and she seemed to know when i was in a bad place that i would pull myself out of, and when i needed someone to stop me digging down further. the same goes for the therapist. they were both really great, i can't thank them enough.
hey i love this idea.. um my awesome form tutor who saved my list, annd my other teacher who is also awesome and has great hugs :) and my counselor at school she was nice even if not that helpful, hopefully in a few months I shall be able to be thanking CAMHS *fingers crossed*
Let the Force be with you
I'm not short, I'm space efficient
