Seeing as I'm studying to be a mental health nurse, I'd be interested to know what your overall experience of so-called 'mental health professionals' has been, (for those who have encountered them).
this was my most resent encounter, which was defntly on the bad side of things...
I've spent the last 3 years being bounced from professional to professional and department to department... so never really known any for long enough to form a proper opinion on them...
but they seem to either be very caring but low of knowledge, totally detached and know EVERYTHING, or almost judgemental...
Yeah, well I'm new to this site so apologies if this thread would've been best placed somewhere else
Quote:
this was my most resent encounter, which was defntly on the bad side of things...
I've spent the last 3 years being bounced from professional to professional and department to department... so never really known any for long enough to form a proper opinion on them...
but they seem to either be very caring but low of knowledge, totally detached and know EVERYTHING, or almost judgemental...
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences. I read through the thread that you linked to and it doesn't sound as if the people involved were very sympathetic or understanding. If anything they seemed quite judgemental, which is something that you identified as well. All in all, it doesn't sound as if you've had much consistency (or humanity) with the treatment that you've received so far.
Last edited by Solace_01 : 13-10-2009 at 04:09 PM.
Reason: Added a bit.
My first experiences weren't all that great, but then again they were with the crisis team which is a service I do not work well with. I found them agressive, difficult to access (I'm terrified of phones so a number to call isn't the best thing). They refused to believe their diagnosis of BPD was incorrect (despite the fact my psych is a professor in is field and has seen me many more times than they have). They told me I used the phoneline inappropriately once when I called saying I was having an urge to do something bad, I then ended up doing it and spent 3 days on a medical ward. Also when some passers-by rescued me from a bridge I went in to A+E to try and get some help, they dismissed me with "well you've done that one before" (because obviously every single suicidal urge should have some innovative,creative and never been tried before aspects to it!)
Then again my current psych is amazing, he's taken me seriously, been willing to admit when a treatment hasn't been working for me and has treated me like I'm a person with my own individual group of symptoms rather than sticking me into a box with a label.
My mental health advisor is wonderful, she's a bit of a cheerleader, always pointing out what I am managing, whereas I'm much better on focusing what I'm not. She'll liase with everyone involved in my care and she's the person I'm most comfortable with.
My psychologist is good too, she completely misjudged me the first time we met (she thought I "allowed" myself to be deprepressed, truth is I've fought against it tooth and nail), however when I managed to discuss it with her she admitted that she had got me wrong and I have a lot of respect for her because of that. Her work is definately challenging and I often leave sessions exhausted and upset, but it's working. She too treats me as an individual and we have been working on some of my phobias/delusions without her dismissing me as psychotic and without making me feel stupid about them.
The first psychologist I spoke to pretty much blamed me for my abuse, blamed me if he went on to abuse others, minimised my feelings surrounding certain experiences, completely ignored symptoms, etc. Then she said I was too "emotionally disturbed" or something along those lines and left me high and dry.
My current psychologist is really good, he's been great helping me to open up and handling my dissociative episodes. My psychiatrist is also really nice too, but I don't see her often, and I haven't yet met my crisis team but they seem very competent and on the ball :]
I've seen a lot because I've been using MH services since I was a child and I was IP in an adolescent unit for 6 months last year. All the psychiatrists I've seen - excluding 3 and basically all the duty psychs I've seen at A&E - have been brilliant. Especially my old consultants from The Darwin and The Cedars, they were easy to talk to and understood me probably better than I did myself. My new psychiatrist in adult services is pretty good, although he seems a bit quick to prescribe new/up the doses of medication; I've only seen him a couple of times.
When I was IP it varied greatly, some staff were absolutely brilliant, understanding, innovative and lovely; others were very unprofessional, unapproachable and difficult to talk to. I always found the students lovely though =P
I've only seen someone from the Crisis Team once (in A&E) and she was rubbish.
I didn't get on with most of my old therapists, I'd flit between them, although they weren't unprofessional or anything, they were nice people, but I just didn't click with them. Eventually I found a guy I stuck with and he was okay, really understanding, but we didn't seem to achieve much, just talked about music and stuff.
My current CPN is lovely. Really understanding and helpful. Although I've found that overall I much prefer the professionals I encountered when I was under CAMHS.
Sorry, this has been sooooo long >.< With too much talking about me lol
Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future
that year by year recedes before us.
It eluded us then, but that's no matter - tomorrow we
will run faster, stretch out our arms further...
And one fine morning - So we beat on, boats against the current,
borne back ceaselessly into the past.
Ohh I hate duty psychs in A&E. Every time I've seen one I've had to fight my corner saying I was unsafe because they didnt believe me.
I've had good and bad experiences really. My first was with CAMHS. They totally didnt get me, didnt help. The psych told me I didn't have an illness I was just a bit negative. A couple of months later I tried to kill myself and ended up on a psych ward.
After being transferred to adult services I had a wonderful care co-ordinator who really understood and helped me. Unfortunately the psych was a complete arse. He even made me cry and I put in a formal complaint after he told me I was too proud and sinning.
My latest psych is brilliant, he really listens to me and is very caring. I also have a fantastic CPN who has helped so much with my agoraphobia.
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.
I think the important thing to remember with duty psychs is that they are overworked, don't know you personally and probably only have limited time to read your case. Also when on call they do have to deal with some really difficult pateints (not suggesting you lot are!) and thus often seem to be at the end of their tether and stressed out. Not that it makes bad duty psychs excusable, but understandable!
Experiences have been on and off but I think it is because I am such a closed person. Mine is a lovely person but I think she has issues herself if I am honest... she is always off ill and looked terrible whilst I was in hospital... hmmm.
Pretty understanding and if I don't want to go into it, she won't force me and will wait until I am ready. But I do say 'I'm fine' quite a lot and so often I don't get to say what I really should do... but that is my fault.
She felt guilty because I told her I wanted to die and she pretty much fobbed me off because she was going on leave for a month- ring your GP, my collegue both of whom I didn't trust. In the end I ended up attempting and she felt really terrible because she said she should have prevented it and I am still concerning her... but still. Not really sure, she wants to respect my wishes regarding my parents and wants to get me help but she doesn't want me to hate her. Not sure if that is a bad thing, but it is my experience.
Edit: And same, my counsellor says I don't have any proper illness but I suspect I may have, though that is good because I don't have to put it on any forms. Apparently I am just 'down' due to events and that makes me feel a little pathetic.
My first experiences of CAMHS weren't too good. I had a CPN but I didn't get on too well with her and basically I felt left alone to get iller and iller over the next three years until I was 17 and my parents basically demanded that they do something to help.
Then I got my psychotherapist who was harsh sometimes, but an amazing woman who I have a great amount of respect for.
I spent a short amount of time in an adolescent inpatient unit at one point, which I found a very negative experience with a psychiatrist and some staff that I disliked immensely, though some were okay.
From the age of about 18, though still under the care of CAMHS until I was nearly 20, I did use some parts of adult services, namely the duty psychiatrists in A&E, crisis team, day unit and ward (all occasionally). They were very negative for me. The only people "on my side" at that time were my therapist and CAMHS psychiatrists.
At 20 I got referred to adult services proper, nice care co-ordinator, not great at recognising when I was unwell though, still didn't get on well with psychiatrist and other parts of the service.
Went to therapeutic community in Birmingham for a year where, for the most part, the staff were great, well-trained, empathic and a well-run unit.
Came back to adult services and for some reason, I have no idea why, they've been wonderful since I got back 15months ago. Really couldn't fault them, generally.
I've had a real mix.
When I was with CAMHS, I had a therapist and a psych, both of whom were lovely people, but I was really able to pull the wool over their eyes and just get worse and worse, whilst they were thinking I was coping. I think they would have been good if I had co-operated properly, rather than fought against them.
The adolescent liason psych in A&E (this was about 5 years ago now) was awful, and told me that if I'd really wanted to die I would have done it properly. He made me feel so small and stupid. Each time I went to A&E as an adolescent I it was the same psych, and he was always a bit of a tool, tbh.
After CAMHS, the next person I saw was a liason psychotherapist, which was organised through, bizarrely enough my diabetes clinic, and she was really good, really patient, didn't force me to discuss anything I didn't want to, but made me understand that it was important to work things through, unfortunately I then moved out of the area and could no longer see her.
When I went through a really bad phase last year, I was admitted onto a medical ward, and was seen by a CPN and a liason psychiatrist. Both of whom were awful, I was medically really quite ill and also mentally unstable, both of them told me to get over myself and stop self harming and doing what I was doing that has landed me there, they didn't accept that for a long time I genuinely didn't realise what I was doing was dangerous. I have to say, though, that the medical staff in the admissions ward were amazing, and helped more than the psych staff, they were caring and genuinely helpful for my MH issues.
My psych in adult services following this was awful, truly the worst member of the mental health services I have ever seen. I was going to see her at the least every two weeks and she never seemed to know who I was, why I was there or anything at all. I also felt that she just shoved me onto meds without any explanation, she also left it to my GP to tell me she had given me a BPD diagnosis, which I thought was very unprofessional. Furthermore, she discharged me, even though I had taken a serious OD only a month earlier. She said she could not help me, and instead of referring me on, she just sent me on my way. The psych that I saw for my initial assessment with that service, however was really good, and I wish that I had been able to see her on a longer term basis.
The crisis team have always been good at calling back, and talking me through things, although sometimes I feel they are a bit scripted and don't know what to do if you're circumstances are outside those which they expect. Also, I tend to fight against them, so at the time I will complain that they are awful, but in reality they have probably stopped me from doing things many time.
The emergency psych I saw last summer was really good, she made sure I was safe and arranged for someone to go and see me, a CPN who was also lovely and helpful, however I wasn't in a fit state to deal with what she was telling me.
Finally, my psycotherapist I fought against for the first 7 or 8 sessions, but I now see that she has really helped me, and really sorted me out when I have been at crisis point. Yes, we clash, but I know deep down she really helps me.
Sorry for the essay.
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Make us all feel wonderful. We'll never forget."
I saw a CPN; He was really lovely. I couldn't have asked for better, he listened, didn't judge and I felt like he actually cared.
I saw a psych at A&E the other day; she was awful, she judged me, she made comments like "Most children are using self harm as a coping mechanism now" even though I'm an adult, she asked me when I told her why I was there "if I was just bored"... and I had been dragged there! She shouted at me for not being able to answer questions... She was just AWFUL.
/rant over.
I'm sure you'll be a nice MH nurse! =D
~Beauty without intellence, is a materpiece painted on a napkin.~
mine definitely hasnt been varied; they all sucked.
First one (psych) dropped me after an IP admission. left a message on my voicemail; "i cant help you. Good luck".
Next one had me on 22 pills a day; i dont remeber much of that time period.
Next one, first meeting, told i couldnt possibly suffer anxiety, or anything else (even tho i had been DX'ed IP) because i had tattoos and dyed hair ???!!!
Had one refuse to take me on (a GP) because he had done so in the past and then "had the patient dumped on him by their psych" and that he "will not get involved with crazy patients ever again" (his words)
After that, i have now given up.
It hurts too much to try and open up, try to go against myself and talk to then get nothing.
I just...i cant be bothered anymore. I suppose i am doing ok now, well no, im not. But it works, so what the hell right?
The only ppl who have been helpful are at my TC.
