Im not sure if this is in the right place, but there is something that has been confusing me about the uk mental health systems
I regularly see, and have experienced the following. "you have an appointment in 5 months". I know they have alot of patients, but for severe depression...anything other than next day or two appointment is bordering on criminal malpractice.
Just wondering why they can get away with it? shouldn't they be working 24/7 in that field?
I break my leg, and get told it will take a year to see a specialist to get it sorted..thats ok, I can live with that. hobble on and get on with life.
but a condition where you can be too bad to even get out of bed, or worse...be a risk to yourself, help in a few months is just not on.
This isnt a rant post, I just dont get it is all . I understand there are many many fakers taking up their time, but even those people should get help asap.
Yes, I completely agree. The amount of times I've seen a psych, poured my heart out and then been left for another 3/4/5/6 months with zero support for another chance to pour my heart out and be left again. It's hell.
Unfortunately that's how a lot of CMHT's work and it's extremely difficult to get help with day to day living. There are very few services that help you improve your functioning, waiting lists for therapy are extremely long and technically a psych's role is to prescribe meds and only 'manage' your care, making the big decisions but not generally having much direct input.
They should get help and I think often the professionals understand and agree with this. It's just the services are not set up to help. Inpatient is such a horrific & untherapeutic environment that it's a last resort but there is never anything to replace it.
I've been finding that now that I'm 18 all the wait lists for things have gotten a lot longer. I have to wait months longer for everything from x-rays to therapists. When I was younger and had the same mental health problems I got help almost immediately, but now its just wait...wait...wait maybe in a few months...a few more...What you're getting worse? Just wait a few more months then.
"Some people get by, with a little understanding. Some people get by, with a whole lot more."
I've been finding that now that I'm 18 all the wait lists for things have gotten a lot longer. I have to wait months longer for everything from x-rays to therapists. When I was younger and had the same mental health problems I got help almost immediately, but now its just wait...wait...wait maybe in a few months...a few more...What you're getting worse? Just wait a few more months then.
yeah...I get that too, Im guessing saving kids is more important? meh. if anything, the longer you have a problem...the more urgent/important it is to get you sorted.
we live in a "wont someone please think about the children" society thou .....
the mental health system is very underfundered. The NHS in general is underfunded, but the public in general seem to consider physical health more important. When funding is taken out of anything physical there is an uproar, but when it comes out of anything mental/psychological the only people who complain are those who use the system and their families - i.e. far less people.
Personally though I am semi-ok with waiting. There is no way I'd ever be able to afford to pay for treatment. I'd rather wait and get some support then never get any *shrugs*
I moved home 3 months ago and in that time been on a waiting list (moral of the story - once you get into therapy never move home) the last update I had said that it could be another 9-11 months before I see anyone. But my GPs surgery isn't much bettter, there are only 3 doctors for a start, and when I go to ask for an appointment I generally can't get one for 3 to 4 weeks, I have to go there at 8am every day to see if someone else has canceled so that I can have their apppointment.
When I lived in Scotland it wasn't so bad. Longest I had to wait on any list was 2 months, and usually it was only a week or so. And I could always get a GPs appointment within 2 days. How long everything takes in England was a big shock to me upon moving here
yeah...I get that too, Im guessing saving kids is more important? meh. if anything, the longer you have a problem...the more urgent/important it is to get you sorted.
we live in a "wont someone please think about the children" society thou .....
Not at all, I've been seeing CAMHS since I was 11 and usually it took about 6 months + to get an appointment, and each time they've told me to sod off, I'm not ill.
Yes it may be unfair to wait any longer than a week, but resourses are streched and more people get refered to mental health centers and there are less people to deal with them, i think its also unfair to have a team on 24/7, there are alot of helplines and other resources you can use.
Shadow-light, it doesnt matter where you live, it depends on your local area, ive been told it can be up to 18 months in the places i live in scotland.
But if you need help in the meantime why not look at free resources and other things that are out there? Also i dont agree with the sever depression, how they refere you depends on your state of your mind when you see them, if you say you are extremly suicidal then you will get a referal within a week, if you just say you are depressed you will go to the end of the list, just how it works.
"Its not how long a star shines, what is remembered is the brightness of the light"
I gues to be fair I'm a bit biased as I loved Scotland and hate living in England lol. But ye, it is probably a bit more of a regional, post code lottery type thing than that. As I say, am am biased.
I've discovered recently that there are charities which offer counselling sessions on a sliding scale type payment, which only have a few weeks waiting lists. Some GPs give you a list of "resources" when they refer you, my current one didn't so I'd forgotten on my last post, but thinking bak my old GPs used to give me lists of helplines, counselling agensies, support groups, and other such things in the local area as a sort of stop gap while waiting to see someone
I have got a lot of support and whenever I've presented at my most illest I've have had psychiatric appts within a few days having said that they have always been organised by my care coordinator.
I know that this isn't the most productive of responses but I guess I just want to say that there are good services out there.
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
I was talking to my cpn about this and shewas saying the only reason i saw my psych quickly was because i sh-ed ( at the time) were as if it was just anxiety i would have to wait a while. Just to add,though its not really to do with the topic i spoke to my cpn about 17 been such a hard age as far as mh goes and my cpn said that' we know and we have told them about it but they wont do anything'.
I'm currently on a waiting list. It seems if you're actively suicidal you get appointments straight away (which is completely right) but people with severe depression can be waiting months and months. It's worrying because during these months you can become suicidal...
A good GP will give you plenty of information of helplines and maybe voluntary sector support in the interim. Some cost, others are free, depends on where you live.
I don't really know how the waiting lists work though, seems pretty arbitrary.
^ I agree with what you said completely, though i forgot to quote it. The amount of times i was suicidal i lose count and still they didn't do much my psych didn't assess me when i was on the ward due to an od though he was leaving, in 2-3 weeks. Though it is hard when your on waiting lists for depression and it can come to you been suicidal, but again if people dont tell camhs/ cmth they cant do anything really.
I do think sometimes people don't disclose everything they're experiencing and they can be diagnosed with mild depression, which can get better within weeks with the right medication in many cases. Hence why it's important to be so candid in assessments, etc.
I have to agree the waiting list for mental health problems on the nhs is a joke .. i got diagnosed with anorexia last month (not really relevant sorry) but they said oo i might get too see someone in a few months .. and the guy said i was really ill and i said that i needed help quick otherwise im gonna get worse (which i am ) and he just shrugged his shoulders and said well you might get better on your own .. =O
so yeah i dont really get the waiting list thing either =/
Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be? — Charles Bukowski
We all wear masks everyone everyday. Sometimes we wear them so much we forget who we really are - Nikita
I got diagnosed with severe depression two months ago after struggling for years. I was put on the Mental Health waiting list to see an adult psych, still waiting on an appointment date.
I think its horrible, I haven't had the 'problem' of being on a waiting list in my life, because I was told there isn't any waiting list or treatment for me in the areas my PCT is allowed to refer to.
5 months is a long time, but it will come around, I don't mean to sound rude but you have something to aim for now. They should have offered something in the mean time though, even if it is Samaritans, regular gp appointments and mind services.
Can you have a google and look for what is available out of the NHS? I would call Mind and ask what they have, I know a lot of Mind places run depression management courses, support groups and social activities.
In Denmark where i live we have one. You have to get referred from a doctor you can call all 24 hours a day, unless you've been hospitalized whitin the past year. In that case, you can just show up. However it's a possibility, if you are in serious danger to yourself or is feeling out of control or whatever. They then decide if you go into hospital, just stay a night at the A&E or if you are safe enough to go home. You can come there at any time of the day or night. There are always people.
However, we do have very long waiting lists as well and overcrowded psychiatric hospitals. It is just an alternative if you have an emergency.
Last edited by Morpheus : 07-12-2010 at 10:42 PM.
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No? What is that? Is it like a mental health emergency department?
Yes, basically.
In my city we also have what is called "den sociale skadestue" the social A&E where you can go if you are just in need to talk to someone. You can be annomonous there and they talk to everyone where you need to get referred to the psychiatric A&E. I don't believe they are open all 24 hours though. I've never been to that one. But that is basically for everyone, mental illness or not.
Last edited by Morpheus : 07-12-2010 at 10:42 PM.
Den fuldkomne kærlighed,
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. I understand there are many many fakers taking up their time, but even those people should get help asap.
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