Early Intervention Team?

[pretty on the inside] · 10-10-2008, 10:58 PM

I received a letter today informing me that I had an appointment to meet someone from the early intervention team 3 days ago (which is so useful, lol), so I phoned and I've had another appointment made for me a week on tuesday. I think the referral came from the duty psych at the hospital because I don't recognise the name of the person that referred me.

I'm not entirely sure what the early intervention team do, so just wondered if anyone could tell me what to expect?

xxx

Steel Maiden · 10-10-2008, 11:07 PM

They're for treating people who have experienced a single episode of psychosis.

I don't know what you can expect though because I've had around 10 episodes of psychosis with incomplete recovery in between so I am not applicable for the EI team.

I do know that quite a few RYL-ers have experience with the EI team though.

zowie · 11-10-2008, 09:29 AM

I'm with the EIP team, they give you a six week assesment where you see a social worker who takes you out for coffee or just chats to you at home. Then they do one of those mental health assesment questionaire and after that they decide if they're going to stay with you for the next three years or so.
They're meant to talk you through your experiences and help you understand what's happening to you. I find it most helpful just going out for coffee and being able to talk about what's going on in your life to someone who wont judge.
Hope that helped. Good luck x

[pretty on the inside] · 13-10-2008, 12:44 AM

Sorry to bump this thread, but I've been thinking, and I don't quite get what the early intervention team will be able to do for me. I don't hallucinate so I can't be suffering from psychosis, can I?

Stellata · 13-10-2008, 08:09 AM

Psychosis = hearing voices and paranoia, as well as hallucinations.

whirlpools · 13-10-2008, 11:03 AM

also having strong beliefs that others do not hold. (which i always think is funny, because everyone believes something different). they say these beliefs are still held even when there is evidence to prove it's not true. they're called delusions. there again, it's hard to get evidence to totally disprove someone's belief. e.g. they wouldm't call people who believe in God delusional, even though we can't prove He exists - it's faith. however, they'd call someone delusional if they thought they WERE God.

there's also other things that suggest psychosis may be lurking. for example if your words get all jumbled up all the time, or sometimes you change rapidly from topic to topic in mid conversation, with no linking reason. or new words come out. also symptoms such as not expressing the expected emotion for a situation - maybe like laughing when someone dies or not laughing when something really funny happens. or just difficulty expressing emotion at all. or lack of motivation. things like that.

Steel Maiden · 13-10-2008, 04:48 PM

There's even a subtype of schizophrenia called "simple schizophrenia" which incorporates all the "negative symptoms" but none of the "positive symptoms".
"Positive symptoms" are hallucinations/delusions.
"Negative symptoms" are things like withdrawal, speech/thought disorganisation, lack of energy etc.