Triggering (SI) - cmht

l'il esky · 12-12-2008, 05:47 PM

so, i started at the cmht thingy in oct and have been seeing marcea (my care worker) weekly ever since and i actually thought i was getting somewhere.....BUT THEN she tells me 8days ago that it would be my last appointment with her as she is moving to a different trust.

i am so disappointed because apart from my gp she is the first medical person i have felt comfortable enough to confide in and accept help

so she tells me that her manager is going to take over my care because she really thought hard about who she wanted me to see. so i here NOTHING.....so patiently waited till wed, still nothing, so i phoned them was told she would ring on thu....nothing, so phoned back-she's off.
finally get a phone call this morning from this manager person and she tells me "well marcea only left on tuesday, we will have a meeting NEXT week about who is gonna to take over your care" so i say well i go away on the 20-28th dec, she then says "oh ok, well i will phone you then about who you'll be seeing".......so at least 24/25days between my appt's. i kinda gulp out something. she then says "oh you could see the duty officer if you need to speak to someone urgently" i said no!

what is the frigging poiint of speaking to a duty officer, someone i will never see again, who wont know anything about me. and i hate speaking to new people especially about sh-y stuff. so basically they are happy for someone who was being seen weekly to be abandoned for a whole month, esp over xmas that i find really difficult anyway

i thought i was so lucky in finding marcea and now i wish i had never seen her cos i wouldnt be going through this now and i wouldnt have been left alone.

my sh is getting really dangerous and i have no one to speak too

my best friend from work phoned my manager last night and she told her she was going to give me a ring today(she doesnt work fridays) and that hasnt happened, so just feel generally let down

(sorry this is so long!!)

Breeze · 12-12-2008, 06:04 PM

It is bad that you weren't told earlier that your worker was leaving and they didn't sort out you seeing someone sooner. That is wrong. Even though it is the xmas period there are aonly a few office working days they have off so even if a duty worker isn't the best option it is at least someone, it isn't Marcela but it is a contact.

I hope it sorts out quickly. Can you go and speak with your GP if your struggling?

Stellata · 12-12-2008, 06:12 PM

How do you get on with your GP?
Some GP's are excellent in filling in gaps of support. Many are in fact better than some CPNs.

l'il esky · 12-12-2008, 06:32 PM

marcea was a long term locum so she didnt have to give more than a weeks notice and she seemed convinced that wendy(her manager) would be taking over my care and would resume straight away...but doesnt seem so.

yeh i get on well with my gp but she never knows what to do with me, just looks worried all the time.

seeing my best friend(the one that called my manager) tomorrow so at least i will get some huggles

Breeze · 12-12-2008, 06:56 PM

Good you got a good friend. They are always invaluable eh. See your GP if you need to. Best to keep in touch with some professional whilst this change is in place.

l'il esky · 12-12-2008, 08:09 PM

will see how i go over the weekend, and bug the gp if i need to....think more likely to need antibioitcs by then rather than a chat but....meh? gonna see my dad at some point over wkend and he will at least sort out my lack of petrol situation for next wk....my brain hurts

Sleepless123 · 13-12-2008, 12:27 AM

Oh thats so frustrating - just wrote a whole long reply to you and lost it!i see to be good at losing posts at the moment lol!

i really felt for you when i read your post and im sorry that you feel so bad.

i think that there are a number of different issues here.

Firstly im sorry that they didnt/couldnt give you more notice of when Marcia was leaving.From my previous experiences i often find any transfer of my care to another new professional difficult and unsettling and i think it is even worse when it is sudden and somebody you feel you have really connected with/has helped you a lot.So i am sorry this has happened to you.

Do you have anyone either professionally or a friend or anything that you could talk to about how unsettled all of this is making you feel at the moment at all?

Secondly i am wondering how often Marcia was seeing you if you dont mind me asking?i only ask this cos you seemed surprised that there may be like twenty four or so days inbetween your appointments so i was wondering if she saw you more frequently than this and if this was also another unsettling change?

Perhaps you could talk to your new worker about the frequency of your sessions when you meet?And also let them know if you are unhappy with the care or level of it they are providing.

i know it is not always the case but unfortunately it seems from my experiences that some mental health services often dont have the resources to see people very frequently often [or dont wish to!].i dont say that to try and justify them or excuse them leaving people in potential danger etc and not providing appropriate levels of care as that is not acceptable but it seems to be where the system is at sometimes.i as a patient previously have been very frustrated at times when ive felt ive not received the level of care i so desperately needed.

As for seeing the emergency duty officer i agree that this would not be ideal but if things get really bad for you maybe you should consider it as maybe they could find you more support or at least more immediate support when you are struggling at that particular time and it is probably best to try and contact them before things get more of a crisis if they are becoming more difficult for you.

But keep trying with the services.Keep asking for help.Dont let them forget you.i have a very good CPN who i was seeing every two to three weeks up until October but then she went on leave on holiday and has now also had to go off sick after.Obviously its nothing to do with the good CPN and i dont blame her one bit [and we all get ill!] but i have not heard from the CMHT at all since when i first went to my appointment to be told she wasnt in.This has quite stunned me given the frequency i was previously being seen at,that its now over two months later and that they consider me to be a risk to myself.

i dont want to go on about my experiences but why i was explaining that for was cos sometimes i dont know whats wrong with our system.If its lack of resources or just plain inadequate or just has a lack of resources or if its somewhere between the two which is something i very much suspect.

You shouldnt have to fight for support when you feel as bad as you do but it just seems to be the way it is and im sorry.

i hope that you can get things sorted more with the CMHT and start getting to know your new worker soon.

If you feel really bad meanwhile please do get in touch with the emergency people before the crisis deteroiates further - then it will be easier to sort.Or perhaps try a helpline like perhaps the Samaratians if you are in the UK?i know this cant replace professional support but maybe it will help to bridge the gap a little while things are getting sorted out or at the times that nobody is around for you.Just a thought.

Sorry this reply is lengthy, went into my own experiences and probably wasnt very helpful!

i also hope that you have a good time with your friend and father at the weekend and that things wont be as hard for you and that you will feel at least a little better maybe.

Good luck with things and please keep posting if it helps.Also feel free to PM me anytime if you like.Take care and best wishes for now.

l'il esky · 13-12-2008, 10:32 AM

wow thanks hun, that was a lovely reply

i used to see marcea weekly so thats 24 days seems rediculous! my best friend and my 2 managers are fantastic and i know i can speak to them about anything. 2out of 3 know directly from me that i am struggling with this. the other manager will know cos the 2 managers are best friends and my friend phoned her too.

i think its just hitting me hard cos ive got 2 wks off work from friday so i will be alone with regards to any support (apart from you lovely ryl-ers) and i hate xmas cos its supposed to be all happy and i dont get on with my mum at all so its never that happy and i wont have support from work either.

anyway i'll shut up....

thankss for everyone's support xx

sherlock holmes · 13-12-2008, 12:31 PM

I know how you feel. Recently my key worker suddenly took a lot of sick time off (she's still off) and I had to see a new person just like that.

I was told to ring the duty officer if I needed to. Now, I know speaking to someone new is a bit weird but if you're in crisis and your self harm is getting worse then it may get to a point where you have no choice, you have to ring them. At least the help from a duty officer is better than going 25 days with no input.