Random Rant

T

Thyme & Me

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Nov 23, 2011
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I know someone with severe PTSD who has been assessed by Access & Crisis, and he is not ill enough for them because he is not about to top himself nor is he off his rocker (his words). So he was seen by an IAPT service (Psychological Therapy) and he is too ill for them because he self harms and self medicates with alcohol so is 'too risky' for them??????? So in fact he gets nothing apart from drugs from his beleaguered GP which have no evidence base for his condition anyway. And this sort of thing is repeated up and down the country.

You need to be precisely the right kind of ill and to precisely the right degree to get a service in the NHS. Bloody ridiculous.
 
Yes I agree. The loop holes are wide and various. The NHS gives the impression that there is help for people with mental health issues but, I feel this lulls the general public into a false sense of security. It does seem to differ from area to area in which the patients live, even then there are big gaps in the right care.

I see mental health as a form of disability but try claming incapacity benefit for it and its more or less impossible.
 
I sympathise completely. Although I now deal with it a lot better, I dealt with severe symptoms of PTSD for several years and in conjunction with what is considered a 'severe' separate mental health condition. Unfortunately half the battle in trying to get help in the NHS for mental health issues is being taken seriously and that is often made a lot harder when you self-medicate in any form - be it self-harm, alcohol, drugs, sex or any other kind of addictive 'high risk' activity.

Speaking from personal experience only and I appreciate it's not something everyone is in a position to do, I only started to improve once I sought private health care. I do think the NHS is a fantastic organisation and there have been several times where I would have been lost or dead without them, but they just don't always have the resources or freedom to help when they should. If your friend can afford some private health-care - even just to put him on some kind of care plan or refer him for some kind of therapy - it may really help to get him on the right track. Otherwise there are several excellent mental health advocacy organisations - if he searches his local area he should be able to find some. The charity Rethink usually has regional departments which can help or recommend, as do Mind.

Good luck to him and I hope he finds the help he needs with the minimum of further anguish.
 
Yes there are lots of charities around that may help. Try Yell.com for your area or people like 'Mind' 'Samaritans' 'citizens advice may also have lists of charities that can help. His doctors surgery will also have lists.

It may take some time and waiting but its hope at the end of the tunnel. Support groups are also excellent. If he takes alcohol AA are really good. He will find people there who have been through similar issues and be able to point him in the right direction.

I have had mental health issues in the past and a drink problem, not major but I sort help from a local charity and they have been really helpful and the support groups are amazing. I have met some wonderful people from all walks of life with drink/drug problems often far worse than my own. Tell him he is not on his own and he will get better. The groups are warm and friendly and nothing to fear or feel ashamed about:smile:
 
Society is in a sad place at the moment - most of us struggling to support ourselves, and as a whole unable to support the people who need others to support them (be it care, medical help, housing etc).

We have a local man who sleeps every night in the park - he drinks alcohol but I would not put him in the stereotypical local drunk - he drinks of an evening to keep warm. He does not do drugs, and has never been caught or charged for a crime. He has a sad tale of losing family/mental health that resulted in homelessness. He never asks for anything and never begs. Keeps himself to himself.

He was 50 two weeks ago. He asked for a bed for the night - I phoned over 30 hostels for him - which we would have taken him too. Not one had a space or if they did - he was not deemed "risky enough" - ie he wasn't violent or drunk or a criminal etc - this poor man spent the night in the reception of a police station as he had no where else to go.
 
There are huge holes in mental health provision, its really underfunded and doesnt attract much in the way of donations as its not exactly a 'photogenic' illness.

Friend of mine works with Older Peoples Mental Health Service, there are so few resources they have to concentrate on high risk cases, this means the early preventative work doesnt happen and more people end up in crises and needing to be sectioned. Which is hugely traumatic for all concerned.

And it wont get any better any time soon.
 
Absolutely Frances, I was on AD's for nearly 20 years. They are nothing better than than 'legal drug dealers'

I saw one in Feb this year (doctor that is), the drugs did not work so I had turned to Alcohol. The doc told me there was nothing else he could do for me but I should keep taking the 'pills'. "Are you joking?" I thought. I had got so dependent on them I thought I would go mad without them.

I ended up comforting the doctor, he had tears in his eyes and looked like he couldn't cope. (very nice man) I thought "this is madness". I made a firm decision that "I am a strong women and its the world that is mad not me". Slowly I cut down the pills without the doctors help. This was a big thing for me as I had tried and failed many times before. This time I was sure I would win, go to hell if necessary or die or whatever. Well hello world I did it. and I stopped drinking. I still have my ups and downs but I am never ever going back on them damned pills.

They did help as a 'plaster' at one time but are not the solution.
 
Frances144 said:
Gp's are just drug dealers to make you go away imho.
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To be fair to them, what choice do they have when almost every mental health referral gets batted back with a computer generated 'does not meet our threshold criteria' letter? They have 7 minutes for an appointment and no specific therapy skills. Not that you can counsel or deliver therapy in 7 minutes anyway. Yet they are the ONLY professionals readily available for desperate people to go and see.
 
Some GPs are fantastic, some are awful and should not be allowed to practice, most try to do their best. Just like every other profession.

But they are not mental health specialist and there is very little for them to refer on to and long waiting lists. Sometimes medication is the only thing they can offer, not always because they are bad or lazy GPs, but because its the only thing available immeadiatley to lesson symptoms and make life bearable while you wait to creep to the top of the list for more long lasting therapies.

Sadly some GPs see medication as a long term solution when it should be used sparingingly as PART of a treatment, not the whole and only treatment. Its mostly to do with lack of alternatives though, not GPs being deliberatley bad.
 
Yes I totally agree. Its not their fault and I have to say the pills did help me at times to cope, especially when my son was small and I had to keep going. Shame it took 20 years but those pills did see me through some real nightmares

GP's have a difficult job with these issues.

I had a really good GP under the circumstances, we became very good friends, she told me I was fortunate to have 'insight' into my condition which she told me many didn't. Its so difficult and my heart goes out to anyone who has suffered. I am fortunate to have got through it:smile:
 
Totally agree. A family member needs counselling but instead has been in pills for 2 years solid. There's not the resources to prevent things sliding further so its just pills.

Then on the numerous times I went for help with my self diagnosed Binge Eating Disorder, I was never asked anything, just given antidepressants. At my last visit about my weight issues I was given Reductil when I specifically went to ask for guidance in sourcing a private Eating Disorder Counsellor and wasn't asking for anything from the NHS. The doctor suggested I try those first along with a healthy diet and more exercise! Really? Hadn't thought of that!

Needless to say it didn't work.

Icing on the cake was my last visit to the doctor on an unrelated matter when he said in relation to another topic, "well clearly you don't have issues such as obesity and are fit and healthy so I suggest... " At that point I was finishing off the higher steps of Cambridge and explain that whilst I hoped I would become obese again I'd only just lost 5.5 stone (as it was then) but there were no guarantees as I'd done it twice before and regained it. Surely it would have been the one thing in my notes as I only go to my doctor about contraception and weight! Add on to that Cambridge required a doctors signature for the plan I started on.

Its an absolute shower of shite as so much money could saved in prevention.
 
The eating disorder thing is definitely linked to mental health imo. I don't suffer from that myself but I get really cross when people suggest that larger people should simply 'go on a diet'. There is very clearly a great deal more to it than that, same with binge drinking, excessive alcohol, drugs and self harm. I regard all these things as a symtom of deeper issues.
 
Tina2011 said:
The eating disorder thing is definitely linked to mental health imo. I don't suffer from that myself but I get really cross when people suggest that larger people should simply 'go on a diet'. There is very clearly a great deal more to it than that, same with binge drinking, excessive alcohol, drugs and self harm. I regard all these things as a symtom of deeper issues.
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Just the same as under eating as well - all requires therapy to address the causes, understand the cycle and then how to break it.
 
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