When will mental health be given priority in society

[Turnaround00]

Why when so many of us are struggling with mental health issues are we still fighting for services!?!
It's 2017 and alot of campaigning about metal health and suicide but is there really anything been done?!?!? It seems that there are alot more people with mental health issues and especially in this fast paced society we now live in, yet people are slow to make a change for us.

I think there should be separate surgeries for people with a mental health complaint. I am so tired of going to my GP to come back out the door and think huh so what is going on? what are they going to do for me? Is there any support? When you get referred to your local mental health team and get told by them that this is something you need to work on yourself as you don't have psychosis or something serious like that, then t is quite worrying and very sad.
There just are no resources.
I really want to try make a change as if we don't stand up how will things change.
I would consider myself far more qualified in the area of mental health than my GP and that is not a good thing.
Things need to change

[snowghost57]

Well for one thing a GP is a physician with a specialty in just that General Practice. I'm sure your country has mental health professionals. In the states mental health care is often free or low cost. I agree it could stand some improving but we have come a long way.

[NervUs]

Well for one thing a GP is a physician with a specialty in just that General Practice. I'm sure your country has mental health professionals. In the states mental health care is often free or low cost. I agree it could stand some improving but we have come a long way.

I think the problem in the UK is that they need referrals for everything, so the GP is the gatekeeper to all of the health care they can access.
In the US, we are much more in control, can schedule our own appointments, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think the problem in the UK is that they need referrals for everything, so the GP is the gatekeeper to all of the health care they can access.
In the US, we are much more in control, can schedule our own appointments, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

That's correct. However, in England & Wales they brought in the IAPT framework that now allows for self referral into a local service that offers two levels of different therapies/support services that covers anxiety & depression.

Above that service is the traditional CMHT level which means a GP referral. If your not in the IAPT catchment then you are stuck on the old system.

We have little control on any service in the NHS. You get what you are given.

[ServerError]

Even with IAPT, you can end up waiting for as long as a year if you're unlucky.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Even with IAPT, you can end up waiting for as long as a year if you're unlucky.

Very true but IAPT was brought in to specifically address these long waiting times. So, in the areas where it's long there has been a real failure.

There are timescales involved which they are monitored on. The trouble is they are geared towards the first assessment and not when the treatment starts. I think that was intentional as it allows the problem to be masked.

[swajj]

We are much luckier in Australia too. You would never wait a year here. A few weeks maybe. Often even quicker than that.

[MyNameIsTerry]

We are much luckier in Australia too. You would never wait a year here. A few weeks maybe. Often even quicker than that.

And don't you have a sort of half way house between private & public health care with Medicare? It sounds good.

I don't know how we will ever prop the NHS up without a serious increase in tax revenue. :shrug:

[swajj]

We have Medicare Terry. At tax time we pay a Medicare levy. Some people hate paying it but I don't mind because it improves services for those who can't afford to go private.

[Turnaround00]

Something defo needs to change in the UK. As well as the long waiting lists, there really is nothing they offer. When I saw the CMHT, they reported back to the psychiatrist who said he didn't need to see me and he didn't want to suggest any meds to my GP and this is something I need to work through myself.
Not exactly what you want to hear when you're in a state.
Totally unprofessional and I can totally see why some people don't see a way out, when the professionals can't even offer support.
Sad times and yes we may have come a long way but we have an even longer way to come to get things up to scratch