View Full Version : Mental health services - whats your experience?
Hi All,
I just wondered what peoples experiences of mental health services were?
In general it seems to me that people's experiences are a bit of a lottery, and that the standards of services vary wildly.
With all the targets that exist in the NHS, where are those for mental health, - i've come up with a few of my own; (just in case they need any help!)
CMHT appointments - within 2 weeks
CBT - Max wait 6 weeks
Counselling - Max wait 6 weeks
Crisis care - upon request
And a few professional standards as well
All staff should at least have some understanding of the mental agony that can be caused by anxiety and depression, and treat patients as human beings not production line numbers to be got rid of asap!
what do you think - please add to this list!
Red100
I have to say that my experiences have largely been positive, up until recently. I think that therapies should not be made a specific length of time eg 8 sessions as everyone differs in what they need or how they respond.
I think shrinks should explain exactly what the med they are prescribing you is and why, what effect is hoped will come from taking it, its common side effects, it's success rate and what the prognosis is if you don't take it.
Happyone
xx
When I was referred to the CMHT team, it took me 5 months for an assessment, and a further 4 for the start of my sessions. That was in 2004.
In 2006, I asked my GP to renew my sessions but never heard any more. I eventually found out that the CMHT had turned me down, but the Health Centre never passed the message on to me!
Then early this year my GP referred me without telling me and I was pleased to get a letter out of the blue! These sessions have not been without their problems - one day we had arranged to go swimming and she didn't turn up owing to a crisis and I was left in the pool!
Incidentally, I find the reception staff there so grumpy and unhelpful. Just what you need when you are feeling pants!
One thing I didn't think about earlier, was the atmosphere of surroundings. In the place I go to for therapy and to see the shrink, there is a little (@8ftx8ft) windowless waiting room. A reception with no receptionist, holes in the wall where things have been pulled, knocked off, a cctv watching you, an absolutely huge pile of papers that are intended for staff but they obviously don't like so leave in the waiting room for clients who like them even less!! and hard fixed red seats. I am ok with the place now, but when I first went, I found it terrifying.
I had reason to visit another place for an appt recently and it was lovely! It was light and airy, lots of different types of reading material, nice chairs, toys for children, pleasant reception staff, plants etc. I don't think it was any coincedence that I had the best appt with my shrink there that I had ever had.
Happyone
xx
Hi Red100
I wouldn't want to post my experiences as I've had mixed responses.
One thing I would say is to go armed with your list of what you would like to happen and stick to it.
It is also worth having a copy of the Nice Guidelines (http://guidance.nice.org.uk/topic/behavioural) just in case.
Good luck.
Karen xx
I am SO angry with the mental health service.
Aug. 2006 went to the doctors and asked to be refered for CBT
Apr. 2007 Had inital appointment for CBT.
Now on an 18 month waiting list.
To me thats absolutely absurd.
x
Happyone,
Where I go, I report to reception who look so grumpy. They tell me to take a seat in the waiting room, but don't tell me where that is - oddly it is right at the back of the building and a newbie would not know that! There is a session room at the front of the building, so wouldn't that make more sense to convert that??
May seem trivial, but to me, it shows the lack of care that is a symptom of management. I can imagine the manager of the centre only worrying about how he can massage his performance targets instead of getting his house in order for the care of his clients.
Am I cynical or what?
Cynical you may be ray, but it is the system that lets people down that makes it so! That is a ridiculous state of affairs you have to go through. It always amazes me that resources for people with mental health issues have to visit horrid looking places. It seems far more important to me that their resources should be warm and friendly.
I think with the place I go to, it is shared with people who have probs with aggression and anger too which would explain the holes in the wall and stuff.
I do have to say though, that other than the waiting room stuff, I have been treated really well in terms of waiting times. I got referred for CBT, got it within a couple of weeks. Got referred to shrink, got to see one even before letter had got to her!(CBT lady fast tracked me I think). I see shrink regularly and he always emphasises that he is there to work for his patients and I have never to worry about being a pest or a worrier.
Happyone
xx
I'm still waiting for a CBT appointment, 18 months later, no joke, I kid you not. And then they wonder why levels of suicide are so high in N.Ireland and Scotland
Hello,
Mine to were not great. The people seem to think that all we want is drugs. Me all I wanted was to get some help. I hated the waiting area, so many people with so many different problems, it was very scary. The doctor was great, but the other where to much.
I am currently doing a cbt course online and that's going well.
Take Care Believe
I Believe That In Time We All Will Get Better.
I seem to have been really lucky in that i got some CBT sessions pretty quickly after i was referred for them.
However, the nurse i've seen admitted in the first session that she had no knowledge of my specific problem areas (agoraphobia and social anxiety). Now, whilst she's a very nice, caring woman, this didn't really instill me with a great sense of confidence! Maybe it's expecting way too much of the NHS and the finance it has available, but surely it would be better (and more cost-efficient in the long run) to be referred to someone with knowledge/experience of whatever problem needed to be treated.
Also i've found that doctor's seem far too eager to prescribe meds, or increase med doses, as a solution to anxiety/depression, when it would possibly be better to try CBT, etc. first.
well mine apinion of it is pretty negative i was seen by a educational shrink person and she did nothing all through school then when i left i went to see anouther shrink how said i had the worst case of axitey she had ever seen in a child and tried to put me on anti depresents and then i saw this woman who was supposed to be giving me stress manegment lessons but actually just made me bring up stuff i didnt want to talk about and she made me mad! so the nhs service here is pretty usles.
1st time around i had to wait about 6 months for CBT... it didnt help... therapist wasnt very good... went back to doctors on friday after 3 years for helf and got told to basically read a book and f* off... not impressed
I asked to be referred back to the mental health team.
I see them on the 23rd. I asked to see them at the end of July.
I also asked about DBT and was told that they don't do it. They're liars, I researched it on the net and it IS available in my area.
Also the mental health team sent me a questionaire thing wanting to know what's wrong with me!! Er..... the docs have all that stuff on their bloody computers!!! AND I've been under the mental health team before a few years back. I was angrier at the time than I am now and was stopped from using services as I told them all they were useless to their faces and wasn't very nice about it I'm afraid.
Nowadays though, I'm much calmer (honest!) and I've been doing my research and NOBODY fobs me off anymore.
Gordon
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