Yeah. I went to my GP last night as I've been feeling even more awful than usual. Normally I feel down, paranoid, anxious and worthless, but I have a hold on them. Over the last few months though, it's been getting worse and the last few weeks have been torture, to the point where I was planning suicide. I honestly only went to the GP because I needed to talk about it. I've been before with the same problems, and they usually send me away with medication (the same meds they give me EVERY time, that DON'T work!!).
However, this time I saw a new GP, who quickly went to consult with someone else, and then they both decided I was in danger and that I needed to go to A&E. Utter surprise, as lately my GP surgery has been treating me like a malingerer and I'm actually about to launch a formal complaint with PALS about them. They made me take my partner so they'd be sure I'd go (I made my own way, no ambulance or anything).
After two hours and a rather brusque on call doctor, a member of the mental health team saw me and is going to refer me to a psychiatrist. It was only two hours, which in A&E is some kind of modern miracle, but it was awful. I'm terrified of hospitals and medical buildings of any kind, so it was pretty horrible. Not sure how I feel about the outcome. I'm feeling rather out of it today, to be honest.
Interesting point, last night, no less than five medical professionals asked me whether I was hearing voices or seeing things. Obviously this is to do with that ad campaign the NHS has launched, but I've been on record as having mental health issues for ten years now. Why have I never been asked that before? What if I'd said yes? Would that mean that I'd have been left ten years in the wrong treatment because it had never come up before?!
Anyway, not sure where I'm going with this. I'm kind of ambivalent about the idea of more treatment. I've never been to a psychiatrist before, but I've been in and out of counselling and CBT for years, and I'm actually on the waiting list for group therapy. I'm not holding out hope, is what I'm saying.
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BeatrixPlotter
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I'm so glad you saw a different doctor. How long will you have to wait to see the Psychiatrist?
Hi, Seeing a psychiatrist means you will be seen by someone who has more specialist knowledge and that may be a good thing, it depends upon the person and whether you feel comfortable with them. The important thing to remember is that as long as you are in touch with reality and not at risk of harming yourself or other people you can view seeing a specialist as somone who is there to understand the exact nature of your mental health difficulties. If before you go you can try to make a list of your symptoms, how often you get them and what triggers them, etc and also the kind of questions you would like to ask them you may find that helpful, it's always easier than trying to think on the spot or leaving and then realising you didn't ask the things you meant to. That will help you clarify things in your mind. You may find it helpful to think about what you think your problems are, when you think they started and if you think they have any particular cause, also what kind of help you think you might find useful. The more thought you've given to what you want to get out of the consultation the more helpful you are likely to find it. I hope it goes well for you, psychiatrists are only human beings who've specialised in mental rather than physical illness. Suexx
Hi BP, not surprised you feel out of it today. What a horrid day, but hopefully good will come out of it with your referral to a psychiatrist. Hope all goes well for you. xx
Hi BP
I understand your anger and how you feel. It is quite normal for a psychiatrist to ask you these questions, they are trying to assess the severity of your problems, Hopefully this will prove to be a positive thing in getting a more accurate diagnosis and offering the correct treatment. Like Sue says above it is worth writing things down especially questions you want to ask them.
My thoughts are with you and I hope it will work out for you.
i was asked to attend A&E once by the mental health crisis team, they made me stand in the corridoor for 4 hours, a few days after being discharged after a Discectomy operation, i was on crutches. A passing receptionist could not understand why i had not been seen, i was being triaged at the bottom of the list, ad infinitum, they never even called the mental health team after 4 hours ! she personally got the staff to put me in an empty room, the duty Psyciatrist then lied to the matron and said i had gone home, so they wiped my name off the white board. Then another Psciatrist came on duty, a large and angry Nigerian, and questioned me in a very hostile way like a police interveiw, he said frostily " we don't know who you are, you could be anybody " the CPN there was ashamed and would not look me in the eye, i walked out. After i made a complaint the Psyciatrist in question made a claim that i had threatned him in some way, just how he would not say though, a 100% solid gold lie.
I always use the voice recorder on my phone now if i have to deal with these half baked NHS staff.
i'm sorry my posts are negative, but it's just the truth.
I am so sorry that you had to go through soldier. It sounds like a terrible experience and the opposite of what you needed at that time. I have never gone to A and E when I have been feeling suicidal but did end up there after taking an overdose one evening. I had rung up a mental health team and told this guy what I had done. A guy answered who said he was the only one on duty and when I found it very hard to express myself he got impatient and said he was busy and had to go. He also told me he was going to ring the police and they would come round unless I called an ambulance. The thought of that was terrifying! So I did call an ambulance and rang him back and told him (he checked). The paramedics were lovely and told me I would get help. I ended up being shoved in a wheelchair for about 4 hours in full view of everyone in there. Eventually they got me on a table and sent a doctor in to see me. I spent the night in A and E. Next morning I got a few minutes with a very young useless psychiatrist and was discharged. That was it! Nothing else happened. I was left to cope on my own. I was just told I could ring back the original guy if I felt the need to. I didn't! And never would. Its just awful the way you get treated in those places and I would never want to go back.
Hi glad you eventually got referred off. A psychiatrist will help I attend behavioural therapist and cpn weekly only reason is because I admitted into hospital with depression after the birth of my son in March 2012 the staff were fantastic and so helpful. But my gp was awful I went down to my gp everyday for 2months telling them was ill only listener's when my begged them to do something with me. I hope you get sorted all the best.
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