Community Mental Health Joke!

[Nafnaf87]

This morning in the post I received a poorly sealed envelope from my local team.

In it is a telephone appointment with a "Mental Health Care Support Worker" for just after lunch 5th May. Great, I'm suffering all the time and they send me something for 2 weeks time by which date I will likely have lost the plot completely. Suppose fortunately the winter has gone so I won't easily go and freeze myself to death but the Irish Sea looks inviting.

With this appointment they sent a Resource List - it runs to 12 pages with all sorts of phone numbers and addresses. How the hell am I supposed to deal with that? Why on earth would I want to go to a Mens Shed (if it's open).

.... and if I don't join in the ridiculous schemes they'll .... guess what!

[Emeraldgal]

Wow!! Being a brain injury survivor I fully understand as I too have an anxiety disorder and everyday is challenging with my mental health. The services in the UK are not good and the problem is there's not enough funds to accommodate the NHS as its like Covid 19, it's wide spread and out of control. I was offered Cognitive behaviour therapy with 6 sessions but for me, a waste of time, yeah talking is good and maybe in time it might have helped but with limited sessions it never worked. I too am distracted as I feel the GP's are not listening as they are overwhelmed with so many people suffering. Government needs to prioritise but again, its cash!! I really do sympathise and know the feeling 🙏

[Hopefull22 in reply to Emeraldgal]

GP’s hands are often tied, when a patient is ie “in the system” on meds for a mental health condition. It is only the psychiatrist that can decide what med the patient is on and they’re responsible for changing meds to. This is good on principle but often not in practice. Patient is often left without regular contact of mental health team. GP has to constantly telephone psychiatrist secretary a few times before anything is done.

In my experience mental health teams - read good on their website

But in practice I see them getting paid for very little.

They don’t listen to the family who are caring for the person with mental health condition. If they did what their website said, we wouldn’t have as many suicide attempts.

It doesn’t take much to make a phone call asking “ how you’re doing today is there anything I can help with. “. This needs to be done on regularly basis.

I know someone and they have other family members who have given more than 100% to NHS ( see it as a vocation not just a job ). They have been badly let down by their peers.

Government found money for COVID-19 situation quickly enough.

But lack of funds for mental health as I see it, is just down to bad management of pen-pushers! In Scotland. England have better services with what I’ve read.

They need to see TBI and mental health condition, as often two different things and need to be treated as such. Often throwing pills at someone is not the answer.

It doesn’t deal with the server brain injury. I know someone with mental illness. Who meet with an accident leaving them with a server brain injury, is making good progress down to family and not much help from else where. The system is full of excuses but not prepared to put effort in.

Maybe they should think “there for the grace of God go I”

[sospan]

On your list you will find there are a mix of immediate and longer term help contacts. The Samaritans, Mind and others are there for when you have "lost the plot" and can give you immediate support.

Other contacts like "Mens sheds" are there to provide not only companionship but also an opportunity to discuss informally any difficulties you have whilst doing something creative.

There is quite a big difference between the roles of a community Support Worker and a Support worker whom looks after an individual. It sounds like you have a community worker whom is doing the right thing and signposting you to services that may be appropriate for you.

If you need more dedicated support then that needs to be addressed by your GP

[Pairofboots]

Hi Nafnaf, covid has knocked the whole of the NHS to bits. That is a recent assault on an already strangled service.

When I worked in the NHS (I am a retired RN) we had joined up, reasonably resourced multi-disciplinary approach. Even in 2011 when I had my brain hiccup, I received a seamless joined up service.

What I have found when I moved areas was a disjointed shambles, based on crisis management. Services no longer communicated with each other, so every contact meant a new start.

This hasn't been driven by the NHS, but by twelve years of government policy.

The specialist services have been merged with other services to make an ineffective miss-mash, that is no longer cost effective.

Qualified staff used to managed and maintained contact. Many people within this forum should receive what we knew as an enhanced care pathway, because there are often more than one discipline required to maintain the required care.

Support workers, are a cheap replacement for experienced qualified staff. I have had, plebs advise me on sleep, activity and incontinence to name a few.

Generic mental health services are not suitable for someone with a brain injury. You need the neuro input to understand how brain injury factors in to the symptoms presented.

I agree with sospan regarding the list that there are short and long-term contacts included, and difficult it might be they are worth considering.

I know that what I have said doesn't solve any problems, and saying you are not the only one facing these issues, is little comfort, but together we are a community that cares for each and every one who finds their way here.

[Nafnaf87]

My injury was a long time ago, 23 years, but was severe, Glasgow scale 8.

My then wife got shut and stole (in effect as I was unable to respond) our business.

My parents took me back which provided a safe, secure and stable environment for very long and slow recovery and recuperation. The family business provided occupation and after 4 or 5 years Dad asked me to become more involved, which I did. We were moderately successful, though it was not without normal business difficulties.

Cut a long story short Dad passed 6 years ago - the first year went okay. Since then one state of complete shock came after another at the antics of my mother and brother culminating in my removal as a director after which I was prevented from doing my job. My mother then left our home, the next thing I had were solicitors letters and being sued for trespass. Inevitably I ended up going through emergency accommodation, etc. in the middle of the first lock down.

Short term contacts - disaster - nobody would help.

The contacts described as long term ....

Covid has been used as cover by them all ....