Do you think there is enough support f... - Living with Anxiety
Do you think there is enough support for people with mental Health Issues and if not what would you like to change ?
Hi everyone 
I for one am really curious what you feel about the support out there for people with MH issues
There is now so much talk about improving service's for people suffering , making it not a taboo subject anymore but instead getting people to openly talk more about MH so those that do not suffer with MH have a better understanding how it affects those that do and could better support but personally I don't think this is happening and still frustrating that you feel doors are not been open enough or you are refused the support you really would benefit from
How about you , what are your thoughts and experiences , would love to hear them x
The first thing I would like to see changed is the stigma associated with mental health. Let's treat it like any other illness.
Hello
Nice to meet you
Totally agree !
They do say with changes this is something they are trying to change but personally I have not experienced that change as yet and we have a long way to go I feel before it does
Thank you for your reply x
I don't feel like there is enough support at all....we have to self refer...we have to wait months for any solution and I think a lot of pèople with mh need a quick fix so I'd suggest there be more to help rather than look at us differently because 60% of medical experts don't have a clue what to do or what to say xx
Hello
I hope you are keeping as well as can be it is always nice to see your replies which I must add I could not agree with more !
Sometimes when they talk about changes etc I wonder who they are asking as I feel coming on some of these Communities and seeing how we suffer and actually listening to people that are in the depths of MH issues would give them more than an insight on what is needed
They no doubt will argue they have done this but I am not sure if they are who they are asking as so many of us in these Communities would be saying different to the ideas they are coming up with that will help
Thank you for you reply x
There is definitely not enough support out there. If you go to your GP they just love to chuck antidepressants at you . Granted may work for some but not everyone. One of the best treatments to me is to be able to talk about how you are feeling ~your worries and fears.Knowing that you are not alone! 🌷x
Hello Kittykat
I wondered how most of us that are suffering would answer this question and it seems to be what I thought
I agree meds can help but not the long term answer and we do need to be listened to but other than Communities like this no one seems to have the time , and if your issues seem complex well then there seems to be even less to help
For instance it has been strongly recommended I would benefit from Counselling due to past events but guess what I can't have it because I have agoraphobia and cannot go to them and their rules wont allow them to come to me , so something that would help me I get cast aside because I have agoraphobia !
Seems like you have to fit in certain slots for support or you are cast aside !
Thank you for your reply x
Hidden your so right we have to kind of play Dr ourselves because all they do is chuck out pills like you say but we just need reassurance that we not alone and a good talk it helps loads
Nat x
We are here Nat when you need to talk , I know we are not professionals but we know how each other feels and hope it helps us all knowing that x
Hey Nat ~Yep I think talking is a really good therapy.
Don't mean rabbiting on about doom and gloom all the time ~even just a catch up with your mates for a cuppa and a chat can make all the difference. We know we are not alone on here ~All for one one for all so to speak!!😊x
I don't feel there is enough support. Yes recent publicity in the media and campaigns by mental health charities are trying to break down the stigma associated with mental illness. However ignorance is still rife, a visit to your GP will normally involve filling in a questionnaire to give a score on anxiety and depression, followed by a prescription for ADs. I feel GPs really don't know what to do with us and referrals to psych doctors takes forever.
Hello robbie12
Been a long time since I have seen you active and even though I would have liked to have thought you are well and no need to come on as much it is still lovely to see you about
I wondered what we would all think to this question I have my thoughts and guessed so many more would have similar and the replies so far enforce that
I sometimes feel GP'S just see us as a nuisance and the times I have heard heavy sighs coming from them which I am sure is not because they have breathing issues I have lost count which does not make you feel any better when this happens but you are right it is because they don't know what to do with us !
Waiting times for support is also ridiculous and where this extra money they have suppose to have given to Mental health is going well I don't know because at the moment I cannot see much of a difference
I sometimes think it was so much worse in the olden days and we have moved on a lot since then but they still have a lot further to go a heck of a lot !
Thank You for your reply and I hope we get to see more of you on here when you have time x
I think there is a lot more support available than ever before, but in the rural, more remote areas there could be more physical support services available. Such as more specialists in treating anxiety disorder and support groups. What I find lacking more is treatment for anxiety that is based on old, outdated modalities instead of new, current approaches. The great thing about the internet is the proliferation of information about mental health and treatments but it also adds to the confusion and overload.
Hello designguy
I do agree the treatment is very old fashioned and needs to be looked at and would be nice to hear and try more of the new approaches even though I have to admit I have not come across them myself we are still working with the old support round here which is getting outdated
The internet is a wonderful thing even though as you say we can get confused with all we read and have to be careful especially when we have health anxiety but without it and without these Communities we would feel very isolated
Thank You for your reply x
Hello lulu-1, I totally agree with you about the benefit of communities like this. That is why I also mentioned about the positive things of the internet, this community being one of them. Fundamentally, anxiety makes us think there is something wrong with us, that we're different, etc.. which is the farthest thing from the truth. Communities like this help us realize we're not alone and how common it is.
For me, communities like this also hopefully offer information and insights from others as to what is helping and working for them.
I just found and read a new book that I found really helpful called "Quit Anxiety Now With Smart Therapy" by Dr. Sallee Mclaren. It's available on Amazon as a Kindle book and may be available in hard copy. It totally reframes anxiety, puts it into context and offers very practical steps and tools for dealing with it. It can be a bit of a slog initially but it's definitely worth it. For me, it also helped clear-up some misconceptions about it and realize that I am in control of anxiety not the other way around.
I had a recent anxiety setback and used it and her tools and they really do work for me.
And no, i'm not pushing her book or anything, just saying what is working for me - thanks.
Hello
I did a post and pinned it to the right side of the page some months ago asking members if they would add what had helped them with their anxiety hoping members would look on it and maybe benefit from some of the suggestions
Maybe you would like to add this book that has helped you to the post I did , I will pop you the link on so you can find the post x
It’s much better than it used to be! At least good information is out there, we just have to find it. I voted that there is enough, because I found good help. The biggest problem is widespread ignorance of mental conditions and how to treat them. CBT and educating the patient is a great option IF the counselor is well-informed. Probably less than half actually understand and know how to treat anxiety. Odds go up if they specialize in anxiety, so that’s what you have to look for.
Hello
Well I am so pleased that you have found an improvement in what is out there regarding support
I think we have to bear in mind that some of us are more capable in looking for it as well as I also think that depending where you live can make a huge difference , I know living in a small town we have less than if I lived in a big city but hopefully that will slowly change
You seem in a good place and I hope it long continues
Thank You for your input it is so good hearing what everyone is and has experienced x
I live in a small town but only an hour & half from Atlanta, but I was not impressed with the 2 local counselors I tried, so I ended up doing phone counseling with a guy in Canada for about a year, then a lady in Australia for another year. They were excellent! I learned so so much from them. They were able to convince me that my terrible symptoms were not medical but were anxiety, they helped me to fully accept the symptoms & start back living a normal life, and then how to change my negative thinking patterns to prevent it coming back. It’s a process though. My brain still tries to go to the worst possible scenario, but at least now I recognize it. So, there are good phone counselors out there. I can recommend mine if anyone wants to message me.
I deal with extreme anxiety. Where i live in michigan, i have not seen any support for anxiety at all. Zero. My neuroligist is the most unsupporting doctor ever and my gp just says to talk to my neuroligist. I feel as if they all just poo poo it. Like anxiety is all in my head. Well, duh, yes it is. This group is my only support for it. I have had it for 12 years. Started with my brain timor, then seizures then basil cell cancer recently and toi many deaths in my family during this 12 year time. Just want it to go away.
Hello grandmavic
O you are in Michigan , somewhere I have only seen on the TV I am in the UK but this is why I always think how wonderful these kinds of Communities are that they can bring us all together from all over the world with a common bond and we are ready to support each other
Well it does sound like you do not have much support at all and even though it is not your neurologists job to help you with anxiety thank goodness they do , that is one blessing you have one medical person in your life that is willing to try and support and I hope you will count us as another one that is always willing to support even though we don't always have they answers we do understand and are very good at listening
Thank You for your reply x
I think society has changed a lot in the last year and I’ve really noticed myself that the stigma is slightly lifting. Everyone that I have opened up to has been so understanding and supportive. Even those I least expect it from.
However there is definitely not enough support out there! It takes so long to actually get to see someone from diagnosis. That wouldn’t happen if someone had a life threatening illness and For many people mental health is life threatening. I myself think I had moderate to severe anxiety but it took for me to get severe depression and anxiety to actually be seen. I had to submit a complaint through PALS to be seen.
I think the people that are there are good in my experience but it just takes so long to be allocated one of them. I was having suicidal thoughts and they allocated me a trainee well-being practitioner that was not prepared to deal with me so that was another 3 months to wait.
Rant over now - in summary I feel sorry for the people in the service as they are trying their hardest but there’s not enough of them.
Doctors need better training to spot signs and what they can recommend. My first doctor just told me to go out running and the second one just said take a week off work.
I know not everyone is as lucky as me as now I’ve been allocated my therapist I can really appreciate they are in a tough position 😊 x
Hello Liberty
Very well said every point you make is spot on as far as I see and have experienced to
I know in the UK the NHS is over loaded but as you say this can be a life threatening illness and we I feel most of the time get left at the bottom of the pile
You kept going Liberty and you did not give up and that is why you have now got a good therapist and after all your hard work and determination you deserve one and many more of us we get the same eventually
Thank You for your reply x
Begin with supporting and educating the families of persons with Mental illness. It can be equally destructive.
No isn't any mealth health support in Staffordshire close most groups down because of this gone back to square one
Hello Dasiydo
I am so very sorry to hear this but a common thing that seems to happen as I said in another reply depending what area you are in but this is devastating for people like yourself that need support
Have you spoken to your Doctor , is there anything at all they can offer ?
There is a charity called " Mind "
I have pinned the contact numbers on a post to the side of the page on the Community or if you put " Mind" in Google their page will come up , it could be worth giving them a call they have all the details of what support there is near where you live , maybe worth a go
I hope you will find these Communities some kind of support and when you need to chat will post or join in the posts on the Community
Thank You for your reply x
Only support I got now is online
I am sorry you must be feeling really let down by the system but I hope having others on line helps a little bit and helps you to know you are not alone
I will pop you the link on to the Mind Charity I spoke about , it is all about helping people with Mental Health issues there is a number you can phone and they do try and look what is in your area that may help x
Only once psychologists were offered due to diabetes was any mental heath care available.
As a person that has mental health issues because of my health I frequent my GP practice so that is where support should be based as I'm anxious on the telephone talking about my personal situation so talk talk a big hiccup for me.
Or
NHS fund Samaritans who have huge experience and make them the specialist hub of mental health care with a Dr who can prescribe adequate meds to support in times of desperation.
Just a thought.
Hello
Samaritans are life savers for many and always something I try and get home to those that live in the UK if they need that comfort of a human voice to speak to , phone them !
I do have a post pinned to the right side of the page with what I hope is a few contact numbers to get help if feeling desperate Samaritans are on that list and hope members in need look on there and see it
It seems you have quite a good relationship with your Doctor which some of us are lucky to have yet others do not have the same experience but I am pleased you have these contacts as well as hopefully support in these on line Communities to
Thank You for your reply x
MIND were fantastic for my partner supporting him face work after his close brother ended his life after my partner nearly lost his job and was attacked and very badly injured by 8 young men in Rye, East Sussex.
Hello & nice to meet you ickihun
Mind is a fantastic charity in giving out where to get the best support when in need I am glad they helped support your partner through such a tough time
Thank You for your reply x
Thank you for your reply MollyStark
I have just been looking at your wonderful tips on how you are helping yourself with your anxiety
Long list here to where I am and I think that is what really does help as it is ok adding you on a list but where do you get the support while you are waiting ?
A Happy New Year to you to x