A Crisis Team - that can't help in a Crisis

[VictorA]

Hello,

I have a mother who has Schizophrenia. Her current unwell-state started back at the end of February. She was suffering from Insomnia. All the way through March the insomnia has been the main problem – which I seem (I alone I may add) to have got under control. Now in April – the issue is her Schizophrenia, not insomnia.

She is letter writing to banks, dentists and cancelling insurance packages. The theme of her letter is contentious; that she is being cheated by them all. She is also writing letters to other people unknown to me.

My complaints are:

1)The Psychiatrist in charge of my mother – who we saw on the 15th of March - I feel is incompetent. She prescribed Promethazine as a sleeping pill initially about 2 years ago (according to my mam). With the insomnia disturbing my mams sleep, the same Psychiatrist gave in to my mam’s request for the same Promethazine which my mam prefers to use. The dosage went from 10mg to 50mg. But the pill did not give my mam the desired sleep. So I saw my mam’s GP who prescribed Zolpidem – which did work.

2)The care-coordinator is hard to contact – even though I have her mobile phone. Also – to cut a long story short – she arranged for a full examination but on Good Friday. I left a message on her mobile to ask if this was a valid appointment and could she please text back to confirm. She did not answer. It’s a pattern in the way she works that’s becoming more and more apparent. As a care-coordinator – she does not seem to care.

3)The North Durham Crisis team – does not return my calls. I looked online for the South Durham Crisis team’s number and rang. I got a helpful lady on immediately who gave me advice. So the North Durham Crisis Team is next to useless in assisting me.

I am receiving very little support from the Mental Health Team in our area. I know resources are at a premium and funding scarce, but I would feel more support if they communicated with me and checked on my progress. They seem to want to avoid helping me. Why this is the case – seems to be explained by the care-coordinator as “a good thing.” That “the less we see of the Team – the better my mum will be – since she would not have to be hospitalised.”

I am reaching my mental health breaking point because of the worry and stress of having to anticipate my mam’s letter writing.

Can someone please help me?