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AIBU?

to think anxiety is a mental health issue?

1 reply

Songofsixpence · 04/03/2016 13:06

My youngest daughter struggles (to put it mildly!) with anxiety and we are currently having a very hard time with it.

School have been brilliant to date but decided that we all need some help so referred us to CAHMs.

I've just heard that they've refused to even assess her on the grounds that she is not suffering from a mental health condition and they are therefore unable to help

DD's anxiety is out of control and we really need some help and coping strategies. Her anxiety builds and builds until is this monster that she can't control and ends in a panic attack/total melt and shut down.

She's had 1 stint of talking therapy with Barnardoes, she does the ELSA programme at school but it's not enough. She can't sleep, she's so anxious all the time and people like our GP seem to just dismiss it and point the finger at me - I'm an anxious mother, I don't want her to be independent/grow up, etc which is really not the case. I want her to be happy and enjoying life and she's just not.

I just done know where to go from here. I feel a bit defeated by it all, it's exhausting

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ZiggyFartdust · 04/03/2016 13:18

Anxiety in itself is not a diagnosable condition; anxiety is part of the human condition and is a spectrum that cannot be easily pathologised. Anxiety disorders are what are diagnosed as mental health conditions (as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

CAMHS are overwhelmed, there just is no availablilty in most areas. What you need is a psychologist/psychiatrist who can assess for anxiety disorders.

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