Initial assessment at CMHT

[GrapePearPea]

Hi
I have been referred to the CMHT, and I have an initial assessment with an occupational therapist coming up. Just wondering what is likely to happen? I’m not on any medication, currently pregnant. Thanks

[WillWorkForFood]

I had this recently following a referral from my GP.

The initial session was more of a fact find / screening process to establish base lines and ensure you are fed through the correct channel of secondary care. It focused on history, current / previous meds, family history and how your current troubles are impacting you life, home, family, work etc - very generic.

This then resulted in what I will refer to as the proper session with the appropriate Dr who then digs deeper looking for a diagnosis or treatment plan. I had this session earlier this week.

The diagnosis was rather surprising.

[tangledzebra]

Im waiting for my assessment via a referral from the gp. I have suffered with my mental health for over 20 years. I feel very nervous.

Why was the diagnosis so surprising? Do you agree with it? @willworkforfood

[WillWorkForFood]

I've suffered with depression and anxiety all my life from as long as I can remember - feelings of distress I feel today I can remember feeling at pre-school.

To me, I've always suffered from 'depression' and have spent decades trying to treat the depression with limited or no success.

This week I was diagnosed as having a complex personality disorder, and that the depression was a symptom of the personality disorder, not the actual problem.

It took me a while to get my head round it as this contradicted a deeply ingrained internal belief, however, when I was shown a list of defining traits, it suddenly became blindingly obvious this was, and has been all my life, the main issue and explains why I've always lived under so much distress, unhappiness and discontent.

All that was happening was that as I went through life, I developed (often unhealthy) coping strategies, which superficially papered over the cracks, at least to an outsiders perspective, where actually I was screaming internally and not understanding why I have lived a life of torment, frustration and distress.

Now I know what I'm dealing with, I can at least begin to try and address the root cause, rather than just mask the symptoms.

The only slightly upsetting thing has been to be told the brutal and honest truth that due to the type of disorder and how utterly embedded in my entire make up it is, that it's unlikely that I'll be able to unwind my hard wiring as it goes so very deep to my core.

At least I can stop chasing anti-depressants all over the place wondering why they never fix anything and can now try some specific CBT in the hope of at least trying to find just a whiff of understanding and inner peace.

A long and probably painful road lies ahead.