What does a community mental health team do?

[pleaseknowthatineverdo]

Years and years of poor mental health, the last year things have been really quite bad - worst I’ve ever had . Previously I’ve been able to reasonably live day to day life but can’t just now at all .

My GP said last week she was going to refer me on for more help .

Someone rang me last night to do a mental health assessment, they were on the phone for over an hour asking me stuff about all sorts from very early childhood right up to present day . Dozens and dozens of questions .

At the end of the call he said I would highly benefit from CMHT involvement, and said he would discuss with them with a view to them seeing me within the next 2-4 weeks . Supposedly they can still reject the referral but if they do they have to provide clinically justified alternatives .

I’m absolutely stunned . I’ve had counselling more than a dozen times but always end up unwell again - he said that’s probably because it’s acting as a sticking plaster and never treating the underlying issues causing the symptoms in the first place . I got told a couple of years ago I’ve either got EUPD or complex ptsd, he said last night almost certainly Complex ptsd

a) everything we talked about last night is now fresh in my mind where normally it’s pushed out - which means I’m feeling bloody awful, almost like hungover this morning .

b) I’m also a bit panicked, does a CMHT referral mean they think this is more serious than I’m realising? He did say it’s crisis prevention and rehab/treatment .

He did say to see it like a physical illness where if you weren’t getting better alone you’d be seen by specialists and supported - which is probably a good thing - but, I kept thinking I could sort things out myself so it’s hard to admit/accept I need help !

I work for a CMHT and with people that have EUPD/cPTSD in particular. First of all, don’t worry about being referred to a CMHT, it doesn’t mean you’re “crazy” or anything like that. CMHTs focus on supporting people who are either struggling significantly or those who have MH needs that are more complex than a GP/counsellor can manage-this second one sounds like you. The aim of a CMHT is to help people live happier, more fulfilling lives. It seems likely that you will be referred to a MH nurse who will see you regularly. You may also see a psychiatrist who will see if you need any medication at the moment to help you while you get better.
If you were referred to me I would look at supporting you with distress tolerance and emotion regulation-so helping you develop those skills that can help you manage tricky feelings or feeling overwhelmed, especially if you have unhealthy coping mechanisms, like self harm. If you’re struggling with day to day living at the moment I would be looking to help get you into a routine, help improve your self care skills and maybe work on your triggers for self neglect.
In the long run, someone with EUPD/cPTSD would likely benefit from some trauma therapy based input, like EMDR, from a psychologist and the CMHT can help facilitate that. This is probably not advisable right now if you’re not stable so we would want to work getting you into a safer place mentally so that you can access therapy without becoming more unwell.
I really hope this helps 😊You can PM me if you need any more support while you wait for the CMHT to come through.

Thank you so much, that’s been an enormous help - I’ve heard bits about distress tolerance before in other therapy yes .

Thanks so much, it was all a bit of a shock on the phone as I didn’t even know they were calling . Very long difficult conversation !! He did say it could be 2-4 weeks before I hear anything back, said he’s pretty sure the CMHT will accept me as a patient but said if they don’t they have to offer me something else . Am so, so hoping this is what will make a difference - daily life is horrendously hard just now (even some days getting to the kitchen) so anything that helps I’m willing to do .

thanks so much again 🌸