To be terrified of being mentally ill under Tory Government

[NightTerrier]

I've been increasingly anxious about the future of people with disabilities under this government.

Mental illness can be one of those invisible disabilities, although not always as I am clearly batshit crazy when manic. I have Bipolar 1.

I probably have a serious depressive and manic episode once every 18 months to 2 years despite being medicated and then have to go through the recovery process, get stabilised again and rebuild my life and sort out the mess left behind. This and the time for rehabilitation basically fucks up a whole year in terms of occupation and employment.

My partner was made redundant and now works in a minimum wage job and I'm in recovery and it's been a long slog for me. I don't think many people understand the devastation that a serious full blown manic episode can cause.

My DLA is due to move to PIP in Sept and I'm terrified, as it helps top up my income so I can afford to work part time when well enough. Now I hear that people are being turned down for PIP even if they are well enough to work part time. DLA was meant to be an in work benefit.

Employers don't want someone who's unable to work for months at a time and could randomly become ill. I don't think it's even a matter of the government not being aware. I think it's more a case of them not caring, or even some kind of idealism involved and they think it's a moral failing and your own fault if you can't be a 'productive' member of society. The fact that some people might begrudge me getting a disability benefit makes me angry too. It really isn't a cushty option by any means. In fact, I think the way the government is handling things is making matters worse for a lot of mentally ill people and they are getting more ill as a result.

The local CMHT has been really supportive. Unfortunately, this only seems to be the case when people have bipolar 1 and schizophrenia. Getting good treatment is an indication that you are pretty much fucked, but I'm very grateful for it and they've really helped me after the last manic episode and my life is getting back on track again. The most worrying part is that I'm highly likely to find myself back in the same situation in a year or two and stress, sleep disruptions and other things could perhaps trigger mania or depression sooner that.

A lot of people are in a similar situation and it's just really grim, worrying and quite depressing.

Anyway, sorry for the long post, but AIBU to be terrified for the future of people who are debilitated by serious mental illnesses?

[Rixera]

Not a problem :)
Those are all things I included too and accordingly get enhanced rate for daily living.

[DJBaggySmalls]

When I was in hospital under Labour I got Occupational Therapy classes including Mindfulness, and CBT. You weren't just drugged.

Now my DLA has been stopped, I don't qualify for PIP - and I need a carer for a physical disability. But when I've posted about it on MN people have said 'we cant afford to pay for people like you'.
'We'.

[PinkCrystal]

Yanbu

It is much worse and bleak under the tories

[NightTerrier]

That totally sucks. What do they expect 'people like us' to do? Nobody chooses to have psychical or mental health problems.

Anyone could be struck down. What happens if some of these people's kids end up with bipolar, schizophrenia, debilitating OCd or something equally as nasty? I bet they'd appreciate the safety net than and would soon change their minds!

[NightTerrier]

Grr, I am seemingly unable to type tonight!

[SofiaAmes]

I know...my ds goes through phases of not wanting to eat enough and like a good Italian Jewish mother, I chase him around the house with lovely high protein, high fat home cooked food. He's super super skinny and because of his mitochondrial disease doesn't have enough muscle either. I know how much work I put into keeping his life on an even keel for him. I can't imagine what that would be like having to do it for yourself when you are having a manic or depressive episode (luckily ds doesn't currently suffer from the depression side). I highly recommend Dr. Miklowitz' Bipolar Survival Guide for good information on handling your own bipolar disease.

[UnbornMortificado]

I have bipolar I switched from DLA to PIP and got awarded 0 points (I'd just been hospitalised) appealed it and got enhanced care and standard mobility.

I'd advice using welfare rights to help you do you form. Good luck it is a shit process

[NightTerrier]

That's terrible that they'd turn down someone who'd been hospitalised. It doesn't get more serious than that does it?

[UnbornMortificado]

I fear some of the assessors have more serious issues then even I do.

I got a list of reasons for refusal back and one they had wrote was I was fine with doing my own medication etc. The bastards had limited my prescription to three daily. I wasn't even allowed a weeks worth of meds to administer myself

(my GP isn't really a bastard she's lovely she just didn't trust me not to do anything daft)

Honestly get welfare rights involved and appeal if needs be. If your in the NE I can recommend someone.

That goes for anyone struggling with MH and the forms.

[UnbornMortificado]

Three daily = 3 days worth of tablets.

[NightTerrier]

I've heard that some of the assessors can be horrible. However, I know a lady who got high rate care after a telephone interview and she doesn't actually have a formal diagnosis, but has been on medication and attended an art therapy group. It all seems very inconsistent.

I can totally understand why they would only give you 3 days worth of tablets at a time. I have had the opposite problem of refusing to take them too. I was doing that before I went into hospital as I was worried about them 'taking away my power'.

Luckily there's a plan in place now that should it happen again, someone from the crisis team will come and make sure I take my meds so hopefully I won't end up in hospital again.

But, yes, that's really shit that you had to appeal and it sounds as though it came at the worst possible time for you. Talk about kicking people when they're down.

[SofiaAmes]

Here in California, we have oversight bodies that one can make complaints to when these types of things happen. I make about a dozen official complaints a year. It doesn't always result in immediate change, but it I've found that they must have me flagged up somewhere as the crazy lady who makes lots of complaints. And since each complaint results in a LOT of extra paperwork for everyone involved, I think they have decided to give me what I am asking for most of the time these days because it's easier than doing all the paperwork. Stupid stuff like one insurance company suggested that it was perfectly reasonable to take my ds to hospital ordered (condition of release from the psych ward) intensive outpatient program, 3 days a week, 3 hours a day for 6-9 months at a location that was a 2 hour drive from my home. And somehow I was supposed to manage this in out of school hours (ie after 4:20pm) when the place closed at 5pm. I got them to pay full price for a local place. And then there was a suggestion that my medically fragile child with severe mental illness could get his mental health needs (therapy and medication) met by his GP on the telephone! Or the lady who wanted to know why my ds needed to see an adolescent psychiatrist and why he couldn't see a normal one (uh...maybe because he's an adolescent and a "normal" psychiatrist won't see him because it's a very specialized field). I kept telling them...you wouldn't ask a child with a heart condition to get treated solely by his GP and tell him to wait until he has a heart attack before you will let him see a specialist. We have very strict Mental Health Parity laws here that require people and institutions to treat mental health just like any other medical condition.

[UnbornMortificado]

It's hard to tick the boxes for MH unfortunately. I think it's hard to understand how debilitating it can be if you haven't suffered.

[UnbornMortificado]

Sofia are you worried any of that may change under Trump?

I won't pretend to understand politics (especially American) too well, but as far as I've read he doesn't seem to have the best reputation in regards to disability rights.

[NightTerrier]

Sofia, that sounds like a real faff and really stressful for you. I really hope that Trump doesn't make matters worse. Even though you say there are strict Mental Health Parity laws over there, it still sounds far from ideal.

UnbornMortificado, aye. I think it is hard to tick boxes under mental health. It's a matter of people being informed and getting accurate information about it though. It probably won't happen, as the agenda seems to be to get as many people as possible off of disability benefits.

[UnbornMortificado]

My mam used to work for citizens advice. They turned down a client of hers with a brain tumour. Turned out to be terminal but it wasn't found out in time to claim under the special rules

Sadly it's not just mental disability's.

[NightTerrier]

That's really shit. I probably sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it all smacks of economic eugenics (I just made that term up). I don't think they care if some disabled people die because of all of this. It's more money for tax avoiders and MPs.

[StillMedusa]

The change from DLA to PIP isn't ALL terrible.
MyDS2 has Autism, learning difficulties and OCD. He's 19 and was on indefinite DLA. I was dreading the switch but wrote masses on his PIP form, sent in all the evidence I had (not a lot as once he left school all help disappeared!) and asked them to use previous info from his DLA. He was awarded the maximum PIP (ongoing, which is 10 years) without a face to face interview.

I literally wrote essays, making it very clear how much support he needs in daily life.

But maybe we were lucky!

[UnbornMortificado]

Still I don't have much experience with sn children's/young adults. I would imagine (or hope) with the conditions you listed it would be common place to be awarded.

[NightTerrier]

Still, that's great news. I'm glad he got the award.

[KittenDixon]

YANBU. And I think goes deeper than that tbh. The proportion of people with MH issues gets higher the more unequal/unfair society becomes.

As this graph shows.

[CitrusSun]

Truthfully anyone who is less than privileged stands no chance under a Tory government, it's about as close to ethnic cleansing as it can possibly be, London has become a micro state where only the wealthy can afford to live, or indeed are welcome to live; the answer to any problem is to throw money at it, if you can't buy your way out as a solution this government's policies are really not for you. It's a desperately hopeless situation when those who make decisions for the masses originate from the tiny percentage of over privileged, over entitled and ever ignorant; they have been protected from the grit and grime of real life as experienced by 99.9% of people who they are supposed to represent due to their wealth and upbringing, so far removed from grassroots. I can't think of another comparable country where the so called leaders are so out of touch with those they purport to lead. So God help any of us who need health care, mental or physical; any form of social security; a pension in retirement or just any hope of being regarded as a valuable human being because unless you have the only currency this regime recognises- extreme wealth - .you're pretty much fucked

[NightTerrier]

Thanks for the link Kitten... Interesting stuff!

CitrusSun Yes, I share your views and it really scares me and it's probably making my mental health worse. I daren't tell people that I recieve high rate care and low rate mobility for DLA because of the current prevailing attitudes towards people on benefits.

Sometimes things just seem really bleak. I know I shouldn't dwell on the current state of our country, but I just cant help it. What they are doing is pretty evil tbh. Although I'm ashamed to admit it, I do judge people for supporting the Conservatives and wonder why most 'normal' people think they will help the common folk? It's utterly baffling. They'll be pissed off if they need the NHS or are too ill to work.

[MissVictoria]

I've had severe OCD since i was 15, depression since 14, had to drop out of high school due to how ill i became, and Between my ESA and DLA i receive less than £9,500 a year. I have only one living parent who gave up work 11 years ago when i was 16 to become my full time carer. My mum was diagnosed terminally ill out of the blue in April 2010, Died June 2010.
My dad gets only carers allowance and a very, very small pension of my mums, which is virtually nothing as she was only 48 when she died.

We earn less than minimum wage for one person between the two of us, and my additional living costs due to my illness are really high. We already live in a house with no central heating or hot water and only just manage to get by, nothing spare to fix anything. I haven't had a date for when my DLA will be changed over to PIP but if it is true they're taking it off people who cannot work, we're screwed.

[MissVictoria]

I'm worried now, how do you know when you're due to get switched from DLA to PIP? will i receive a letter? It was a massive struggle to get the DLA i was entitled to in the first place, first application rejected, second had loads of help from a lovely social worker but trying to get referred for any kind of mental health treatment where i live is a massive waiting list and they're not acomodating of those of us virtually housebound who can't go to them for appointments.