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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think my nurse shouldn't have reported me to social services

119 replies

calmday · 22/08/2017 23:15

Hi, I suffer from mental health problems. I've recently come off all my prescription medication. I bought some of the natural supplement 5 HTP to use to help my anxiety and low mood. When my CPN found out I'm taking this she reported me to the social work. So they're coming to see me soon. AIBU?

OP posts:

AmyGardner · 23/08/2017 10:08

Well done calmday i think that's the better decision.

MorriH · 23/08/2017 10:09

As a child of someone with MH problems who liked to take themselves off their medication (back in the day with SS did nothing) I would say the nurse is very much doing the right thing.

Neutrogena · 23/08/2017 10:10

None of us here are doctors or social workers.
Follow the advice they give. They were concerned for your little kids, and rightly so.
Good luck.

UnbornMortificado · 23/08/2017 10:14

They aren't easy drugs to come off.

Sometimes it's hard to recognise when we need help or are acting out of character (I say this as someone who takes antipsychotics)

I don't think your CPN had much choice, I was a MH carer and any change or stopping of medication not supervised by a professional I had to report to higher up.

I think you've been very sensible restarting them.

SunnySkiesSleepsintheMorning · 23/08/2017 10:35

I think you've made a very sensible decision which shows good insight and it's the right thing for your children. I hope the help you're getting is actually helpful for you.

PollyFlint · 23/08/2017 12:22

Yeah I've had SS involvement before, because I was so mentally unwell that they were worried I couldn't look after my children

In that case, if you have come off your medication in favour of a 'natural supplement' your nurse is absolutely right to make a referral to social services.

ToesInWater · 23/08/2017 12:43

She will be a mandatory reporter so has absolutely no choice but to report. I hope you get the support you need, take care.

grandOlejukeofYork · 23/08/2017 12:54

It sounds like she had every reason and that you definitely need some support. You should take it, OP.

user1499786242 · 23/08/2017 13:27

I'd say very justified to be honest

Booboobooboo84 · 23/08/2017 13:49

Maybe everyone could rtft as the OP has come back and said thanks she's going to engage with the medical services. Rather than keep telling her she's unreasonable.

Fair play to you OP and good luck

tehmina23 · 23/08/2017 14:29

I know what it's like OP to feel that you no longer need your meds, at present I feel so 'normal' at times that I don't see the point in taking my meds either... but I know that I only feel normal as I'm so heavily medicated. I guess you are the same.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 23/08/2017 14:38

Well done for taking advice and best of luck.

intergalacticbrexitdisco · 23/08/2017 21:05

Good for you, calmday.

I see from your other threads you are trying to lose weight, but please remember also that not eating properly (crash dieting) will cause mood swings. Better by far to be overweight and mentally healthy for yourself and your children.

StrandedStarfish · 23/08/2017 21:13

What medication was prescribed to you OP? Many of the medications can have severe withdrawal effects if they are stopped suddenly.

Jux · 23/08/2017 23:39

Well done, calmday, that's the right thing to do. Hope your team are helpful.

And please don't be scared of social services. They really do want to help you. If you are positive about their involvement and follow their advice, they will be involved for a much shorter time.

PersianCatLady · 23/08/2017 23:43

OP - How long has it been since you last took your prescription medications?

5HTP can interact with a few medications especially those for mental health problems.

safariboot · 24/08/2017 00:20

Psychiatric drugs suck. Pretty much all of them make you fat and sleepy. Some of them will wreck your liver and kidneys over decades of taking them, or make you piss yourself. I could go on and on too. Psychiatrists often suck too. Supposedly 'voluntary' treatment isn't voluntary at all when there's the implied threat of being sectioned if you don't comply.

But you know what else sucks? Being a child and seeing your parent have a mental breakdown. Ending up in and out of shitty foster carer after shitty foster carer. Being locked out of your home at 17 and having to walk across town in the dead of night.

Of course taking your meds doesn't always stop that happening anyway, but it's more likely to if you quit them against your psychiatrist's advice. Your nurse had to intervene, not only for your sake but for your children.

WellThisIsShit · 24/08/2017 00:42

Well done for deciding to restart a prescription medicine, and to go along with social services involvement. Remember that if they have a talk to you and others, and they find there's no need for concerns, they'll not want to do anything more.

If there are concerns then they'll be wanting to see improvements and may well support you and your family to get to a more stable and healthy way of living for your children. So could be a positive thing. Although I know it might feel pretty stressful to go through it, it's a 'necessary evil' to coin a phrase! (That's just a phrase btw, not that they are actually evil! More like knackered and over worked but basically wanting to do the best for children and their families...)

WellThisIsShit · 24/08/2017 00:54

By the way, was your partner correct when he said you were taking 5 HTP to get high?

Because that wouldn't be at all good around your children, as I'm sure you know!

Children will sense the mood changes and they get really anxious of their main carer starts acting unpredictably and unreliable. They can cope with a lot in life, but only if their grown up is a strong and stable foundation for them. They don't need us to be perfect, but the do need us to be 'good enough' parents for them.

Hope you can get things more sorted out for your wellbeing and your children's wellbeing. If you don't like the drugs you're on, then you need to discuss it and perhaps your doctor can try different things to help, like changing doses or trying a new medicine. But this needs to be done with a doc, not on your own and without any medical guidance.

LakieLady · 24/08/2017 07:25

It's pretty standard procedure, OP. I working in housing support, not MH or children's services, but if I become aware that a client with children and a history of being involved with MH services stops taking their meds, I have to notify the MH services. I

If they don't have a CPN or psychiatrist at the time that happens, I have to notify their GP and my manager notifies children's services.

It's partly arse-covering: no-one wants to be asked why they didn't take action in the event of a serious case review (or worse). Everyone errs on the side of caution these days.

Don't worry too much - as long as you remain well enough to look after your family, it'll be fine.

Original poster

calmday · 26/08/2017 08:52

I've been to the psychiatrist yesterday and I've been prescribed my old antipsychotic, olanzapine. Took one last night and feel really chilled today.

OP posts:

missymayhemsmum · 26/08/2017 09:37

Well done, OP
Hope that you find the support you are getting useful. If you are changing meds, do you have people around you who can gauge how you are doing and help with the kids if needed?

Papafran · 26/08/2017 09:53

OP. It's good that you are back on the meds. Don't be angry with the nurse- she is looking out for you and your children and there is a history of SS involvement. She had to do what she did. Hope you feel better.

MaisyPops · 26/08/2017 09:56

Please don't be angry with your nurse. They are doing their job because of a real concern.

Someone has mental health issues and has had social services involvement with their children chooses to stop taking their medicine in favour of a natural remedy.
The nurse has a professional obligation to raise that safeguarding issue.

CoinOperatedGurl · 26/08/2017 09:58

I don't think she was justified and I hope that you get ss out of your life soon.

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