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

[calmday]

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?

Coin I find that's absolutely astounding. You would prefer that a child was neglected, injured or worse than medical records be discussed between professionals?

Coin this isn't about you though, this is about the OP. It's also very silly to give medical advice about medication to someone who is vulnerable.

OP is doing the right thing by engaging with the help and her children are lucky to have a mum who is working to keep well for their sake.

Sorry Coin did I read that correctly?

You would put patient confidentiality above child safety

Coin what I think is dangerous is people coming on forums and saying to other people with MH issues that it is fine to stop taking prescribed medications without medical advice.

I'm sorry you have your own issues but you can't project your experiences onto other vunreable people, it's dangerous for the OP

Ok I'm going to step out now. I'm glad op is feeling better.

Personally I've had a bad experience with a nurse and the resulting ss involvement so my opinions are totally biased.

I am sorry you had a bad experience and I see how that would affect your view.
Stepping away from the thread is a good idea

Your opinions are dangerous.

Yes I do

Sorry to say it Coin but I can absolutely see why there was SS involvement in your case then. An inability to see child welfare as paramount is a massive red flag. Child welfare thankfully always overrides duties of confidentiality.

I think she did the right thing. My mum has mental health issues. A few weeks of her meds and she is a different person. Literally a different person. I kind of wished there was someone looking out for me (has a child - nearly 40 years ago now). Someone to see if my mum came off meds she was supposed to be taking, instead of her just getting into a terrible state time after time resulting in mental health admittance. It wrecks lives. I am not saying this will happen to you but she needs to make sure your children are going to be safe. Sorry, just speaking from experience.

Hi. I'm a mental health nurse. I'm pleased to hear you have decided to go back on the olanzapine calmday and that you feel more relaxed now. Please try not to be too cross with your CPN. Because of several high profile cases where children came to serious harm and subsequent inquests finding that lots of 'red flags' had been missed by various professional groups, the guidance now given to health care professionals is to always make a referral if there is any concern that there is or potentially may be a risk to children, no matter how trivial, so that SS can make an assessment. And SS are saying they would rather have to go out and assess several families and find there was no actual risk, rather than a child potentially in need be not picked up. So basically the threshold for referrals is very low and he / she would be in trouble themselves if they didn't. I hope the SS visit goes well though and you stay well. x

I am glad you are feeling better.

I'm not angry with my nurse, she was just doing her job, which she is brilliant at by the way. She is leaving in a couple of months and I'm devastated about it.

I can see that I did present as unstable that day she saw me, I was a bit hypomanic and wouldn't stop talking. The good thing is, olanzapine is a mood stabiliser so it should help even out my mood swings.

Thanks for all the replies and advice

Calmday, well done. Mental ill health makes everything harder

Calmday, well done. Hope you continue well.

Coin

The more that I read of your posts (not just in this thread), the more concerned I get. You sound very damaged, and I hope that you get the help and peace that you need.

I'm glad that you're feeling a bit better, Calmday.

Calmday- the reply explains exactly why the referral has been made.
You must see why there are concerns, if your partner has even voiced concerns about you previously taking this same tablet before in order to "get high"

Is it really worth trying to ditch the medication? I'd stay on it if stopping meant the possibility of people coming in to take my kids. I know this sounds harsh, but as a fellow mum with mental health issues, I am 100% aware that the ONLY way I stay stable enough, long term to give my daughter a settled upbringing is with several different tablets each day.

Do I like it? No!
Would I do it if I didnt have the threat over my head that my daughter would be taken away? Hell no! But I'm aware that the medication I hate, keeps our family together.

This attitude leaves people completely gagged and unable to raise reasonable concerns.

"So I am biased. I also don't like ss
That in itself would ring alarm bells for me.
The only people I've ever come across who don't like social services are people where social services involvement was clearly needed".

It's presents a Catch 22, where no wrong can ever be recognised and ss claim absolute rule over anyone they choose to get involved with.

This is simply not true, and indeed should never be true.

I really wish people would stop projecting such a disenpowering and scaremongering attitude onto social services.

I do not believe this is the way ss wants to behave and it's not an efficient or respectful way a healthy society would chose to look after it's most vulnerable.