AIBU to think it shouldn't be this hard together some mental health support.

[DeadZed]

DH is very unwell with mental health. By very unwell I mean hearing noises, paranoid hallucinations, confused thinking, depressive thoughts. Earlier this week I came home after dropping the kids at the grand parents to find DH had barricaded himself in a corner of the lounge because someone was in the house trying to get him. I took him to the GP the next day. He presented all his symptoms in front of the GP (including telling her to be quiet because "they" were listening). She looked quite shocked to be honest, we weren't there long when she sent us home with the promise of a visit from the home treatment team during the afternoon.

At four thirty I had a phone call from a cpn telling me an ambulance was on its way. I said this was unhelpful as DH was scared and refusing to leave the house. Ambulance came anyway, paramedic said DH had capacity ( he was entirely lucid by now) and they couldn't force him.

A lot of phone calls to various health professionals were made by the paramedic. Four hours later an out of hours GP arrives, talks to DH and says he doesn't need to go to hospital but will contact the home treatment team.

DH is still unwell during the night and I get very little sleep as he distressed with paranoid thoughts. About four am we get some sleep.

Next morning the same cpn phones to ask what happened yesterday. I give him a rundown. He is going to a meeting to discuss the case and will come back to me.

At four pm cpn calls back, Cpn says they are having another meeting the following morning. We also find out the gps at the surgery have had a meeting about DH, the mental health team have had two meetings. Yet here we are three days later, no actual input, DH is still unwell although things have improved slightly today.

I am wondering how long I can cope with my very poorly husband and how ill you have to be to get any support?

Btw, we went through similar last year. It was only when DH had been taken to a&e for the third time by the police that he was sectioned. I don't understand not doing anything to help until someone becomes a danger to themselves that action is taken.

Is it like this across the country? No wonder suicide rates are so high.

Op, I’m so sorry for your situation. I don’t have advice for you but I’m sure someone will be along that has some advice. Wishing you the best and a speedy recovery for your husband.

Sorry to hear this is happening. If he does have another acute episode, particularly over the weekend - calling the police or presenting with him at A+E (which I appreciate may involve calling the police), may be the fastest option to get him seen and actually before a psychiatrist.

It’s sad it is like that.

I'm sorry you are in this situation and I feel your pain. My family member got to the point that the only reason they didn't jump off a bridge is because the voices told them the bridge wasn't high enough. Thankfully they had an appt with a Dr who they opened up to and was transported to hospital immediately before being sectioned the next day. It should never have got to that point. We are lucky they are still alive. Health professionals knew they was suffering from psychosis but did nothing.

It's an utter disgrace. If someone was seriously ill with a physical disease of the body, they wouldn't have to wait until their life is in danger to receive treatment. So why is it not the same for mental health?

If someone was seriously ill with a physical disease of the body, they wouldn't have to wait until their life is in danger to receive treatment. So why is it not the same for mental health?

Exactly, but getting to crisis point seems to be the only way to get any help. It all feels very precarious right now.

And actually what I'm really trying to do is to avoid sectioning if at all possible. I don't understand why it has to be this way though.

He needs long term treatment in a psychiatric hospital

Yes I have this same experience but with an ex. He has paranoid scitzophenia, I mean its very bad, he is clearly very mentally unwell (last I spoke to him he was saying that he thinks he is “god”, Thinks hes on a tv show etc.) hes been sectioned twice but they just let him back out. I cant understand why no one is helping him (professionals.)

IME the 'system' is so slow and chaotic that A&E is the best option in a crisis. He will get a decent psychiatric evaluation there. Unless you are suicidal or a danger to others you don't get speedy support via the GP route I'm afraid.

He should have gone with the ambulance. Your GP recognised the seriousness hence she acted that way. Sometimes the NHS work better in emergency type situations like this

He sounds very much like my friend who has schizophrenia, she only seemed to get any real help when she was in a really really bad way, despite being known to the crisis team and social services. I think pp are right, the resources are so stretched that sometimes the only way to get anything sorted (or at least start the process) is A&E. It is appalling that this is what it has come to, I’m so sorry OP. I’ve been trying desperately to be seen privately by a psychiatrist as the GP is worse than useless, but out of 15 I tried to contact all seem to be on holiday, not helpful when you feel yourself slipping into a bad place. Has your DH ever been diagnosed with anything or is it just a case of fixing the immediate issue then you’re left to it? I hope you find some solution OP

I feel your pain.
The sad truth is that with services cut back to the bone there is zero funding and/or human resources for mental health care despite the posturing by Theresa May.
I can't see it getting any better any time soon.
A lot of people are hurting out there.

As nearest relative you can request a mental health act assessment, they decide if he is sectionable but you can ask for them to assess. You do it by calling your local social services.

It isn’t about finding. It is about capacity. You can’t force treatment on someone unless they are deemed to be sectionable. So you end up in this odd situation where they are unwell but not unwell enough to force them to be in hospital- people have the right to make “unwise decisions”. I hope he finds support soon

Did your CPN give you an out of hours Crisis phone number? Our Trust / MH service has one for anyone or their family who is 'in the system' and might help. You can reach someone from the team after office hours if something happens (like another bout of hallucinations or you're concerned about self harm etc). Try looking on their web pages if you haven't already got it, or calling your CPN at the weekend as there might be a voicemail notification for the crisis number.

OP I feel for you both. It's hard, I know.

No advice but I'm very sorry you and your husband are having to deal with this. I hope he gets the help he needs soon 💐💐

Hi OP. In my trust we have an Urgent Advice line, does your area have one? This usually Spurs a very quick reply from someone.

This is what mental health care is like. I've told 2 different people, a physio and a psychologist in very clear terms that I am planning on committing suicide by overdose and have been stockpiling medications and sorting them by which interact most seriously with each other.

Both have contacted my GP about it only for her to say that there's nothing she can do as I'm an adult and it's my choice at which point she happily prescribed me 3 months of antidepressants and 3 months of beta blockers in one go.

Physio was and promptly intervened himself. Psychologist has referred me to a psychiatrist for more help but I have no support at all during the wait. GP has been useless despite being asked to monitor closely.

Does DH see a psychiatrist regularly & does he take medication?

He sounds like I was when I had a psychotic breakdown.

I have schizo affective disorder & take high dose anti psychotics & anti depressants every day.
I see a psychiatrist 3 monthly & can phone the cmht & crisis team at any time.

When your DH is well again that's at least the level of care he should have.

It sounds as if he does need sectioning to get the correct meds.
When you have acute Psychosis it's horrible because you feel so agitated.
He needs to be in a place where he can be treated.

Digestive that is exactly where we are partly because his control fluctuates so wildly and he can still pull himself together enough to convince health professionals he is ok.
He was assessed by the GP on wed evening but by the time he came DH was more norm and was deemed to have capacity and then refused to go to hospital.

He has no diagnosis despite a brief stay on a section last summer.

Thankfully we have had a much better night's sleep which makes all the difference to how I am feeling.

Sorry, just seen your post tierraJ

After he was released from hospital he refused to see the psychiatrist again. He has seen his GP fortnightly though but has stopped taking the anti psychotics (under his GP).