to despair with mental health services

[purplerainred]

I’ve suffered with mental health for years and finally decided to take some action. I can self refer in my area and so I completed the forms and online assessments and was told I would be offered treatment.
Great!

So I was told today my treatment plan would be to do some type of online course and have 4, 15 minute ‘appointments’ on the phone to deal with my mental health issues.

I then told the mh worker that I was not comfortable talking on the phone which I had made clear in our previous phone conversations and she said alternatively I could have feedback online. They said I would be emailed feedback on the ‘assessments(?)’ I did. I was not even sure what this meant. Would I be doing some type of homework which would be marked?

Anyway I told her I wasn’t ready to make the decision to which treatment I wanted and would call back later but I just do not want to do it at all. I don’t see how this could possibly help me and will guarantee it would just be a waste of nhs time and money (if it even costs them anything to do the online ‘counselling’)

It’s seems you have to be at breaking point to get any real help so it’s no wonder so many people are on breaking point.

I’m just thinking of leaving the treatments nd waiting till when it all eventually hits the fan and maybe they will actually offer me something useful.

I’m just so tired.

(By the way I’m not blaming the mh workers I know they are not at fault)

Does anyone know what route I can take to actually get treated?

YANBU. I have heard horrific stories from friends and family about MH provision on the NHS. Is there any way you can go private?

Lots of private therapists also offer concessions or a sliding scale according to income. Alternatively, could you fill in the forms according to how bad you’ve felt previously (which has sought you to seek help), rather than at the moment of filling in (IFSWIM).

It does all sound a bit half-baked, unfortunately so much of it is to do with funding and box ticking.

I sympathise OP.

Yanbu

I've had no support since April. Despite being very unwell.

4th appointment in as many MONTHS to "review" me and decide what care I need cancelled the other day.

I'm really pissed off but nothing changes no matter what I do.

Hope your situation is resolved more easily

@TheresGonnaBeARain I wish there was any way I could afford private but I’m a student, I work in the term breaks but not a enough for spare just to support myself. I think I’m stuck with the NHS.

@Graphista I’m so sorry to hear how little help you have. It almost seems like I’m in a good position in comparison to you. I also hope you receive the help you need

Ah I’ve done that online course.

It was utterly shit. The ‘assessor’ was off sick so many times that it took 6 months to get my ‘work’ ‘marked’

I’m sorry that you’ve found how poor the system is. Hopefully someone will have some idea of where to find excellent help- I’m sure it is out there somewhere- just need to know where to look.

I've been struggling for years. I've recently found IESO and self referred - they've been brilliant. Is this available in your area?

@purplerainred if you’re studying do you have access to a uni counselling service? Would definitely be preferable to NHS.

@TheresGonnaBeARain I do have a counselling service at my school but I am really wary of having my mental health care attached to my university. They may communicate things to the academic staff if they feel I am not able to do my course and I don’t want to be forced out.

What is discussed with your therapist is confidential- unless their are real concerns you will harm yourself or others

I would look for affordable therapy on

www.bacp.co.uk/

Many offer reduced costs for those on lower wages/students and some a token price for those unemployed

And you may not feel the first therapist you work with is right for you but there are other about

It is pitiful what the NHS often offer but it simply overstretched. The services are prioritised - that is course doesn’t help you

*there

YANU- mental health provision is seriously lacking and in my experience even more so when you’re at breaking point

Ive done one of those online courses and it was horrendous and no help at all

@EnthusiasmIsDisturbed I looked at the therapists in my area and what they charge per session is what I use to feed myself for two weeks. It’s just not affordable for me unfortunately. I’m on a student loan I don’t have money to spend.

"TheresGonnaBeARain I do have a counselling service at my school but I am really wary of having my mental health care attached to my university. They may communicate things to the academic staff if they feel I am not able to do my course and I don’t want to be forced out."

They won't do this. Counselling is always confidential (unless you are a risk to yourself or someone else in which case it would be your tutors they would be contacting!). Loads of students use the help of uni counselling. It will be to support you and help you stay on the course and well, not to force you out.

Second what @MiniMum97 says above. The counselling service would never even share that you’d attended the service unless you specifically asked them to. The one exception is if they thought you might be at risk of harming yourself (or someone else), in which case they would contact appropriate services (again though, not your faculty / department).

They would also be happy to support you if you applied for mitigating circumstances for assessed work, and again, this would only be if you specifically asked them to provide evidence (in the same way as a dr might write a note confirming you’d attended an appointment about being ill).

Being a student actually puts you in a great position to access good quality counselling services for free.