To wonder if it would be a good idea to request my mental health notes

[Beatinghearts]

I’ve been on and off with mental health services since I was 9. I’m now 26. I’m curious to see my notes especially my notes from when I was a child. My friend advised me not to as she’s worried they might upset me.

I’d not. I recently had a psychologist refer to old notes from I was a young teen where I hadn’t gelled with my psychiatrist and found it hard to open up and his notes were very minimising of the situation I was living through as I wasn’t being forthcoming with info and it proper knocked me to hear it written like that.

I would advise not. The notes weren't written for you to read. They were written for the professionals trying to help you to use. Somethings will be as you saw them, some won't. It's a very good way to really upset yourself and to what end? It can't be changed.

I have a mental health condition and I’d rather not see my notes.

I have bipolar and GAD and I’d rather not see them

Thanks you for all the responses. Yes I’m worried that some of the professionals views on things may differ to mine.

I’d also say attitudes have changed. My sister is a few years older than you and her old notes are dire (I haven’t told her the extent). She comes across as an indulged girl with a good life who attention seeks. They even dismiss facts as her being dramatic, I’m older than her an I clearly remember the period. If anything she minimised her issues. She’s for example described as being ‘from a comfortable home’ when she was living homeless due to her severe mental health crisis.if she was to see the inaccuracy I think she’d be a mess frankly. We fought for years and years for her in a horrible system. They also gaslight, I remember for example a doctor VERY clearly stating he believed she was bipolar, he explained the condition to us for some time. However the next meeting was recorded as ‘xxxx believes she is bipolar, but this has not been diagnosed and I do not ..’

Oilpyi Sorry to see your sister had such a difficult experience

I wouldn’t too - I’ve seen some of my notes and they don’t make for pleasant reading. GP’s perspective on things often very, very different to mine !!

No, god no, you really don’t need the stress. What matters is how you’re doing now and if you read things you think are wrong or unfair, which you are bound to do, it could have a negative effect. Leave the past in the past, that’s what I think.

No I wouldn't ,when I was a mental health nurse we did have patients request to see their notes, something,s maybe omitted from your notes of the services don't feel it's on your best interests to see them anyway .

Thanks I’m just curious though but
Obviously I know these likely to
Be unsettling things

I'd only ask for specific info like dates and diagnoses, rather than the notes, and only then if you need it to explain your past to another medic.

I accidentally read my maternity notes 5 years later (was in hospital for a routine totally different thing that I've had appts for since birth, so flipped through the fat file to check something, but turned out notes are filed by location, so they had 2 routine appts and then all the rest was maternity notes.) Reading how ds nearly died at birth was really traumatic, even though he's fine now. Just recalling bad memories is something you could do without.

I wouldn't personally. I requested some notes from both psychiatrists and my therapist as part of an assessment elsewhere in the MH services and found it quite upsetting reading.

What do you hope to get out of it? If it's just out of curiosity, I wouldn't - if it's for a particular reason, like remembering a time period you have difficulty recalling etc, I could see more of a point. Just remember these notes are from someone who wasn't inside your head and they might vary quite a lot from what you recall or perceived at the time,.