Need a CAMHS referral

[sighbynight]

My 13yo ds is - I think - anxious and depressed. He has told me about occasional suicidal thoughts. He is so unhappy that it scares me, and it has impact on the whole family.

I took him to the GP last week. It was useless. The GP told him to pull his socks up and behave himself. Didn't mention referral.

I don't think that he is in imminent risk of hurting himself, but this weekend's behaviour has underlined to me that I can't help him on my own. I've made an appointment for him see a psychotherapist privately next week, but I think I need to get him referred to CAMHS for proper diagnosis. Waiting list here is currently 36 weeks.

I'm going to go back to the GP tomorrow to ask for a referral. Can I go on my own? Does he need to come with me? Is there anything else I can do privately if I need too?

It will possibly be easier to talk to GP about your concerns without DS being there. It may also be worth looking up online what your local CAMHS referral process is, as schools can often refer in, so that may be another option for you

School may be able to do a referral to CAMHS. My CAMHS service takes referrals from schools and from school nurses.

The GP told him to pull his socks up and behave himself.

If the GP genuinely said this, OP, I think you should make a complaint.

He didn't actually use the words "pull your socks up" (he meant it) but he did say behave yourself.

School can't refer as it is a fee paying school and not part of the school nurse system. I went back to the GP today and got a much more sympathetic doctor with psychiatric experience. She started the CAMHS referral, gave me loads more support info and some ideas about private options.

I am rarely at the GP. It does seem to be the luck of the draw in terms of the hearing you get.

And I sobbed and choked my way through the meeting.

Might be worth remembering that any school can make a referral to CAMHS (we do all the time). They don't have to go through the school nurses. Our Senco does ours.

This is not true for all areas *Suburban" as our woeful CAMHS services refuses to accept school referrals and insists on school nurse of GP. Ridiculous as the first thing these agencies want before making the referral is information from school.

Sightbynight if you are able to explore more private options it might be an idea. CAMHS has been decimated by this and previous government and in our county we've had children wait many months to see someone.

I agree with the poster above. Seeing a private psychotherapist is likely to be much more successful and take much less time than a referral to CAMHS. He doesn't need a label (it won't change anything), he needs support and it's great that you've gone out and got that for him.