So it doesn’t look like the lockdown is going to be extended does it?

[HighlandSpring101]

Just caught the daily news briefing. Despite a lot of people on here last week thinking there’s no way they’ll be easing the lockdown before the end of May (and I admit, I too thought this!) it looks like BoJo may announce relaxations of the lockdown Sunday, possibly taking effect as of Monday?

I am a bit confused though as though the majority of the criteria for relaxation looks like it’s being met, there are still 4000 new infections each day, which is the pretty much the same amount as at the start of this pandemic so surely that’s still too high?

I've clearly said on many posts how much sympathy I have for those struggling with the pandemic. We all are.

Anyone whose MH has been particularly affected should be seeking help. Care for someone in MH crisis is essential work. More so than DIY stores and construction sites. If they're not getting support something's gone wrong but that's not to do with the lockdown.

Perhaps some of the staff are off sick. Or dead. I read a really sad story today. A MH worker, 39 years old. Died from Covid. He's left behind young children.

We're certainly going to need investment in bereavement counselling including specialised services for children.

Ffs the staff aren’t dead.

I work in MH. Huge increase in calls, huge increase in need. Service was already underfunded so can’t meet new level if need.

www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2020/05/06/mental-health-worker-and-best-dad-ever-dies-after-contracting-coronavirus/

Doesn’t mean that people aren’t getting support because mental health staff are dead.

🙄

My dad works in a NHS mental health unit. My auntie works as a receptionist in a NHS mental support centre.

They have been largely unaffected. One colleague caught it, While they were annual leave.

They have however, had a huge influx people needing help. And a big amount of people scared to reach out for help, then being in crisis and being admitted.

I work in a niche industry. We are largest company, but everyone knows everyone. Our industry has lost 2 people. Does that mean we shouldn't do our work?

I mean that would be fine, except hospitals cant open without us doing our work. Or government buildings, or even supermarkets.

But on balance our industry has lost a larger percent of colleagues, than the NHS. But that doesn't mean we should just stop doing our job.

Peggysgettingcrazy

They have however, had a huge influx people needing help. And a big amount of people scared to reach out for help, then being in crisis and being admitted. “

Interested to read this. I was under the impression from countless recent reports that one of the biggest issues in MH services is the very long referral and waiting times.

How is there already such a large influx in new patients when lockdown has only been 6/7 weeks?

That would suggest that services are very efficient?

MH services have been the Cinderella service for decades.
Their efficiency has been affected for decades.

I know a lot of people working in the IAPT system.
Folk are referred by GP for stress / anxiety / depression or can self refer and progress through the system if necessary.
Much of it is contracted out from the NHS.
Waiting times are adjusted and figures are simply fiddled to keep / get the next contract.
This is the first rung of support for the public after this pandemic :(

Interested to read this. I was under the impression from countless recent reports that one of the biggest issues in MH services is the very long referral and waiting times

My mil has been admitted as an emergency straight from a&e. Her dd has called the mental health unit she was in several times during lockdown for help and support.

Though it can't offer as much at the moment.

When I was diagnosed with GAD, I was admitted to a&e first and started counselling with 4 weeks.

Not sure what you are really getting at, but here when people are being admitted to a&e and are a danger to themselves, they can still be admitted to the mental health unit.

I dont recognise having to wait, 7 weeks for mental health support when someone has been deemed a danger to themselves.

Not sure what you are really getting at, but here when people are being admitted to a&e and are a danger to themselves, they can still be admitted to the mental health unit.

Well that's a good illustration of the NHS postcode lottery isn't it? In my area people present at A&E, wait many hours to be seen and are usually sent home with a leaflet and advice that they will be contacted by the community MH team as soon as possible. They are only likely to be admitted to the MH unit if they are a danger to others

Just because you 'don't recognise' it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Just because you 'don't recognise' it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Where did I say its not happening?

A poster mentioned long waiting times. I said I don't recognise that from my experience or that of people I know.

Not that it's not happening. Its not my experience

Peggy Good news that people can, despite some thinking otherwise, access MH care.

Do you know if the MH services your dad and aunt work at are doing anything for traumatised children? Losing a parent at any age is hard but children's brain's are still developing. Good support will be essential.

I must say it's worrying if there's been an influx of people in acute MH crisis.

It's concerning if many are so mentally fragile they're unable to cope with little more than a month under a half hearted lockdown.

Heaven only knows how they've have coped in the countries where people really were/are largely confined to their homes!

It really demonstrates the need for better MH support for the genuinely housebound. This is their permanent life. Well actually it's not. They can't easily get out to the shops, pop out to pick up a takeaway, go for long walks.

To be fair. We're in a global pandemic. In the country with both one of the highest death rates in the world AND one of the highest numbers of deaths. There's a risk of a second wave with the countless needless deaths and economic damage that would cause. So yes. I can see the reason why MH services might be busy.

Do you know if the MH services your dad and aunt work at are doing anything for traumatised children? Losing a parent at any age is hard but children's brain's are still developing. Good support will be essential

Not they have mentioned, but they arent in children's mental health. My auntie used to work for cahms, but not now.

Absolutely, losing a parent is. My beat friend lost her dad at 15. Had life long impacts on her. Made no better by the fact that he died outside a pandemic.

A friend of mine killed herself last year. Her daughter is she of herself. Again, outside pandemic.

Both were offered bereheavment support through the nhs. I presume that's still offered in different capacity. Regardless of how their parent died.

It's concerning if many are so mentally fragile they're unable to cope with little more than a month under a half hearted lockdown.

I dont think so. I left an abusive marriage. My best friend and her family became my support. My safe place. I cant see them. Its been extremely difficult. Thankfully my medication and therapy have helped immensely. Thats not the case for all.

And fragile isn't a great word to use. Peolle who have a mental health problem have an illness. Its not that some people are fragile and ither are stronger.

I hold down a very successful full time job, have 2 kids, own my home etc. O am coping fine in lockdown. I am not stronger than those who aren't. They are not weaker. I am just luckily that my treatments worked and I managed to get to a good page before this.

People who struggle, the rest of the time don't need much to make infinitely worse.

And remember lots of these people will actually have physical disabilities. Which mean life general more of a struggle. They may cope mentally most of the time. But sheilding, plus stress about whats going on may mean they need help.

And I dont think its just lockdown that's impacting peoples mental health.

Its the recession looming. Its the not knowing if they will be able to pay their rent or mortgage next month. Or if they will have a job at all. What if their min gets it, what if they get it and their kids lose a parent. What if their kids get it and are one of the few that suffer badly. What if they can't feed their kids.

Its not just isolation. Anyone who thinks it's just because of the isolation, is naive and doesn't really understand the mental impacts.

I dont think they are getting that much practical help at the moment. Serious cases are being admitted as always. People are looking for support and help, but its limited in what they can do.

Yes we are one of highest countries. Not sure why we expected different. Given the landmass to population levels, the fact that we have cities with large populations, we always would have been one of the highest. If you look at the deaths per million its not quite as bleak. Not great. But not as bleak.

At some point we need to try and start balancing this.

Peggysgettingcrazy

“Not sure what you are really getting at, but here when people are being admitted to a&e and are a danger to themselves, they can still be admitted to the mental health unit. “

Wasn’t getting at anything, it was just interesting to read that fast referrals can happen when we’re constantly told in the media that many people have agonising waits.

I don’t have experience of the system so don’t know how referrals work.
Referrals from A&E make perfect sense, ow you’ve told me they happen. I didn’t understand that before.

Of course people need help if their MH is fragile. It's just concerning if such large numbers are that fragile. To the extent of acute MH crisis. Wouldn't anyone who cared be concerned?

You said services had been inundated. It indicates we have a huge amount of undiagnosed serious MH issues. Which will need addressing through better funded MH support.

As a PP says MH has been a Cinderella service for too long. Everybody is finding the pandemic hard but mentally well people do not fall apart to the extent of being in acute MH crisis because of a few weeks semi lockdown.

We clearly need to invest more in MH. Let's hope that happens. Because yes as you say the pandemic is hugely traumatic and distressing for us all.

Sorry about your past experiences of abuse and well done for getting away. I would suggest if you're struggling that much a visit would be classed as essential care.

People are allowed to provide support to the vulnerable during lockdown. If you really can't manage with video calls, etc.

Yes. Absolutely. It's about balance. We have to remember we'd only delay further a return to any semblance of normality if we ease lockdown too soon.

There's no services or care or healthy functioning businesses or economy if many many staff are off sick for weeks on end. Or dead. Hence the need to reduce the infection rate.

As for our extremely high death rate. We need to start treating patients. That means early and not waiting until someone's lips go blue before admitting them. It would also help if frontline staff had enough PPE.

It's concerning if many are so mentally fragile they're unable to cope with little more than a month under a half hearted lockdown

Yet another post dismissing people's issues and concerns. Despite claiming to care about such struggles you clearly don't. There seems to be nothing you won't dismiss on the altar of continued 'half-hearted' lockdown.

On a few of our daily family walks this week we've seen the council in the children's parks disinfecting all the apparatus. Twice this week in 2 different parks I'm guessing they will open those next week.

Wasn’t getting at anything, it was just interesting to read that fast referrals can happen when we’re constantly told in the media that many people have agonising waits.

It depends on so many things.

I got fast referrals. Possibly because I was actually admitted with headaches that bad I could see and they thought I had a stroke.

Potentially the physical symptoms and the fact that I couldn't function, was a factor.

It really depends on lots of things. When it happens, how bad you are, bed availability etc

Its always been the way. People talk about how great the NHS was under labour and low waiting times. I had meningitis at 15. Waited so long for an ambulance when the rash appeared (mum spoke to the meningitis helpline who said call and ambiance do not drive her yourself), my dad drove me up. Where I waited 1hour and 15 to be seen. Wasn't even trialed. This was 2am on a Wednesday morning, with no one else in.

Recovery was awful. I was told I would be having a scan in an hour or so. Or a lumber (lumbar?) puncture and it would be days later. Me and my parents would be told 'they will be here soon'. Once I didnt eat for 36 hours because anesthetic makes me vomit, so couldn't eat for a lumber puncture.

I was sent home after 2 weeks, on Bank holiday Monday by a doctor who hadn't seen me and barely looked at me and gave me, 1 antibiotic. Not one course of antibiotics. 1 tablet. Mum went up to the gp the next day. He put a complaint into the hospital because I was still very frail and ill.

But, stats and newspapers say waiting time was down. The NHS performed better, care was better and there was loads of money. Again, what people say the nhs was under labour isn't something I recognise from my personal experience. Perhaps the our nhs authority was shit and is now better, so it look the opposite to what others say.

Nothing I can do if you refuse to read my posts properly Flies selectively highlighting something out of context aside.

No dismissal from me.

I'll play along. Don't you agree it's very concerning if we have large numbers of mentally fragile people who clearly have undiagnosed MH issues? It demonstrates the need for more investment in MH services.

The everyday struggles we all suffer because of the pandemic differ from severe MH crises requiring urgent MH care. You must realise that?

I don't do that Smile. You choose to interpret it that way.

Peggy Sorry you had some awful experiences.

I agree. The NHS (mental and physical health) has been underfunded and mismanaged for decades. By both Labour and Conservative governments (and the Coalition).

The postcode lottery is a mess too. Where you live shouldn't affect the level of care you get.

Not everyone would agree but I'd much prefer paying higher tax in return for something like the excellent German healthcare system.

can I ask why you find it so pleasing to slip in contentious and insulting aspects to your posts wrapped with half decent comments

That is exactly what is happening, over and over again, followed up by faux-concerned shit about NHS provision when challenged. It's become very predictable but no less offensive.

Smile I admit I was slightly sarcastic in my reply to the poster suggesting overweight people simply needed to diet.

There's been a number of threads about the obesity risk factor. Many posts explaining all the various reasons why somebody might be overweight. Including some heartfelt ones written by people who've gained weight through no fault of their own. Often because of NHS misdiagnosis. Several had thyroid conditions dismissed. Thyroid issues can cause weight gain. As can ironically the antidepressants people with thyroid conditions are palmed off on. That's just one of many reasons why people might be overweight.

Given we've been talking about MH struggles here Ilets posts seemed a bit nasty. Certainly lacking in compassion. It's well known MH issues are sometimes linked to obesity. Just as some people develop anorexia, others comfort or binge eat. They need help and support rather than being told to 'just diet'.

Speaking of offensive Flies it's offensive to accuse me of faux concern. But I won't take offence because you're wrong.

I've certainly seen some posts across MN which might fit your description of false concern. But in the end the (possibly newfound) concern false or not is a good thing. It's brought about more attention and discussion on the issues including the need for better investment in MH provision.