CMHT referral??

[BellaBoo85]

I was diagnosed with PND 7 months ago after the birth of my youngest DD. I've been on two types of medication and today my dosage had been increased (sertraline100mg)
I see my HV regularly, have had counselling sessions and have just started a course of intensive CBT.
My GP has today referred me to the CMHT.
what does this mean for me?
I'm terrified...what do they do? Does anyone else have to know about it?
My anxiety levels are through the roof. I don't think I'll get through the weekend with this on my mind. I need to be normal for the girls :(

Hi Bella. Try not to worry. I am currently under the care of a CMHT and my mum used to be a CPN with a team in a different area so I know a little. In my experience you will be regularly visited by a nurse who will monitor your mood and how you are coping with your depression. They can refer you to a phychiatrist for a medication review if necessary, although that would be your choice. The team is there to support you and monitor you and can really help. I saw my CPN yesterday after feeling really low for a couple of weeks and I felt so much better after she left.

Try not to worry. No one else has to know. As you have children they will probably visit you at home when it is convenient for you. Being under the care of a CMHT is certainly not a bad thing by any means. Your gp sounds proactive and this could really help you.

Thankyou.
The thing is, I've not even gone into that much detail with my GP. So I guess to a certain point, he's maybe reading between the lines?
I'm not really sure what I can say, I've had reassurance on here that no one is going to take my kids away but still at the back of my mind I can't get that thought out of my head.
I've kept a lot to myself because of this and I know I should say more, it just frightens me.
From the outside no one would know I have any of this going on. But it's getting harder to pretend.
Your replies have really helped me to worry about it less. I just need to see it as being another source of support for me and another step to helping me be ok.
I need to get out of the mentality of wanting to give up.

Thankyou again xx

Bella, please don't worry, a referral to the CMHT is probably just to have a psychiatrist review your medication. Going by the information in your post, your GP has been treating your depression for the past 7 months but your symptoms are still there. I would suspect that the GP has made the referral so that your medication can be reviewed by a psychiatrist who as a much better knowledge of psychiatric medication than your GP.
No-one except your GP will know about the referral. Referral to a CMHT does not mean that your parenting skills are in question or under any threat, CMHT's support lots of clients who are parents and in fact often advocate on behalf of parents in safeguarding cases.
Please remain positive, I have no doubt that in a few months time with CMHT support, you are going to begin feeling like the new improved Bella and will be well on the way to recovery :)

CMHT is to help you not to remove your children. Your children will only be removed if they are in danger or neglected. Having depression, crying in front of them, self harming and feeding them baked beans 3 days in a row, as well as running behind on the washing are neither of those things. Don't worry and let them support you. It's no bad thing you are being referred. Some Gps carry on far too long with just upping the dose of the same old AD when other support is needed.

Have a look at the golden rules of the Mental Health Threads thread that I started recently. I'll bump it.

Ok so even the word psychiatrist scares me
GP did mention something about medication but I was only half listening because the other half of me could just see the red flashing warning lights and me thinking 'oh my god what have I done'
Maybe being so paranoid is one of the symptoms??

madmouse I've seen you post quite a bit on here and you make a lot of sense.
I've had a look at that thread before...it's brilliant. I can relate to a lot of it and 7 months down the line I've finally come to the conclusion that it's not something I'm just going to snap out of.

If only xx

Bella to put it in perspective. I struggled very badly with anxiety this summer (more than usual) and my GP tried me on some SSRI anti depressants that can also help with that. I had a reaction against them and went completely off the scale crazy with anxiety and needed heavy handed medication to calm down. My GP says that if I ever need ADs again I will need them prescribed by a psychiatrist as they have much greater knowledge of medication. Nothing to do with being mad. Just an expert referral like you would get for an ingrown toenail if the GP didn't manage to sort it.

Its probably to allow a psychiatrist to review your medication. In some areas 2 unsuccessful trials of different antid's is a trigger point for referral to secondary care.

Well when you put it like that
Just worried as to why nothing has worked yet but guess I'm moving in the right direction with getting more help.
Positive thinking and all that.

Sometimes it just takes a bit longer, or needs a different medication. A referral to the CMHT will also give you access to specialist nursing support if thats what is required.

This is just secondary care, the same as if you have any other medical problem that your GP wanted advice and help with managing.

You're right. Nothing has helped so far so maybe this is what I need.
I want to be me again so time to (try) and be more honest with the people who can help me.
Sounds good but putting it into practice is another matter entirely.