What could be different in mental health care, what helps, and what have you found to be useful reading?

[OwFriggingOw]

First off - this is a thread inspired by another thread - not about another thread.

I am a lecturer who teaches mainly MH nursing students, but also Adult, Child and Learning Disability field nurses about MH, and also occasionally medical students. I have no agenda for this thread bar a genuine desire to listen, share ideas, and have an open discussion about what is helpful / less so. I worked in NHS MH for 13 odd years.

In case anyone links the other threads that inspired this thread - I have been comissioned to edit a book about people's experiences (service users and carers / family / friends) within MH services and with MH issues. NONE OF THE POSTS HERE WILL BE USED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM FOR THIS BOOK. You have my ABSOLUTE word on that. Similarly, NONE of the posts here will be used in any of my teaching.

My aim in starting this stems from several PM's and several on-thread comments about how this would be useful/ I hope it can be a helpful, supportive and productive meeting place for thoughts and ideas about what people have found helpful with regards MH care / services / support (statutory and non statutory) and what has been less helpful. Most importantly with regards the less helpful - what can be done differently?

And - beacuse I like books - maybe we can share reading ideas :)

Would it be helpful if I shared parts of my long thread from earlier regarding what I see as needed, without any other details from the thread?

Dolly

Math has valid concerns about the thread - why shouldn't she raise them?

I've never said I was right
That's the point
People have said they find the thread useful
Math has every right to say she's concerned, it was taken on board again and again. But to continue when people have said they are adult enough to make up their own minds is patronising at best

We get her concern. Move on.

I'd like to hear about the mindfulness that's been talked about. Maybe I could learn something? I'll never know will I if people are driven off the thread

I am NOT kidding around folks
Please play nice

Sorry Olympia for my part in it -but this is awful

Good point, future, about the Samaritans - sometimes, discovering that talking things through really does help, callers go on to seek counselling. Some Sams, ime, are really good at helping you get a perspective on your issues and suggesting counselling if the caller says they find it helpful.

Thinking about this a little more, it might be good if the NHS were to put funding into the Samaritans and/or set up call centres to be trained by them. That could be a straightforward way to achieve some early intervention?

garlic , I think it could be amazingly helpful , hope it happens - but I think there would be issues around callers feeling they might receive referrals to statutory bodies , due to the helpline itself then being such a body ?

Dolly I haven't tried any mindfulness therapy yet but harrietthespy and others gave recommendations of material and in one case a course which helped them -upthread < searches > and on the resources thread

I've heard some people say they like that the Samaritans have a policy of non-disclosure.

"I do think they fill a gap, somewhat, for MH services who are too stretched to put in good listening time, as well for everybody else who's very miserable."

they also cannot diagnose, or actually "do " anything due to their ethos so they are very safe help

I too have heard that from friends , Upward

Dolly:

'Why aren't you happy?'

Why can't you validate my feelings?

Agree , aesops< shuts up & looks for links as promised >

Thanks Future I'll try to find the references

:)

if the samaritans were drawn into anything within the nhs via funding or any other method i actually think they may lose the niche that they have and not be as accessible. the fact that the sams are anonymous, confidential and not affiliated with services that have to keep records is i think their strength. i certainly think that the sams should receive funding from the gov though and then they could actually branch out and offer more in the way of drop ins or possible even train and run counselling for people.

oh and yes to the mindfulness thread ( or in here/wherever)

Completely agree would leave a gap if they were ever incorporated into statutory services , aesops . Do they not receive any state / LA funding now ? < basic , but can't remember >

Excellent ,aesops ...which reminds me - I missed a reply to my questions about mindfulness which I didn't see last night - thank you yellowraincoat and all who helped me

"Samaritans currently receives less than 2% of income from Government and Statutory sources. The majority of our funding comes from individuals, trusts and companies, without whom we would not be able to carry on providing an emotional support and emotional health promotion service."

www.samaritans.org/support_samaritans.aspx

2% is pretty poor isn't it? for a frontline emergency crisis service :(

i still haven't had proper time to read up on mindfulness due to manic toddler and life getting in the way so anything about it would help me. am interested in the links between that and vedanta anyway because i have been taught vedantan mindfulness and am wondering if the two are similar or have diversified.

Could I draw people's attention to this thread here, which deals with de-railment?

I agree it's best to ignore ongoing de-railment on this very useful thread; but discussion of de-railment and solutions to it could continue on the thread I've linked to, which OliviaMumsnet is also on.

cheers sum

aesops

Are you saying that you think the samaritans should get more NHS funding or less?

2% ???!!!!! I think just about everyone I know has called them at some time or other < no jokes about cause and effect , please > Are there any other orgs with a non-disclosure policy , I wonder ? A difficult position for them - they must have found the need for it during fieldwork ?

Ah , active toddler = extra need for meditation , I'd venture ? I'm slow even on replying to you , let alone getting to library etc but am trying to get materials .

You'll have seen the references- Tara Brach as recommended by several posters

www.tarabrach.com/
,
harrietspymentioned "Jon Kabat-Zinn on Sounds True (-another free podcast on i-phones )"
www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=mindfulness+jon+kabat+zinn&tag=googhydr-21&index=aps&hvadid=17028090474&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvne also recommended by more than one ...

Thank you sumsum