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?

Sorry i keep dropping in and out of this debate and not engaging properly but i would genuinely like someone to tell me why this whole question of 'professional' (or not) advice is being regarded as much more of a concern on a MH thread (rather than a general health thread.)

Kizzie it is because these self proclaimed professionals are practicing a particular brand of therapy here on this thread they are not just expressing opinions -- while midwives are not delivering babies, dentists are not extracting teeth, nurses are not administering jabs, ear-nose-and-throat specialists are not whipping out tonsils.

Is it worth us cutting and pasting all the useful links here into one thread so people dont have to wade through everything. Im just watching opening ceremony so dont mind doing some but dont want to step on toes

The useful links are indeed the only thing of value this thread has produced.

Thank you so much kizzie , brilliant- no toes seen here and I can put tsome of them on the resources thread , & I'm sure we can all do a few as and when too

Yea kizzy that would be great cheers :)

Yea kizzy that would be great cheers :)

ok lovely - will start one now and then others can add things i miss

Thanks for those links kizzie :)

Thanks, kizzie , brilliant

Ooooh , was that the Gwyneth Lewis book I heard on radio 4 a few years
ago ? I was very moved by her warmth & very hard- won insights .
Haven't seen anyting like Threads of Hope before < adds to list > and I've
heard good thigs about Mind Over Mood

Kizzie, thanks. Much appreciated.

Still hasn't added even one here - sorry , was looking for a new one and forgot to go through existing ones < grabs pack of frozen peas for overheated brain >

pc been frozen again - , kizzie

i think most of them are on there now. Please feel free to add anything ive missed.
There are lots of other resource / tips threads on here - so not intended to take place of those in anyway - just a means of trying to capture the useful things from here in one easy place.

Yes thats the Gwyneth Lewis book. In shortish sections too so easy to read if anything a struggle. Threads of Hope is a lovely little book. Basically just people talking about their own experiences of depression (and giving hope because they also talk about their recovery). I read it first when i really couldnt imagine taht you coudl possibly get better from this horrible 'thing'

Thank you so much , kind kizzie for all the work , and your recommendations sound ones I'd find really , really helpful .

Good point about usefulness of a book being divided into digestible parts - I felt Gwyneth Lewis had such insights .

Will try to add others to your lovely thread myself now
www.dorothyrowe.com.au/books/item/282-depression-the-way-out-of-your-prison-3rd-ed-2003
Dorothy Rowe has really helped me over the years and I like her website www.dorothyrowe.com.au/

< creeps back in shame > Didn't realise you had done every single one for us kizzie , while I was faffing about with freeziness then gettingtotally lost searching the thread . So sorry to have left you what I should have managed by now .

Very good links already aren't they , and some other positives today I think .
If only so many posters no longer felt safe here

*Should have read-"If only it weren't that....feel safe here"

hoping that they will come back, if not here then on other relevant threads.
and kizzie thank you v much

Thanks aesops , really hope so ... yes , am sure you are right about other threads , in time .

I'm sure they will (come back). The MH board is generally incredibly supportive and helpful.

< comforted > Your wisdom and generosity have long helped shape the MH section , lovely kizzie - thanks again

I remember posting a thankyou to kizzie for all this incredible information, but it seems to be missing, so once again, am very grateful for your efforts.