community-based psychiatric adventures of the mentally normal

[Mitchy1nge]

am not sure if mavis is still in this one

"Carer" support (because that's what my partner apparently automatically became the moment I got ill, judging by the wodge of paper he was given by the Home Treatment Team) is so lacking CIQ. Who is there to fight your corner?

I hope your GP is helpful.

I don't understand why the multidisciplinary teams include so many social workers when the social support side of the whole thing seems to break down, as you've experienced, CIQ. Quite apart from anything else, surely it's far better for your DH's recovery if you're adequately supported too.

I supposr that people working in the CMHT and other parts of MH services are just so totally overwhelmed with supporting their clients that no matter how much they'd like to, there aren't the resources to support families too. But just like the rest of MH policy and funding, and healthcare in general, how incredibly bloody shortsighted it is on behalf of the policymakers.

On the part of, not on behalf of.

It is so shortsighted! I will have dh worrying about being a burden on me (and look where that might lead...) and if I can't cope I will get ill and then they'll have a whole family to look after Only really me shouting my corner. Could get in touch with local carers charity - my challenge this week is time and dds birthday tomorrow and its v busy! GP is sympathetic but she hasn't done anything over the last four weeks except say she'll chase up the referral.... Like you say, budgets are being slashed all over the place, mental illness is so MAAAAAAAAAsively underfunded.

mitchy does that keep you safer

well I'm still alive so maybe it does help?

I hope you get the support you need CIQ it sounds incredibly stressful

still alive hurrah for that.
Thanks. Am looking at charities for carers this evening. Good grief.

have you had a carer's assessment by social services? Sorry if you said earlier and I forgot

I laughed out loud at something today. I was listening to the final couple of chapters of Fight Club while washing up and laughed at this (possible mild spoiler but probably not):

"Didn't I realize that each of us is a sacred, unique snowflake of special unique specialness?"

Oh hell, I hate discharges like that. Oh whoopee, we're going to send you our from 24h support to pretty much cock all apart from the odd visit from Crisis, and oh, good luck with that.

CIQ, I feel your pain. It sounds like communication is shit as well.

enpo

no I haven't mitchy despite having been told I've been referred to one three weeks ago. I guess I have to start chasing people but I'm knackered.

Yeah, that's me. A snowflake.

Oh CIQ that's rubbish. The thing is I reckon no one is going to be able to over-rule a consultant psychiatrist who presumably makes the decisions about admission and discharge. I think Enpo is right and this decision won't be based on clinical need, but on the need for beds which are I gather in very short supply on a nationwide basis. So anyone who is less ill than someone needing a bed - out they go......it's so shit. I remember when I was an IP my key nurse said that they had to start a "discharge plan" from the day of admission!

My CPN came this afternoon (and she's lovely and very supportive, so there are some good ones...) but she's very experienced and remembers a time when their main task was supporting people in the community, whereas now they spend far too much of their time on paperwork - she has to complete a 28 page report on each "contact" - although most of it is tick boxes.... all online of course. .She hates it and can't wait to retire. It's the same for social workers (my ex colleagues tell me they spend around 70% of their time in front of the computer on box ticking exercises) and the same for the police. Where did all this shit come from - it's crazy - yes people need to be accountable but there has to be a better way than this.

I think the NHS is in crisis but MH services are in terminal decline - I think the NHS spend on MH is around 2% of the entire budget. Says it all really and now this govt are busy selling off huge chunks of the NHS it's not going to get better any time soon.

I know you'll be worried CIQ about your DH's suicide attempt, but hopefully he is more stable now? Have you got any RL support? And you just might be lucky and get a good CPN.

So much paperwork after every contact - and yet every new person I see, I have to explain everything, again and again and again, and nobody who sees me now seems to have read anything written by anyone who saw me how I was three weeks ago. Where does all this electronic and physical paperwork go, what is it for, who has time to read any of it? Is it just so evidence of nicely covered arses can be produced at the inquest?

Hello lovelies, spent the day getting drenched mainly. Only one more day in New York left and I appear to still be mentally normal, hurrah!

W00t Mp!

I have to see my care coordinator tomorrow. Apparently we are going to be writing a crisis plan

Trouble is, DP has managed to order a new TV to be delivered tomorrow. Twice (he cancelled the first order because someone called to offer a predelivery inspection for 25 quid, to which he took exception). First time was my fault as I forgot to share the appointment to his calendar.

Second time, it was the luck of the draw which day it would be delivered. I couldn't bring myself to call and request a different appointment at short notice, so unless the damn thing turns up before 11, I've got a 45 minute walk on a dodgy ankle to look forward to. I'm such a fucking idiot.

NanaNina it's just appalling, isn't it?

The state of MH services, I mean.

Yes Enpo I know what you mean! I asked my CPN that Q - who reads all this stuff (it's all electronic as can be expected of course) and she had no idea! But she said the main thing that's monitored is ethnicity and whether you are in "settled accommodation" and said if she'd found me on the floor with my legs missing that wouldn't be picked up (no pun intended) so long as my ethnicity and housing situation was completed.!! They also have to put in exactly how long they spend with someone and for their mileage allowance they have to put in post codes rather than saying "From base to Borchester and back to base- 10 miles" just to make sure they aren't cheating on their mileage allowance.

A crisis plan - phew........at least she's doing it with you! Make sure you get written into the plan "whose doing what in a crisis" ....my key nurse wrote my care plan when I was an IP and presented it to me. I said I thought a plan about my care should have been made with me - she looked blank!! It's all a "crock of shit" (so says my CPN...!)

I've had a truly crap day today and cried all over my CPN and she didn't mention baths, tea, walks or stuff like that. She held my hand and said "Oh N I could see as soon as you opened the door you were crap" - and I moaned on a bit and she listened and I said I was boring myself and she laughed and we just had a general chit chat, mainly about MH services, which did dare I say distract me a bit!!

So fed up of the mobile site crashing my browser and discarding posts I've spent ten minutes writing. I never learn. Shitwit.

Your CPN sounds lovely, Nana. I'm sorry to hear you're having such a shitty day. It's great when you have somebody who will just sit and listen to it all, and hold your hand through it.

It's a shame your IP key nurse wasn't more helpful. I've had experience with those sorts of care plans too.

I just don't understand what my crisis planning will do. I guess it's procedure. But it's sobering to think they think I need one. I don't know what they mean by crisis. I'm sure she will explain. But the only one I can think of is trying to kill myself, at which point the last people I'll want involved is health services. I will write that I want no drugs or persuasion or coercion or encouragement to take drugs, but I'm not convinced that will be considered acceptable. And no admissions. But it wouldn't come to that anyway.

It's all too hard to think about. I'm off to bed -night all.

I am infinity. I name changed, because I was hoping to keep this separate, but I think I need to face up to it.

DP and I have split. He was too much of a coward to do it face to face, so he waited until he was gone for the night and then let me work it out myself. Now he's ignoring me.

He's due home tomorrow but I've told him not to come. Fuck knows if he'll listen to me.

I have nobody left in the world now. I'm devastated. My mind keeps convincing me that he'll change his mind but something is telling me that he won't.

I am broken. It's strangely ironic that the ambulance was here this time last week. Still had gecko then, too.

Can't sleep because it hurts. Don't want to be awake because it hurts. People keep telling me it'll be okay (on here, I don't know anyone else) but it really won't.

I'd give anything to jump into the future. I can't handle this pain.

Oh Infinity I'm so sorry. I read your thread under your namechange and had no idea it was you.