lost faith in 'system'. new therapist?

[Smartleatherbag]

Hi all,
Just looking for some help, I have a really lovely therapist/cpn, following severe depression. She's nhs and from the primary care team. However,due to her having to cancel an appointment and then her being off over.Christmas, I've not seen her for six weeks and this has been over a really stressful time of festive carp and returning to work after a long absence. I'm seeing her today but am thinking of ending it as I have lost faith, not with her particularly, but with the so-called care team. I was phoned the day before the last appt and NOTHING else ,no help at all or information.
I am really upset by the way it was handled.
Wwyd?

Snap. Have also lost faith with the service.

It's rubbish, isn't it? I actually think they do more harm than good. Not individuals, but as a system. So uncaring. I am so angry!!

I think it's a bit premature to drop the whole access to care because of a 6 week gap between appointments.

When you spoke to them did you say you were struggling to ask to speak to someone else? Had your therapist discussed techniques with you for self management?

It sounds like you're prepared to cut off your nose to spite your face. If you drop your access to the PCT you'll be coping alone for a lot more than 6 weeks, so it doesn't make sense.

Can you cope without them or not?

Yes, I asked if I could see someone else and the answer was no. I called three times over the six weeks.
I don't want to open up and then be left with a lot of difficult feelings on my own.
It's an apalling way to treat a really fragile person imo.

Can I cope without them? Well, they've not helped me yet. I've seen her only four times over four months! If anything, I feel worse.

And yeah, I can cope without them. I am having to.

So you only see the therapist once a month?
I wouldn't give up yet and after only 4 appointments, I would however discuss techniques on how to cope and when the breaks in the therapy are so that you are prepared.
The thing is within the NHS resources are very limited and the budget for therapy has been considerably cut and in some counties stopped, also because of this the waiting lists are so bloody long BUT if you don't think you can work with her again then stop as it wont be as effective/little use.

I'm meant to see her every two weeks, but with annual leave, Christmas, sick leave, it's only been four times instead of eight.
I've lost trust.
I know NHS issues, I still don't think this is ok.

Yeah I had to wait for months while actively suicidal. It's thanks to my family and friends and gp that I am still here.

If I were you I'd make a formal complaint to the team manager. Complaints get things changed in the nhs. If you just disappear and reject them, nothing will change. A complaint doesn't have to be long, in fact its better if its short and not too emotive, even though its an emotive situation. Stick to the facts. And if you have a good cpn, do keep hold of them! You may really need her in the future and regret dumping her because of this problem. Cpns are massively overworked and underpaid, and Christmas is a very difficult time for both people that use mental health services, and those that work in them. See if you can repair your relationship with her - I'm sure that will be more beneficial to you in thelong run.

Hi - this was my experience too. Cpn off work ill for 4 weeks, then training and holiday, then Christmas - ten week gap. They had to prioritise her patients in crisis - for the duty worker ( other staff are busy so cannot cancel their patients for other people, but still tough). Another time the cpn had surgery and was off for months.

Why not ask the cn about their duty worker system or crisis team support? Seeing a strange cpn for one session is no use if it is ongoing therapy as they not know you but if you or they think you need urgent assessment or support they ( or your gp) can refer you to the crisis team ( or whatever it is called in your area) - where they assess you and if you meet their criteria can offer daily calls or visits until crisis over. No "therapy" offered but support when most vulnerable. If you know how to access support then you can get it. However, if not struggling then sadly have to accept NHS staff have training/holiday/bank holidays/illness. ( ironically when I paid private never had sessions cancelled for illness - just odd training when I could not go another time and their 8 weeks hol a year!

If actively suicidal than a cpn is not usually the quickest form of help - bizarrely, as they can only see you at set appointments. Quickest way to get help is often: get a gp apt that day, or walk in centre or 111 service, who can then refer you to the crisis team who respond by sending someone to assess you. If in crisis that is what a community mental health team does too - as they cannot see people frequently enough to support actively suicidal patient. It is just a strange division of services and way to access. It was a revelation to me that any out of hours gp could refer me without knowing me - just on how I presented to them!!

Thanks for the replies. Cmht are rubbish here unfortunately :-. I can phone them but they're no help.
Well, had session yesterday afternoon and turns out I can only get 8 sessions anyway, that's what is they do in our trust. Therapist says this is not enough but she can't change it and recommends I complain. Unfortunately this won't make things any different in the near future :-.
So I'm on my own.