Experience with Community mental health team

[Hammy12345]

I have been diagnosed with bipolar for 15 years or so. I have managed well the last 5 or 6. I do take sertraline as well as a mood stabiliser. The sertraline has never pushed me into a manic episode, but does stop the lows.
Recently my mood has dipped but at same time I have racing thoughts and don't need much sleep. GP refered back to community mental health team. A nurse and a Dr came yesterday, didn't ask what the situation was etc just said I had been incorrectly prescribed sertraline and had to come off of it. A consultant I really trusted had prescribed it but unfortunately now he has retired. I explained I was reluctant to come off of it and they said that they would not be offering any other support if I wouldn't come off of if and would be sent back to GP and discharged from them. They said I should only be on a mood stabiliser and because I was Bipolar it should be at such a dose that my mood remains neutral and that I wouldn't experience any of life's ups and downs as I was unable to manage these. I actually asked them to repeat this twice, as this isn't what I have been told about mood stabilisers. I said that was not quality of life and they said that is all I could hope for.
I'm in absolute tears now, I just needed some support. I have been doing really well in the last few years and managing well. I don't know what to do now.

Sorry for such a long post.

I'm not bipolar just depression but I ended up in a right state after being fine on sertraline for a good number of years. I was very low but very agitated- couldn't sit still, not sleeping etc, and had to come off it and go onto something else that made me less all over the place, and improved my sleep. I think it's a dangerous situation to be in with racing thoughts etc like you describe, and low mood. I think it's best to go along with what the MH team suggest as they are the experts, and sometimes it's better to hand over the responsibility for thinking about medication etc to someone else. At the moment, what have you got to lose from going along with what the CMHT suggest?

Thanks, anyone else had experience of this?

When did the doctor leave? If there has been a quite a lapse in time and they have just noticed, this is poor. Are there possibly some contraindications involved? Do you have any other health conditions? There are various issues which could be at play, which they are failing to explain to you.

it should be at such a dose that my mood remains neutral and that I wouldn't experience any of life's ups and downs as I was unable to manage these. I've never heard anything so ridiculous. To be able to feel normal moods in relation to life's ups and downs is good mental health. I feel numb sometimes when I'm depressed. I could win the lottery and think 'that's nice, meh'. If something shit happens well I feel shit already. Medication should not be for the purpose of numbing normal moods. They sound useless.

I've had many bad experiences of MH services yup.

Thanks for your replies. The Doctor that retired left over 18 Months ago and I have been on the sertraline over 5 years. I have no other medical conditions, they purely want me to stop it in case it sends me into a manic episode. However, in the last 5 years that hasn't happened. I would stop taking it, but I have a feeling that if it does make me worse, they are going to be slow to help in anyway. I have phoned and left 3 messages for the nurse to call me over last few days, my husband has also called but he hasn't responded to any messages. My husband thought it would be good if the Nurse came back to discuss how we go forward from here when he was free to take part in the appointment.

I think they feel the sertraline is not an appropriate medication for you. They want you on mood stabilisers to treat the bipolar and live in improved mental health.
Have you been stable lately?
I think they are trying to help you.