Feeling let down by MH services

[Unconventionalmum]

Hi everyone,
I have quite a complex history of mental health but to keep it brief I have BPD, GAD, agoraphobia, PTSD and depression. In the last 18 months I have been hospitalised 7 times but for the last few months I've been quite stable with only one suicide attempt.

However, I had a great cpn. She got me into very much needed therapy called DBT and she was great and listened and helped but then she went off sick for ten weeks. For ten weeks nobody told me, I had no alternative cpn put in place, nothing. Then she came back and I understood that it wasn't her fault she was ill but still felt I should have been told by the MH team. Now she has gone off sick again and I don't know how long for.

My DBT therapist has just left her job and now I have no 1-1 therapy for a month. So no support in that area either. Then DBT group meeting was cancelled today for sickness which is again fair enough but I just feel very very unsupported when I need it most.

My health visitor was supposed to pop around yesterday but she rang and cancelled and I've finally had enough.

I finally feel that I'm getting back on the right track, that I'm moving forward and I'm getting better but this was all due to being supported and now it feels as though its been snatched away. I know the NHS is struggling, I know I'm not important to many people but I finally felt I somewhat mattered, that I was worthy of helping and now I feel like they've given up.

I can sympathise with you, the nhs mh is not there for majority of area’s
Virtually non existent

I’ve suffered depression/gad 31 yrs on and off. 6 years ago I was under secondary care, I had a care worker and psych. This episode is 18 mths in, i was accessed by secondary care after 3 a&e visits and gp asking twice for them to see me. After assessment I got letter to say I didn’t fit criteria and to go through gp for treatment. What criteria! How bad do you have to be when you actually plan a suicide attempt.

I eventually got to see a counsellor through iapt self referral, talking to her she said I needed cbt she thought! I got a call to say I was on step 4 to see psychologist So back on waiting list! Some 9 mths later, and a&e visits I got to see person
Not psychologist but cbt(had that years ago) but thought desperation better than nothing! Saw her 7 times not every week, on my session she told me I had 2 left!!!! I ask I thought it was 16 sessions
No I’m retiring, I was fuming
Not only did I not get to see psychologist who they said I would
But a small amount of cbt sessions that did nothing.
I rang up, because last 2 sessions lady was off sick and I was left!
Eventually got to see psychologist,
Yes you guessed it, could offer 6 sessions she was heavy pregnant
She said I could see her, but she thought I needed longer therapy especially what I’d been put through and how I was feeling.

So yes I get how you feel, it’s deplorable.

I’m sorry you’re feeling like this. The mental health services where I live are pretty shocking too! I had a similar problem with therapists leaving and not being replaced too. I think part of the problem is that they think you should be ‘better’ quite quickly and if you aren’t they almost get fed up with you and aren’t really sure what to do next. They don’t seem to be able to grasp that some people need long term support. Also my gp is as about as helpful as a wooden frying pan which doesn’t help matters. Do you have a supportive gp? If so could you ask them to chase things up for you? I hope you get some more long term support soon!