Moved on to phone consultations

[Theodoreb]

Has anyone else? It's due to the virus, but apparently I am still seen as a priority but will have a monthly phone conversation with my psychiatrist now. I'm relieved as although I don't think it will be as effective I'm so nervous about corona virus.

I had telephone consultation today. I tried to ask what to do if my mood changes as it usually does In May. I didn't get any answer. Psychiatrist just told me to call duty officer. I also asked about medication but he said that major changes are done face to face appointments. I have to say the phone call was useless.

@kingis I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I'm not expecting too much out of mine.

Yes. I really struggle on the phone although I'm not as bad as I once was so I suppose I'm luckier than some and I am relieved I can use the phone a bit now. But I find psychiatrist appointments really difficult to manage alone - I always have my care coordinator there to help me but we can't do that over the phone.

Plus I'm really isolated so my face to face support from them was my main human contact, which has suddenly gone for "most of a year". We were trying to figure out a plan to help me be less isolated and improve the things making life so painful and then... Enforced isolation and terrifying consequences for going out or being near people.

I'm scared I'm going to be discharged in the middle of this situation, without ever having seen any of them face to face again, with all the same problems and be expected to somehow overcome them all singlehandedly if/when this situation and the restrictions are finally lifted (I have a hard time believing after all this I will suddenly stop having panic attacks about going out). Life was already so hard before this, I don't know how I'm supposed to improve it or change it all on my own.

There are so many people who need help, even fewer resources now, and I don't want to drain the system stopping other people from getting help but I can't exist with this kind of suffering long term. I've been trying to figure out a backup plan (for if telephone contact turns into no contact) to cope alone and fix myself alone, but realised the reason I can't build such a plan is because if that was a possibility I would already have done that!

Basically: yes, and I am very, very frightened and hopeless.

User that sounds hard work and I would advise That you keep on going and maybe use this time to come up with a plan for when everything calms down.

I have had all my therapy so only see a psychiatrist once a month to discuss my medication cocktail is working or needs changing but this time I'm happy to stay on my current meds.

The reason being although I'm stressed and paranoid and anxious my psychiatrist says I have to remember that some situational mood disturbances are normal and as everyone is struggling right now I don't think I'm struggling that abnormally for someone with schizophrenia and bipolar. I actually think I'm doing brilliant.