psychiatric refferal: What now??

[lucyellensmum]

I have been on ADs for a year, but im slowly creeping back to how i was before. DP and I are on the edge of splitting, bla bla bla, im sure you are up to speed the amount i whinge on here.

So today my DP came to the doctors with me and basically told them they HAD to help me. Thankfully they have listened and the doctor has set me up for a psychiatric refferal with the community mental health team.

I am relieved, but obviously now anxious about what is going to happen next. I will apparently be assessed by a CPN and then, i don't know what. DP did ask, in his typically eloquent manner "she's not going to end up in the nut house is she?" bless him, and the doctor said no, that is pretty much out of the question. TBH i was not worried about this at all. I AM worried that of course there will be implications regarding my little girl, however she did reassure me that there is nothing to worry about.

I can hand on heart say that my illness isnt affecting my relationship with her, or ability to cope, in fact, i think im a very good mum if im honest.

Does anyone have experience of CMHTs and what might happen next?

Sorry to be a party pooper, LEM but my experience of mental health service overall is pretty bad. They do great at crisis management and then as soon as crisis over, they disappear.
Don't want to be negative, but I think you need to be as pro-active as possible. My DH tried to commit suicide 5 weeks ago, spent 1 week in psych hospital and has first appointment to see CPN next week, 6 weeks later. Service here is shocking.
There is an excellent website we were recommended by our GP here. We have started to work thru it with some good results.
Sorry to be so negative, I really hope they can help you. Just want you to realise that you cannot pin all your hopes on this, you need to look after yourself.

doggyandteddy, i am sorry to hear about your DH, i really hope he is now getting the help that he needs. I am not niave about the sparsity of the services available in mental health. It has taken me a year just to get a refferal. This is my way of helping myself, i have tried to help myself and i just don't have the strength - i need to at least have access to potential sources of help. It might just be that the right source of counselling will help me, i don't want to be on ADs for the rest of my life though. I cannot afford private counselling and also, i would be dubious about any private therapies out there. I want what is appropriate to me, not whatever therapist thinks they can offer me.

the majority of psych referrals are successfully managed in community. CMHT does not equate need for in patient treatment and admission. in fact most PCT strive to prevent admission with assertive outreach, crisis teams etc

CMHT receive Ax, read it. gets allocated to CPN worker

they phone you arrange initial assessment, meet you.take verbal psych history/social history from you

but most importantly meet you establish therapeutic rapport, get to know you, understand issues

takes time to become low, takes to recover.don't set unrealistic expectations.takes as long as it takes

everyone is recovery model focussed at the mo

procedural stuff eg how to contact them, confidentiality, what to do if mental state deteriorates- who to contact

CMHT share on need to know basis so will share with other cmht staff eg OT.

good luck remember psychitrists and Cmht are just regular folk too

sorry meant to add as there are no protection of vulnerable child issues, the Ax is about you LEM

understandably you worry about LO though

thankyou for that SM

i was referred to them, had to see a few beofre i clciked wiht one though