Anyone who works in mental health around?

[smurfgirl]

I have to fill a form in and it makes NO sense - help pls.

What is the form? I work in that area so maybe able to help

its a risk/relapse management plan form

whole other language

what are target signs?!

in what context is it written? Is it a risk assessment on an individual?

what's the question on the form?

Im a mental health nurse.

Im guessing it means the signs that mean you are well although never heard of it before...

Its called a relapse and risk management plan, it to be shared with the mental health team in case i have a crisis.

One of the questions is:
Target signs. symptoms, behaviour suggestive of possible risk/relapses.

??

Oh right, see I would call them ''relapse signatures/indicators''

How do you feel and what are you like when you are becoming unwell?

This is what I am finding hard I don't really know what my signs would be really - I just feel bad. Not sure what the question means really. Does that make sense?

right-o.

are there any things that on reflection tend to be linked to you becoming unwell?

could be change in sleep pattern?
low mood?
elated mood?
negative thoughts?
not looking after yourself?
spending lots of money?

or perhaps you're more vulnerable when under work stress/stress with the kids?

or around anniversaries?

or when someone who supports you a lot is on holiday?

it's really personal to you.

Bad as in how? I think it is asking you to try and explain how you feel and act when you are becoming unwell. Can I ask what the nature of the illness is or is that too personal?

What would people need to look out for if you were relapsing?

eg - not being contactable on the phone, cutting, missing appointments, excessive use of alcohol etc etc. Anything which is a warning sign that you are not well.

actually, if you're unsure, you can ask your CMHT to do some sessions with you around noticing early signs that you're vulnerable to becoming unwell.

this sort of input should help you learn when to try and relax, take care of yourself, take meds if need be, and avoid having serious relapses in the future.

I think this is why i am so confused I feel rubbish all the time and self harm most days anyway.

No illness - just self harm and intrusive thoughts about self harm.

But many of the 'signs' are me getting an idea on my head and then acting on it - thats it really. I don't drink, my sleep is a bit affected but thats much up from feeling rubbish anyway.

I generally have a pretty low mood most days anyway. I do have moments of being v.v.distressed but mostly don't feel anything brings it on.

That's horrible for you. What nursing are you studying?

smurfgirl, I'm sorry to hear you feel so bad. Are odd days/times when you want to self-harm but don't? Do you notice anything different about these times?

Adult branch.

At the moment am fairly safe - no razors but am planning again, I didn't do something serious to myself this week but only because it was so dangerous (i wanted to pour a kettle on myself).

I will have help with it but am just finding it hard to make a starting point with it.

It also asks what i can do in the event of relapse/risk and i am not sure - it just feeds into me blaming myself which is one of my issues at the moment.

ok - perhaps take the form back to whoever gave it to you, and say that at the moment you are too close to the bad atuff to reflect on it properly.

perhaps you might want to look at harm minimisation techniques first - things like burning yourself with ice if you want to burn.

that might sound like a bit of a lame idea, but if you have a few sessions of harm minimisation work, you can find out about what you get form self-harming (stress relief/ distraction/release of tension/masking of psychological pain) and work out some techniques that might work for you.

Perkin Warbeck!!
Fantastic!

Takes me straight back to History with Mr Grace in 1979!

glad to be of service, moondog.

I did mental health (obviously)

Do you enjoy it? I remember it being bloody hard work! Couldn't stomach Adult...

I would second PW. I think you need to be in a fairly insightful place to be able to do this work.

There is nothing wrong in saying you find the questions a bit hard at the moment.

Yes I enjoy it a lot, but its difficult at the moment.

Thanks for the replies, I have had a go but its just too hard to identify stuff at the moment.

Harm minimisation stuff is rubbish for me because I want the damage ho hum.

How are you tonight Smurfgirl...

Yeah ok. Bit of a stressful morning on placement.

I am doing a lot of hating myself at the moment and so its hard when things go wrong because it confirms in my head that I am useless, stupid, should be punished etc. Which I know logically is stupid but struggle to believe.

Thanks for asking!

And I should think doing the course and finding yourself in lots of unfamiliar situations where you are naturally going to get things wrong doesn't help either. Plus being surrounded by people who are maybe quite critical, (mentors, lecturers etc).

Doing that course was the hardest thing I have ever done and I don't suffer with self harming issues. (Although do suffer huge guilt issues all the time!)

Well done for getting through it.