CAMHS' experiences

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Hi all,

I wondered if people had experiences of CAMHS they would be prepared to share (anonymously).

A Commons Select Committee is doing a report on CAMHS - see here and we would like to submit some evidence.

A few of us have formed an organisation called the Educational Rights Alliance (see here). This has kept me really busy so I haven't been posting as much of late.

We wanted to try and use our experiences where we can to lobby for positive changes so please do contact me on [email protected] if you want to share anything. Or if you want to get involved.

Your anonymity is absolutely guaranteed.

my experience with camhs was nothing but positive .my son was first seen in September (after gp referral in june) was seen again in November where he was put on the ADOS waiting list .Had his ADOS in april where he was diagnosed as ASD

Thanks - we have added positive comments when we have come across them. They are sadly rare but I think that is because of inconsistencies between local services.

I have sent you a pm as our experience was too horrific to post. Has anyone else tried to access their CAMHS records? It took us nearly 9 months and the involvement of a solicitor and the Information Commissioners Office to get them to release them all to us. They kept withholding sections without advising us that they had done so. They then argued that it might cause mental health distress to me!!! Yes I am upset about total lies being written about me but am not sure that it is what the wording in the legislation was intended for.

I forgot to say that in our experience I don't think it was a lack of staff or resources just incorrect use of these resources due to either lack of training or in my opinion a lack of common sense meaning they were unable to see the wood for the trees. Did anyone else experience secret multi disciplinary meetings initiated by CAMHS that they were forbidden from attending??

Lies ive pmd you.

Thanks letzygons but I think you are better off discharged than under their care if they are even hinting that they think you have mental health issues. They can cause dreadful problems if they raise child protection concerns which they may well do and they certainly wont tell you that. I would recommend accessing your records so you know what you are dealing with and what other agencies might have been informed. Forewarned is forearmed and is essential as there can be awful outcomes once they start spreading lies to other agencies.

youre right of course, ive actually given up wasting my time and energy and DCs trauma the few times shes gone there on them.

im just going to get on with it myself!

Zygons I was relieved when we were discharged from CAMHS (though without telling us - they just closed ds's case file and we never heard from them again ). It meant that I no longer had to tolerate the numnuts who had no clue how best to support him and we were free to work out effective strategies for ourselves. It made me realise how much time and energy I'd wasted over the years, fending them off and trying to convince them of what he needed, while they tried to persuade me to do something else that was completely inappropriate, irrelevant and (crucially) cheap. Being rid of CAMHS is part of the reason why ds has made so much progress in the last few years. It's not a bad thing that you're no longer involved because they often don't give much in the first place.

Streaky I agree 100% with you.

that's my conclusion too. a total waste of time me and Dc are never going to get back again.

and glad your ds is doing better with you.

After a two year struggle my son has a appointment at tier 3 with child psychologist at camhs. I have exhausted myself trying to help my son alone, my GP wrote to camhs telling them how disappointed she was with their neglect to give my son help and after her letter and paying for a private child paediatrician, who diagnosed possible autism, OCD and severe anxiety disorder, we got an appointment. I think the middle man should be cut out and GPs be the ones to refer and access mental health professionals. If my son has a broken arm he would be treated fast but Mental health is not given quick enough help, my son is suffering and he has got so bad he said he wants to kill himself, he is only just turned 12. I cry most evenings and have read so many books on his disorders and tried to help him, he had 6 months of private CBT but he did not engage in it and still he is unable to get help from it. Tried fish oils and vitamins, no sugar. Tried exposure therapy but I suspect that Asperger's makes CBT hard. Cant express how much I feel I have failed my son and am exhausted, I have another son who is healthy and has no issues except he is worried about his brother. My son developed anxiety and a phobia of being sick after starting school and its like my son was switched, he developed very bad OCD. I care for him daily and when he goes to his dads for a night and a day at weekends he is hates it but I need the rest or I think I would break. All we want is help so our children can get better.

We went to camhs for Ds severe anxiety that seemed to manifest itself at an all time high around school. Camhs said all problems are down to his condition (hfa) and discharged us. That was that.

CAMHS have been worse than useless! My 16-year-old DD developed crippling anxiety attacks last May and by July couldn't leave the house at all. CAMHS insisted she had to attend appointment, in person, 10 miles away! Eventually, she was phoned by the psychiatrist in September and prescribed Citalopram. He told DD not to look it up on-line or read the leaflet in the box that talked about side-effects - didn't exactly fill her with confidence. By early November, the dose was to be increased but blood tests and an ECG were required first. Huh? From a young person who still couldn't leave the house? Health visitors couldn't do what was required because DD was 16, and Paediatrics team didn't make house calls. CAMHS response? "We can't do anything until we get those tests done." It took months (plus a helpful GP) to get those tests done. Here we are in April with DD still not able to attend school, still not receiving any treatment other than Citalopram, still not getting the talking therapy she was promised. Oh, and a psychiatrist who constantly fixates on DD's weight, ignoring the fact that her whole family is tall and skinny. Focus on the real issues please and stop treating us all as idiots. I have every sympathy for the nurses etc who work for CAMHS and I know they are over-stretched and under-resourced. However, CAMHS are dealing with young people's LIVES here and it is just plain wrong not to support adolescents like my DD when they desperately need help.

Drummers and Skyler I'm just so very saddened to hear what your children are going through and that CAMHS arebt providing the necessary and obviously essential support. I'm getting the feeling that they're a kind of middle man referral en route to someone else who can help. I hope that someone else CAN or what hope is there for these children!??

CAMHS provided a very swift diagnosis of ADHD and AS for DS(within 1 month of seeing him)stating he was 'text book' for both conditions.
We were surprised and were expecting a raft of assessments, but apparently the amount of intervention at school already by external bodies gave them more than enough information to diagnose with very little time spent with DS (!)

They made a big deal about the ADHD and what medicinal strategies can be used to help manage and support the associated difficulties and behaviours. Provided a number of leaflets for support groups relating to AS/ASD.

We tried one medication for a couple of months and then took him off them as it coincided with a significant spike in anxiety at school. DS anxiety did not diminish after coming off the medication however.

We were advised to find a more suitable placement for school, and once his anxiety is minimised they will try medication with him again.

Medication has been the only thing offered by CAMHS after diagnosis thus far, but we are newbies with them by comparison to others that have messaged.

Gosh. I'm really upset to hear that they just seem it want to rush out medication and fib you off, suggesting a change in school but, I presume, no support to ease anxiety that the change would bring about. I'm a bit confused as CAMHS have referred us to another place fir a fully diagnostic sort of assessment of AS. Why couldn't they do it?

Two of my DC attend CAMHS for Tourette's syndrome.
Our experience has been very mixed. Lately my DD has a great Dr who is non judgemental, listens carefully, talks options through with us.

Having said that - the Psychologist my daughter saw for a while was hugely critical of our family. DD tends to look normal in public and tic at home. The Psychologists attitude was there must be something wrong at home - clearly she didn't have a clue about people suppressing tics and then letting them out in a safe environment.

Early on our experience was awful. I have worked in this particular service, and I knew it was dysfunctional when I worked there. On the other side it was even worse. A clear history was never taken, we were judged as parents and my DD was told she was making her tics up. When she went to the day hospital they were positively malignant towards her in the management of Tourettes. Their way to get children to complete steps on a behavioural program was to pay the kids. Atrocious.

My DS has had ok management. But, whilst he's on meds they are not the full answer and access to other help - eg through Psychologists- is incredibly limited and he basically has to get on with it.

There has been absolutely no interest in us as a family. I would rather see a decent GP and get the meds for my kids and get on with it. I hate that CAMHS can be so judgemental about parents when the reality is they're not much help themselves.

I hear you. It's just dreadful that you're not all receiving help fir what is such a great difficulty without such judgements and bizarre 'motivational tools'. How are you getting the support needed now? Are you finding any charities can tell with Tourette's?