Mental Health Care, Mental Health Treatment

Question: What are peoples experiences of mental health care?

(Posted by: M on 2008-12-20 09:25:33)

In the NHS or elsewhere- did you find it helped you and enabled you to live with your condition, or was it unhelpful? All experiences, good and bad. Thanks.

Posted by: siiri_luukin on 2008-12-20, 09:29:17

I had counseling, and still regularly see my Psychiatrist. With effort from the patient, mental health care/ therapy/ whateveryoucallit is very effective. But it takes effort on your part. The meds/ sessions etc. do no good if you do not do your part.

Posted by: lonelygirl on 2008-12-20, 09:35:28

I see a community mental health nurse and she is very good, they have helped me back to work and have helped me sort accommodation. This is NHS one.

Posted by: SH2007 on 2008-12-20, 09:40:25

Hi, to be honest most of my experiences have been pretty bad and they have been more damaging than helpful. I have a psychiatrist who doesnt care of listen and makes decisons without involving me and this has recently lead to me being very hurt. I was mentally/ verbally abused by a psychiatric nurse whilst on a hospital ward earlier this year. I have been told by a gp that my eating disorder which had been going on for a year and a half at that stage was "just a phase ", I have been made feel worthless and had my character degraded and I striggle to get any support from them. They recently removed my keyworker without warning- the only person i had to confide in and the replacement has been off ever since, this has lead to my condition worsening. I find in the NHS if you don't get better they turn around and blame you for it and i find that awful. Even though most of my experiences have been bad i still have met one or two nice people who have helped me whilst i have been in their care. I think the NHS has a lot of improvement to do in the area of mental health care provision and services! best of luck x

Posted by: dragonflyfaye on 2008-12-20, 09:40:32

I have been hospitalized twice at Immanuel Hospital. Both times it didn't help because they don't have the individual sessions that some of the patients need. I have been through 2 nurse practitioners for medicines, one quack of a doctor for meds and counseling, and now on my 4th person to try and get my medicine right. I think that in Omaha it is hard to find the right doctor who will actually listen to what you are saying. It's hard to find someone that doesn't just want to fling all the medicines onto you.

Posted by: kiwihelen70 on 2008-12-20, 09:41:07

When NHS care is good it is very good - it can sometimes be a bit patchy if there is underinvestment in your area. You need to be your own advocate and ask for help and support.

Posted by: 555 on 2008-12-20, 10:11:17

Well i have been seeing my GP for 4 months, and my trust in her has built alot over that time, she rings me alot to check im okay, and i have a mental health key worker who i feel comftable with, a man i see and another woman who i have only seen once. All of these i see are very understanding and i feel they do listen and dont just pack me of on drugs and thats it, no longer want to see me anymore, well these do, these are Child and adoslent mental health services, (CAMHS) NHS they talk through the best treatment with you, but in my case i didnt really have a choice, i jad to be put on meds, and have a persoan who comes around my house all the time, which is still to be arranged. Its VERY important to find somebody you trust and feel comftable telling them things, else you shall never get the help that you need, itmay take along time to find this, but dont ever give up on bad experiances, you will find the right ones. One bad experience i had, and i mean bad, was when i had to go hospital last week, and i had a specalist come to talk to me, who quite frankly had no idea in the world what he was talking about, he could barly speak english, and yet he was meant to be a professional? I was in bits sat waiting for an hour, when i was told a ten min wait? he came in and sat there with not a care in the world, asked me the same things over and over again, and when i answered he always said pardon what what? and obvs i wasnt gnna sit thr and explain everything so he could understand when i was in such a state? His pager went of about 20 times, and i didnt mind the first few times, but i quess this is his job, but when he kept walking out every 5 mins and disapearing for an hour and 45 mins leaving me going insane in a small room, this kind of hacked me of, after hours of waiting for him to return to other men came in, who were very nice and told me the other doctor is known to be crap with everybody, hes there cause hes paid alot, he doesnt actually care, and i could tell, this made me feel a hell of alot worse for days on end, trying to make me admit that i was on drugs, and that i have alot to drink, when i am defo not on drugs, and i very rraly drink alot anymore, he said he knows what my people are like? This was at my local hospital mental health ward NHS, and i shall never want to experaicne that again, please find the right help and people that i have done and explained above, it will make a drastic change and chance of getting you help.