February 23rd 2015

Care in the community...what does it mean to you? It is supposed to mean that folk with mental distress have access to professionals who can offer hope and help in their hour of need.

My last depressive episode started at the end of October after a period of mania. For the last few years, I have managed my mental health relatively well on my own, and with the help of a fantastic GP. This time, for whatever reason, I have been unable to pick up, and my mood has been so low, and my thoughts verging on the psychotic. I have also expressed suicidal thoughts many times, and written them down.

As the depression took hold, I lost my powers of coherent speech, and was unable to express myself, so withdrew even further. To even reach out and ask for help became more and more difficult. I cut myself off from friends and family.

With the help of a dogged, determined friend, who seemed to understand my difficulties communicating, I was able to get some limited help from my GP, as I wrote down everything, and she sat in the surgery with me, and helped me out when I became 'word stuck'.

My GP decided I needed urgent referral back to the Psych Team, but warned that with Christmas and the New Year approaching, this may not happen as quickly as she wished it would.

Finally, my 'urgent' referral came through for 28th January..yes, that's now a month ago. Once more, I took my sheets of paper explaining how low my mood was, how psychotic my thought patterns were, and how suicidal I felt. I sat and tried to communicate for nearly two hours to a stranger (My former psychiatrist had since left). 

All I really recall of that meeting was how tough it was, and how I was asked what help I wanted! I had gone hoping I would be offered help! I am not in a good place to sort myself out at present. I signed a form to say that I wanted a copy of the letter she would send to the GP.

I have waited, and waited, and waited....and heard nothing at all. I have phoned 5 times to ask to speak to the CPN who sat in with me (For I don't even know if I have been reassigned a care coordinator) and have heard nothing back. So I rang the secretary, who of course wasn't there. Another secretary looked into it for me, but could find nothing!

I saw my GP this morning, as I had loads of queries regarding my medication, but she also feels out of her depth, as she has had no word from psych team either.

So, as a suicidal 'urgent' case, it is now two months since my referral, and I am no nearer receiving any help whatsoever from the CMHT. What do you have to do to get help??