Suicide and lack of support from the services

[pauljstephens51@hotmail.com]

hello Huegatort
these doctors.cpns and ot's forget we see them each and every day weather good or bad days, we deal with there changing moods min by min. we see the changes in them that no1 else see's. yet when we try to tell them of these things just in case there just blank us like we are not there or we know nothing. last time my partner was really bad and ended up in hosiptal i had warned them something was wrong 4 weeks before, did there listen no. so when we went to the appointment after there came out of hospital i said to him i told you 4 weeks ago that things were not right and you never listened to me. could have saved alot of hurt and heartache. but i dont need to tell you this as you know it yourself.
we can learn so much more from the ppl with the illness and from each other. more than we can the consultants etc.
take care good luck to your son too

[FreeBird]

I think it's really important as a carer to see the consultants with the person you care for. I have found that consultants don't really get to know the person well before making important desisions about treatment plans, which leaves the poor person needing help in the first place to not only deal with their condition, but also deal with doctors and CPNs who don't seem to have a clue about their situation.

Sad really!

[fluffycat]

I think it's really important as a carer to see the consultants with the person you care for. I have found that consultants don't really get to know the person well before making important desisions about treatment plans, which leaves the poor person needing help in the first place to not only deal with their condition, but also deal with doctors and CPNs who don't seem to have a clue about their situation.

Sad really!

Totally agree with you!

Fortunately, my local CMHTs are fairly good to accept and listen to Carers. And they are going to challenge about confidentiality - even if patients do not wish to share any information with family/Carers, clinicians understand how important to get information out from family/Carers. So family/Carers can let them know what is happening in front of their eyes without the person concerned in the near future.

[FreeBird]

Thats good news then, I know it's tough when it comes to confidentiality, but I think, especially with mental health patients, that the people who live with them, like carers and family have a right to be involved.
My husband can be so modest at appointments, and isn't entirely honest about things that have been going on, and if the Dr. doesn't dig a little then he doesn't know the full story, and thinks he's coping better than he is. Means he gets letters to the GP saying to stop giving him the meds he really needs.

Funny that pretty much everyone in the CMHT wants everyone to be on medication, then, when they do start it, they change their minds and want them off it!

[jessie]

I seem to have upset a few people with my comments, and I'm truly sorry.

I think it must be a postcode thing again, because where I come from PD is not classified as mental illness per se, but a collection of behavioural issues.

My mother has a PD - Narcissistic, Borderline and ? sadistic - I have personal experience of the situation, but too tend to rant on a bit sometimes.

[fluffycat]

PDs are newish condition in mental heath - if I remember correctly, it has only 15+ years history and its study is only begining in the UK. It will take a long time to be recognised properly but there is national scheme which again will take time to be implemented.

Take a look at:
http://www.personalitydisorder.org.uk/
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthin ... rs/pd.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline ... y_disorder

[jessie]

[quote]PDs are newish condition in mental heath - if I remember correctly, it has only 15+ years history and its study is only begining in the UK. It will take a long time to be recognised properly but there is national scheme which again will take time to be implemented.

My personal (& truly horrific) experiences of Personal Disorders go back to 1971.

I was seriously harmed by a boyfriend clinically diagnosed in 1971 by several Psychiatrists as having a personality disorder with sadistic and psychotic tendencies. Fortunately I took advice & left him although have lifetime scarring....one of his other girlfriends ended up mutilated & dead, another remains to this day in psychiatric hospital. He thought it was all a great joke.

My mother lately has diagnosed vascular dementia. To those who don't know her, her challenging behaviour, cruelty & agression are due to dementia....to those of us who know her....which includes her GP AND her medical notes, this behaviour is usual to her....her vascular damage only impairs her memory.

[FreeBird]

I seem to have upset a few people with my comments, and I'm truly sorry.

I think it must be a postcode thing again, because where I come from PD is not classified as mental illness per se, but a collection of behavioural issues.

My mother has a PD - Narcissistic, Borderline and ? sadistic - I have personal experience of the situation, but too tend to rant on a bit sometimes.

I don't think it comes down in my area as a mental illness, more like a set of symptoms that a person has just because thats the way they are. The doctors I've spoken to don't seem to take it that seriously!

[jessie]

"They" don't take it seriously because they know there's absolutely nothing they can do.

To medics, a person has to present themselves with a problem. The PD person doesn't know they have a problem. To quote my GP: "only the sane present themselves for treatment".

It's a very sad vicious circle......the affected person COULD change....but because they're affected, they're incapable of realising they need to change.

On the rare occasions when a PD sufferer does have insight into their behaviour, therapy is likely to take many years, be very expensive and, to the sufferer, goes against their entire world / way of thinking / their perception.

In my opinion, it's one of life's extreme tragedies.

[Huegatort]

Hello Jessie
Our Son knows he's ill! He has been with the mental health services since the age of 11. He has severe depression and his suicidal tendencies are his biggest nightmare; he's frightened of what he'll do to HIMSELF but not others.
We are now outsiders to the services and have to go it alone. He still has to take his anti psychotic meds though and his anti depressants.
I know the services didn't really do much to help but he was seen every 3 months and listened to for 10 minutes and had his medication checked. It is we as Carers that carry the heavy burden of caring and dealing with everything 24/7.
We do not agree with the change in our Son's diagnosis and believe that it has been done to save money to the services. I have heard that this has happened to many sufferers of Schizophrenia. A severe chronic illness is not cured over night and no matter what they call our Son's illness he still has all of the same problems bless him.
Regards