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Confused and let down by mental health services
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
This might turn into a bit of a moan but oh well. If you can't be bothered to read it all then just don't read the part in italics because it's the part below it that I would like insight into.
The first frustration I had once I had been referred to the 16-18 mental health team was how long it took for me to get the acceptance and then my first assessment appointment and then the second assessment appointment. There were months in between each and I was going through a difficult time so that was tough. However I know it wasn't their fault so...oh well.
Then there's the fact that everybody just passes you off to another person all the time. Seeing so many people for 'help' just tires and confuses me! They talk about me between themselves and that makes me feel paranoid and I don't know who knows what and I always have to repeat myself etc. I sought help for the first time in October and since then the people who have been involved in my 'care' are: Two Connexions advisors (one of which I've never even met before!), head of sixth form, deputy head of my school, the sixth form advisor, the learning mentor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a GP and a counsellor! Again though I know that they're all just trying to help so I shouldn't complain it's just...I don't know, I find it all so confusing :S
Also, the mental health team has confused me a lot. I only saw them twice and I sincerely believe that there are quite a number of difficulties that I have which they don't know about. Nothing that I purposefully kept from them, but just things that they didn't ask me about and I didn't voice them out of the blue either.
The mental health referred me to counselling and closed my file which meant they had to write a report of my time with them to send to my GP (first they asked me for consent to do this which I gave them). They were also going to send a copy of that letter to me. However, my parents don't know about any of this so I don't get their post to my house; they send it to the care of the school who then pass it onto me. However somehow that letter ended up in my school file and the mentor read it! At first she wouldn't even give it to me, only a photocopy of it and claimed it was not addressed to me...even though at the end of the letter it said: Cc Hospital File and Cc -insert my name here- c/o -insert my school name here- !
In the end I had to go and explain to my deputy head about it all who then got the letter back off the mentor and to me. Him and the mentor both said that they would never open my post but it was not addressed to me and only to the school. However I fail to see how the mental health team could possibly have FORGOTTEN to write my name on the envelope. How can you forget to write the name of the person the letter is addressed to on the envelope?! If it is true that they have indeed made that error then I am very angry with them because the situation caused me a lot of distress and my mood has noticeably been lower since that incident than it was for the few weeks before it. A part of me would like to contact them and complain but I don't really see any benefit in that so...I probably won't.
Also, on my referral to the 16-18 team, the person who wrote the referral asked them to also screen me for Asperger's syndrome. The psychiatrist and psychologist never once mentioned it to me and it's not mentioned in my report at all. I am confused because I would have thought that had they ascertained that I do not have it, it would still have been mentioned in the section about why I was initially referred to them? Or am I just reading into that too much and the reason it's not mentioned is just because they thought I didn't have it? I just feel like they forgot about it or something...but then I feel like that it's their job NOT to forget about things like that so it's just me being silly...same issue with the letter fiasco I suppose?
I am really confused and a little annoyed too. ;/
The first frustration I had once I had been referred to the 16-18 mental health team was how long it took for me to get the acceptance and then my first assessment appointment and then the second assessment appointment. There were months in between each and I was going through a difficult time so that was tough. However I know it wasn't their fault so...oh well.
Then there's the fact that everybody just passes you off to another person all the time. Seeing so many people for 'help' just tires and confuses me! They talk about me between themselves and that makes me feel paranoid and I don't know who knows what and I always have to repeat myself etc. I sought help for the first time in October and since then the people who have been involved in my 'care' are: Two Connexions advisors (one of which I've never even met before!), head of sixth form, deputy head of my school, the sixth form advisor, the learning mentor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, a GP and a counsellor! Again though I know that they're all just trying to help so I shouldn't complain it's just...I don't know, I find it all so confusing :S
Also, the mental health team has confused me a lot. I only saw them twice and I sincerely believe that there are quite a number of difficulties that I have which they don't know about. Nothing that I purposefully kept from them, but just things that they didn't ask me about and I didn't voice them out of the blue either.
The mental health referred me to counselling and closed my file which meant they had to write a report of my time with them to send to my GP (first they asked me for consent to do this which I gave them). They were also going to send a copy of that letter to me. However, my parents don't know about any of this so I don't get their post to my house; they send it to the care of the school who then pass it onto me. However somehow that letter ended up in my school file and the mentor read it! At first she wouldn't even give it to me, only a photocopy of it and claimed it was not addressed to me...even though at the end of the letter it said: Cc Hospital File and Cc -insert my name here- c/o -insert my school name here- !
In the end I had to go and explain to my deputy head about it all who then got the letter back off the mentor and to me. Him and the mentor both said that they would never open my post but it was not addressed to me and only to the school. However I fail to see how the mental health team could possibly have FORGOTTEN to write my name on the envelope. How can you forget to write the name of the person the letter is addressed to on the envelope?! If it is true that they have indeed made that error then I am very angry with them because the situation caused me a lot of distress and my mood has noticeably been lower since that incident than it was for the few weeks before it. A part of me would like to contact them and complain but I don't really see any benefit in that so...I probably won't.
Also, on my referral to the 16-18 team, the person who wrote the referral asked them to also screen me for Asperger's syndrome. The psychiatrist and psychologist never once mentioned it to me and it's not mentioned in my report at all. I am confused because I would have thought that had they ascertained that I do not have it, it would still have been mentioned in the section about why I was initially referred to them? Or am I just reading into that too much and the reason it's not mentioned is just because they thought I didn't have it? I just feel like they forgot about it or something...but then I feel like that it's their job NOT to forget about things like that so it's just me being silly...same issue with the letter fiasco I suppose?
I am really confused and a little annoyed too. ;/
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Comments
I am sorry to hear that you are feeling confused and let down by mental health services at the moment. It is unfortunate what happened with the letter and I can understand why you feel angry about this, it may be worth discussing how you are feeling with some senior staff at the school and ask that any future correspondence could be dealt with when you are present.
The screening for aspergers syndrome may just be to do as a process of elimination and I wouldn't worry too much about this !. Don't ever feel like you are being silly it is very important for you to want everything to be done accurately and want to be kept up to date with things!!.
It may be an idea for you to contact your mental health professionals just to answer any questions you may have before any further assessments you attend, even if its just to put your mind at rest !!.
Please continue to post on here and we are always here at the site to help and advise you!
Take care
B:wave:
The thing is though that my file with the mental health team has now been closed and I am not facing any more assessments now that I have started counselling. I am confused as to whether they did screen me for Asperger's whilst assessing me and decided that I didn't have it, or they didn't do so at all...because I just feel like if they had been, it should have been included in the reasons for referral section of the report. Or am I just over thinking things and there is no reason for that to be in the report at all if they decided that it was not relevant to me despite being a reason for referral?
Also do you know if I am supposed to go to see my GP now that she has this report or not? :S
I know it was a while ago now but just wanted to check and see how you are getting on ! How is your counselling going ?!
I know you asked me in the thread a while ago if you should go back to your G.P and ask if she has a copy of the report ! If you haven't done this already it may be worth doing just to get some clarity for yourself about all of the assessments that were carried out by the mental health team.
Im sorry for not replying to your post sooner and please do carry on to post here at the site and let us know how you are doing !
Take care,
B:thumb: