Anyone else dealing with PTSD & similar mental health issues? Are you getting adequate care?

ThankGod

Wondering whether anyone else here has PTSD and other trauma-related mental health problems?  If so, do you feel you are getting enough care?  Has your Mental Health Team been helpful to you.  I have been fighting for years to get enough medical help.  Because I look "normal" and am articulate, over the years doctors and nurses have been way too quick to write me off as being fine and not in need of help.  But the reality is I am barely able to function.  I recently had 12 weeks of trauma-focused psychotherapy on the NHS and it was amazingly helpful.  But they only offer 12 weeks at a time, and then it's a waiting list of about 6 months to get further therapy.

cupcake88

Hi there yes I do suffer with trauma related mental illness and Here are my experiences with being under a mental health team .  I was diagnosed with ptsd pychosis , anxiety and ocd due to trauma last year . I have become seriously mentally ill For years tho  . I was on a huge down wards spiral for years slowly getting worse . I ended up in a and e really poorly just over a year ago I was assessed and that’s when I started getting help it was just over a year ago when I was actually diagnosed I was put under home based treatment / crisis team I saw a pychiatrist with in a few days I was put on medication and a plan was made . I then was put under a community mental health team last April there pychiatrist also diagnosed me the same I have a mental health nurse she contacts me every Monday I had a relapse in October last year and I have had one recently where I’m now back under home based treatment /crisis and when they feel I’m better I’ll be put back under the care of my nurse .

its different in every area for mental health but what I have heard from others and from my own experience you have to take really ill before you get help which is a shame I had to completely loose my mind before I was offered help .

The home based treatment team are great it’s like a hospital from home basically my community nurse isn’t so great she doesn’t act as quick as the home based treatment team I also find my community nurse patronising at times but it’s been explained to me that that’s there job to help me get better in the community and help me live a better life all tho I really do still struggle daily I’m more aware of my illness and the Triggers and the medication helps as my partner can tell when I haven’t taken my meds so they do make a difference even tho I don’t always feel they have  .I’m on antipsychotic meds that help with my pychosis , anti depressant to help with the ocd and anxiety and then I’m on high dose of diazepam to take as and when but with me being poorly at the moment I’m taking the diazepam daily on top of my other medication . I also have to have my anti psychotic in a injection form Now which my nurse will come out to me and give me because I forget to take my pills and the anti Psychotic is the most important one.  

I have been told I can not have any therapy no anxiety therapy , no trauma therapy as I’m not ready for it I did start therapy but it had to stop until I’m more stable but I have heard very good things bout the therapy tho I haven’t heard bout only doing it 12 weeks at a time that must be for certain therapies . 

are you on any medication at all ? I feel like medication could really help you so maybe discus with your doctor ask if you can see a psychiatrist . Of course I’m not a doctor so I’m not giving medical advice but I’m sharing with you my own experience. 

I’m not sure how it would all work via your gp as my mental health care started when I was in a and e suffering with pychosis . A lot of people I know with mental illness said the same they only got help when they got really poorly.

Each time I have been assessed even recently I was assessed by crisis team and they have decided that putting me on a locked ward Wouldn’t be good for me they feel I’m best being cared for in the community . So if your worried you will end up in hospital by speaking to your gp then please don’t worry as they only section people as a very last resort .

are you still on waiting list for further therapy ? Are you under like a mental health team do you have a nurse ?

i find with mental health services it’s really up and down especially now with covid that’s made it difficult for nurses to go out and visit people and for therapy to go ahead but thinks are starting to go back to normal . 

I hope I managed to answer your question just from my personal experiences . We all experience trauma in different ways that affects us very differently with my self I managed to burry it with in me for years and then that door I had locked with In me slowly started to open and I got worse and worse and worse so what was ptsd turned into anxiety -ocd and then pychosis . I still haven’t fully accepted what has happened to me and that I’m disabled I find my mental illness hard to accept how ever I do realise how ill iam which before I didn’t . 

I struggle daily I don’t work I can’t work and I don’t ever see me ever being able to hold down a job . Do you manage to work ? 

What sort of help do you think you would benefit from world you benefit from being under a community team do you think ? 

 

The best way I describe my mental illness to people if I feel like my illness is a game of snakes and ladders I may go up a tiny ladder then i land on a big snake head and go back to the start . 

I hope this all helps 

0898

Thankgod your not alone 
im sick of doctors asking about my illness physically and mentally so i wrote a list of all my problems treatments and medications and give it to whoever is the doctor and tell them to read it as im not going to upset myself hearing the words out loud i found a site called vitaminds and you can refer yourself to them they will arrange a phone call and see if they can be of any help with CBT after the call my doctor became suddenly worried about me and said that he would refer me to many different departments as im disabled and then keeps saying that he has Covid-19 and the NHS is under pressure so i asked him why my heroin and crack addict brother and his girlfriend both have appointments for the methadone prescription to be raised and they have the local drug and alcohol project and have full pip benefits as they had a personal adviser to help out with it all and 2 weeks after getting backpay of over £5000 each they needed a referral to food bank!
those who are really ill are not getting any help because of these people who have caused the problem to themselves x try vitaminds as they do try to help take care of yourself 

Quinty

I have a psychiatric  counsellor every Thursday, but it was hard work trying to get anyvhelp from my mental health trust. Part of the help is a mindfulness session at the end I find very  helpful. 

Tori_Scope

I'm glad you're getting the help you deserve now @Quinty Lots of people talk about how useful mindfulness is, so it's good to hear that you find it helpful.