Comments on: But I Don’t Think That’s A Very Good Idea

By: Ruth

Ruth — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:37:56 +0000

Disillusioned: the really sad thing is that the NHS shouldn’t be luck of the draw. It should be standardised care throughout the country with the same referral procedures and everything. But then I live in a dream world.

Alison: I din’t choose to tell me parents and be open with them. I was 18 when I was first admitted to a psych unit and they found out. It’s hard when you’re 18 to keep everything away from them, even though I managed quite well as being 300 miles away at uni helped. Now I am occasionally honest with my Mum, don’t really talk to my Dad. I am more honest now with my Mum than I was after I found some things out about her past that explain a lot.
Don’t ever apologise for waffling on this blog – it’s what it exists for!

By: Alison

Alison — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:23:30 +0000

Thanks Ruth, I was initially seen last year three times, each appointment I felt like he was patronising me and not prepared to really listen, he seemed to find excuses for everything. The CPN was the same although I DID actually like her but had not seen her since last June. My 3rd appointment at the hospital was pointless I was not even in there for 4 minutes, a complete waste of my time.

I got my appointment for the private place today; the price has already increased by £50 since last week so I am not impressed! It’s not like I can really afford to go private, the bills are mounting and it’s been beans on toast for two weeks to raise the cash, I am just so utterly disillusioned with the NHS that I don’t know where the hell to turn to anymore. My parents have no idea what is going through my head I try not to burden them with my issues since my dad would not be interested and my mother is too ill for me to bother her. I admire how your parents know and the fact you can be open with them.

Sorry for waffling Ruth, I didn’t mean to.

By: Disillusioned

Disillusioned — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:11:25 +0000

“Trouble with the NHS is, it’s just luck of the draw ”
Sadly, so very very true. Even within one mental health trust I have experienced vastly different treatment. It comes down to the individuals you are in contact with and their attitudes as much as (possibly more so) than your own. There seems to be virtually no monitoring / equality of standards / coherence which is, to be blunt, a crap state of affairs. Am hoping things improve for you as you see your full time psych.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:08:53 +0000

Alison: One of my first experiences of psychiatric care just over 4 years ago was privately. I was referred into the NHS and things weren’t working or happening so when I eventually ended up as an inpatient because I’d deteriorated my parents thought ’sod this’ and put my in a private psychiatric unit. From there after discharge I saw a private psychiatrist and psychologist for about 12 months.
Unfortunately this was on private medical insurance, through my Dad’s old job and even though I have my own cover now they refuse to pay out for pre-existing medical conditions so my cover excludes what they so delicately term ‘psychiatric troubles’. My psych in Newcastle is fantastic, she really listens and understands why I will and won’t take certain drugs and participate in certain activities.
Trouble with the NHS is, it’s just luck of the draw and as I am ony a temporary patient down here I happened to get whoever was the duty psych yesterday, and it happened to be that total eejit.

Wandering Coyote: I’m not taking the olanzapine, I’m refusing to on principal and since I have enough of the quetiapine (Seroquel) to cover me until I see my proper psych on Tuesday I am going to continue taking that.
Luckily I am not stuck with that total idiot, as I said to Alison I am deemed to be a temporary patient here as I currently see a psychiatrist in Newcastle after I was admitted to hospital up there (and I am moving up there on Saturday) so he just happened to be the one I saw at the time. I pity anyone who does have him as their full time psychiatrist though!

Diane: There are good psychs out there. My full-time psych is lovely and I have had other decent psychs in the past, just the people who practise psychiatry badly really tend to stick in your head!

By: Diane J Standiford

Diane J Standiford — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:45:32 +0000

Gawd hate shrinks, I hear such horrible stories and majored in psych in college, but the students were such creeps; now I wish I had stuck with it because I could have actually HELPED people. AARRGGHH

By: Wandering Coyote

Wandering Coyote — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:16:41 +0000

I’d be disgusted, too, with your psychiatrist. The olanzapine (which I’ll Zydis, since it’s easier to spell for me and is what we call it over here) gave me such severe sugar cravings that I was buying a cake to eat for breakfast pretty much every other day. I was eating so much cake, in fact, that my shrink took me off of it because he was alarmed. I am not joking. It’s not about figure; it’s about your health. Cake = potential diabetes, heart problems (which people with depression are more prone to anyways), and all kinds of other stuff. Not to mention lots of money.

Anyway, I really feel for you. Are you stuck with this doctor, or can you try to find someone you’re on the same page with?

By: Alison

Alison — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:43:57 +0000

Well first off what a pig ignorant psychiatrist, how dare he talk to a patient in that way. It sounds like he didn’t want to listen let alone actually help. Almost feels like the experience I had on the NHS last year (the phrase head and brick wall spring to mind), which is the reason I decided to finally go private!