Mental health care on the NHS

This is really a grievance but I thought it would be more useful to post here because of the subject matter.

Starting in December last year I went to see my GP about some serious issues I was having.  I was put on antidepressants and I had to fill out a form to see if I was depressed. I remember writing on the form that I sometimes thought of killing myself (I'm fine now, don't worry.)

The next time I saw my GP, he told me that according to my test results, I wasn't depressed. WTF? Do people who are not depressed think of killing themselves? That's news to me. What has to be wrong with you to be depressed?

My GP put me on a waiting list to see an NHS counsellor. This was in December or January. In the beginning of May I received a letter from the NHS, dated May 1st, saying that I had missed an appointment for April 27, so they had given my appointment to someone else. I called and said I had never received the letter and asked to have another appointment made.  I also noticed that the way they had printed my building number and flat number was confusing, which is why the original letter probably didn't gt to me, so I asked that my address be changed in the system. The person I spoke to told me that she would get me another appointment, and she would fix my address.

Last week I decided to give them a call and ask if they were expediting my appointment or putting me back at the end of the list. I thought I should get the next available appointment, since it wasn't my fault that I never received the letter.

The person I spoke to this time said they had no record of my ever having called and saying that I didn't receive my original appointment letter or asking for another. She then said that she could not make me another appointment, I would have to go back to my GP to get a referral all over again, and I would have to go back to the bottom of the list.

Finally -  she said that the waiting list to see a mental health counsellor is 40 weeks!

So I asked her what would happen if I was suicidal, and her answer was that if there was a crisis, I should go to A&E.

I'm in private therapy now, so I'm not suffering personally (except for the fact that I have to pay for the therapy), but this is outrageous.  Basically, you can only get mental  health care if you have reached the point where you are in an emergency situation, which in my view, means that you are a danger to yourself or other people. A mental  health problem that goes untreated for 40 weeks is only going to get much worse.

There are some problems that need to be treated with more than just antidepressants.

I understand that the NHS has limited resources but this just doesn't make sense.

Wow, that is absolutely appalling. I'm sorry you had such a horrible time with it. It is shocking that they treat such situations so flippantly. Just glad you managed to sort it privately.

I know what you are going thru Sweetpeach. Am trying to get my youngest daughter into the system as well. They sent her to a foreign pysch doctor that couldn't understand what she was saying, whom she couldn't understand either.

We have went thru the self harming with her. The terrible terrible mood swings, to which I think she is bipolar. But the doctor she talked to on Thursday said she wasn't..even tho her father had terrible mood swings. He is sending her to emotional group therapy...

Glad you are doing much better...

Ugggh...

I'm glad you're doing better with private therapy, but can you imagine if you couldn't afford to pay that?

Hang in there 

Hi Sweetpeach I'm sorry to hear about your experiences, its an awful feeling isn't it? I've had the same experiences as well. Some of the great advice my Gps have given me over the years (I've been multiple times for depression to no avail):

"Get more exercise"
"Buy a self-help book"
"pay for private counselling"
and my favourite
"Just move back home"....I hadn't mentioned being home sick at all.

My experience is that unless they view that you are a danger to yourself and/or others, they do not offer much help. I have never been offered medication, or counselling. I too have just decided to pay for counselling, because I don't think the NHS will ever offer what I need.

I just have felt so disempowered on these occations. They don't even really let me express all of my feelings, I continually feel rushed out of their office. So half the time I feel like they are dismissing me without knowing the extent of what is going on in my life. I am tired of living this way, its been years, but every time I go to the GP, they seem to think exercise and self help books are the way forward.

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about these experiences, it's a bit disheartening really since I can't imagine how frustrated I'd be I've always wondered what help I might get in the UK for some of my issues since I haven't gotten much here in the States due to a variety of factors (including my insurance insisting I be on a medication before they'd let me talk to a therapist). My husband wasn't able to give me much of an idea since he's never had to go to a GP for issues like that, so in a way I'm glad I found this thread to get some idea of how it can be treated via the NHS.

Heh, if buying a self-help book could cure all, I don't think any of us would be needing to see a GP because we're miserable. I don't think there'd be *any* depressed or anxious or upset people if that was a real effective form of therapy. I've only ever been to a therapist twice before he moved clinics and I never got put back on someone else; it just seemed easier to take my meds since I was young and kinda busy with things, but I've never really had it dealt with here in the States.

I guess I'll just have to see what path they put me on when I get there--I hope that everyone here who has problems can find a way to sort them out and feel better despite their experiences.

Thanks everyone.

I took the intitiative to ask for medication and counselling, I suppose because I have experience with mental health care in the States.

I suppose if I hadn't have asked, it wouldn't have been offered.

ETA: Oh, the exercise thing. Everytime I see someone about my problems, the first thing they say is that I'm not exercising enough - before they even ask me if I do exercise.    I exercise about 5 days a week. Until I left my last job in April, I had to walk an additional 3 miles a day just to get to and from work, and I'm not overweight.  Why do they assume that every person who is depressed isn't getting enough exercise?

.

ETA: Oh, the exercise thing. Everytime I see someone about my problems, the first thing they say is that I'm not exercising enough - before they even ask me if I do exercise.    I exercise about 5 days a week. Until I left my last job in April, I had to walk an additional 3 miles a day just to get to and from work, and I'm not overweight.  Why do they assume that every person who is depressed isn't getting enough exercise?

I know! I am slightly overweight, but walk my dog 7 days a week, I'm part of a walking club at work and during one of my appointments, it was in the height of rugby season and I was training 3 times per week 2 hours a go of heavy cardio. I'm sure the Gp just takes a look at me and thinks, "Ah she's overweight, she musn't exercise at all that's got to be the problem!"

FYI, I never meant to imply that all people who were overweight didn't get enough exercise. Just that usually people would be more likely to associate being overweight with lack of exercise.

Until I've started trying to see people regarding mental health issues in the UK, I've never had anyone ever suggest to me that I could use more exercise.

Whatever you weigh, you'd think that the doctor or counsellor would ask before making assumptions.

FYI, I never meant to imply that all people who were overweight didn't get enough exercise. Just that usually people would be more likely to associate being overweight with lack of exercise.

Until I've started trying to see people regarding mental health issues in the UK, I've never had anyone ever suggest to me that I could use more exercise.

Whatever you weigh, you'd think that the doctor or counsellor would ask before making assumptions.

I'm sure no one took your comments that way.

Thanks. I think they just grasp at straws to try to avoid referring you for more specialised care.

Just wanted to add another experience: I went to my GP to talk about medication for depression about six months ago, and they had no problem with starting me on something. They did ask if I wanted to try therapy, which I declined.

As I understand it, the benefits of exercise in treating depression are reasonably well documented. I think it's a good thing for GPs to suggest, but not asking first about how much exercise you get is ridiculous.

As I understand it, the benefits of exercise in treating depression are reasonably well documented. I think it's a good thing for GPs to suggest, but not asking first about how much exercise you get is ridiculous.

Its very well documented indeed. I just personally don't feel it should be the default cure when its clear that the patient already does do a substancial amount of exercise. My complaint is that because I am overweight, it seems to be the only advice/help I am offered.

I agree that exercise can help depression.

My problem is when there is absolutely no evidence that you aren't exercising, so that it seems to be an excuse to fob you off and avoid providing proper medical care. The same as with recommending that you get a self-help book.

casualwalks, I suppose if you are overweight some doctors may assume, unfortunately, that every problem that you have is down to being overweight. As though if you only shed some pounds, your life would suddenly become miraculously wonderful. (Because there are no thin ill or depressed people.)

I don't really like the idea of taking medication without having therapy concurrently, but I guess medication alone is better than nothing.