Moving on, feeling well

To share your deepest feelings and anxieties with a stranger is not the most natural thing to do. Sharing with family and friends is often difficult enough. Throw into the mix that you're a child or young person, and you're not sure who to trust or what's going to happen to you if you share how you feel and the task of opening up and asking for help becomes unimaginably hard to do.

We've always hoped that our site might offer young people who are finding it difficult to ask for help a chance to express their views anonymously and be reassured by their local services that there is help available. Wonderfully, it's proved to be that and more.

Last month we received a fantastic story from a 17 year old, who has ADHD and Autism. They have been supported by their local CAMHS team since pre-school and wanted to share their gratitude and praise for their psychiatrist. They say "the consultant psychiatrist was polite, kind and respectful too and she really understood my issues". Despite some apprehension about the transition they will soon make to adult services "I will miss it when I turn 18 because I will be getting transferred to adult services" they have nothing but thanks for the team "A fantastic service. the CAMHS has helped me and my family over the years".

In a haze of NHS reforms and increasing worries about the provision of mental health services, it's so reassuring to hear from young people on Patient Opinion who feel well supported and happy. And just to put the cherry on the top of this great story, the service have responded to thank the teenager for their feedback saying that "This generates tremendous pride in our staff and what they do".

To share your story or read the full story above, go to www.patientopinion.org.uk.