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Mental Health services

Posted By Skye21

"Mental Health services"

About: Falkirk Community Hospital Gartnavel Royal Hospital / General Psychiatry

(as the patient),

After over 20 years of trying to cope with depression/self harm issues, I finally spoke to my GP about 6 months ago. After being given a few different anti depressants, I was referred to a psychiatrist. After 2 sessions, I was told I probably had some sort of personality disorder. Next visit I was told I no longer needed a psychiatrist or anti depressants, was handed a leaflet on personality disorders and wished good luck for the future! ! 2 weeks later I tried to kill myself! !

I then spoke to my GP, I still have no medication or support of any sort. I find the whole situation unacceptable! !

The main problem seems to be that I have a decent job, if I was unemployed and on benefits, I suspect I would receive a lot more help,

I think it is incomprehensible that in trying to stay as stable as possible in staying in full time employment prevents me from receiving treatment.

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Responses

Response from Arlian Mallis, Person Centred Health and Care Co-ordinator, Department of Nursing, NHS Forth Valley 10 years ago
Arlian Mallis
Person Centred Health and Care Co-ordinator, Department of Nursing,
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 16/07/2013 at 12:06
Published on Care Opinion at 12:07

Hi I am currently awaiting a response from the mental heath team, and will post a reply asap.

Thanks

Arlian

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Response from Arlian Mallis, Person Centred Health and Care Co-ordinator, Department of Nursing, NHS Forth Valley 10 years ago
Arlian Mallis
Person Centred Health and Care Co-ordinator, Department of Nursing,
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 17/07/2013 at 12:23
Published on Care Opinion on 18/07/2013 at 11:05

The diagnosis of personality disorder can mean that people have very disruptive lives due to the way they think and feel and therefore can find life difficult to manage or cope with at times. Personality disorders can be seen as extreme examples of tendencies that all people share eg extreme emotional reactions.

I'm wondering if the psychiatrist and Gp view the fact that you have managed to sustain employment as a positive (this would be the ideal aim for all patients) rather than a negative and we certainly do not discriminate against those in employment.

I'm sorry to hear that you felt let down by services but it would seem that continuing to provide medication would be perhaps dismissing the best help which is learning to manage these emotions.

I would hope that the information on personality disorder you were given would point you in the useful direction of helpful strategies but we've listed some more useful websites and crisis numbers should you need them.

Stirling & District Association for Mental Health - 01786 451203

Falkirk & District Association for Mental Health - 01324 671600

SAMH, Devon House (Clackmannanshire) - 01259 217382

Samaritans - 08457909090

Breathing Space (6pm-2am) 0800 838587

www.moodjuice.scot.nhs.uk

www.chooselife.net

Best wishes

Mental Health Unit Team

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Response from Kerri Jones, Co-founder & Manager, No Secrets 10 years ago
Kerri Jones
Co-founder & Manager,
No Secrets

Manage a service to provide support to those affected by self-injury

Submitted on 22/08/2013 at 22:08
Published on Care Opinion on 25/08/2013 at 22:14

Hello.

My name is Kerri, and I'm from "No Secrets". We provide peer based support to those affected self-harm in the North West.

My work involves working with people with a diagnosis of Personality Disorders (PD's). I also work with our local mental health trust in delivering training to their staff on Personality Disorders.

It's not been too long that PD became the business of mental health services. Many still, unfortunately, believe that PD doesn't need to be, or can't be treated by mental health services. This is untrue. There are a variety of different treatments available to people with a PD diagnosis, that can help them by teaching them coping skills, emotion regulation skills, distress tolerance skills etc. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy is most commonly used with people with Borderline Personality Disorder and it has a great success rate. I'm unsure as to whether this is something that your local trust offers.

With regards to medications, there are no tablets that can treat PD as such, but there are medications that can be used to help with other problems you may be experiencing, such as antidepressants for low mood/depression, anxiety medication, antipsychotic medication etc.

I am therefore extremely sorry to hear about your experience. Whether you work or not you are entitled to receive support for your difficulties. IF your diagnosis is of PD, giving you a leaflet and sending you on your way will only add to your frustration, feelings of rejection and other things that might be going on for you. I also hope that to diagnose PD you underwent a thorough specialist assessment from a trained clinican (this usually takes a couple of sessions).

I would recommend you contact the hospitals Patient Relations and Complaints Service. I've just checked on the hospital website and the details are as follows:

Tel No: 01324 566660

Email: fv-uhb.complaints@nhs.net

I am always happy to provide email support with regards to your self-harm issues. If this is something you might be interested in please email kjones@no-secrets.org.uk

Hopefully you will get some support from the mental health team.

Kerri

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