I have tried complaining but I feel it is pretty useless.
I have been suffering from depression for most of my life but I was first diagnosed in France when I had a break down in 1990. It was the early days of Prozac but after several methodical trials with other antidepressants I was prescribe Prozac which worked very well and within couple of weeks and I returned to being functional.
Because of illness, however I resigned from my job and as advised by my psychiatrist in France I returned to UK for psychotherapy. However the therapy didn't turn out to be that beneficial and I became ill again in 2001 due to number of tragedies in my life.
I went to see a private psychiatrist in UK (Priories) who suggested ECT. But when I told him that it was financially impossible for me he said that he would write to the NHS and recommend me for ECT. My NHS psychiatrist sent me to hospital for a minimum of six but up to 12 sessions of ECT. I felt it was all done cheaply and with the minimum of after care which included a cup of tea and long walk back to the ward.
After the third session I came around feeling not very well and getting steadily worse. By the time I arrived at the ward I had this terrible palpatation which kept getting worse and worse. I complained several times to the nurse but she didn’t seem to recognise the severity of it and kept telling me that they would come around soon to give my anti-depressants and then she would tell the doctor.
I pushed my way forward towards another nurse and while in terrible pain I screamed over the rest of the people about my palpitation. He had a puzzled look on his face and then he said something like wait a minute, I'll deal with you once I have given this lot their medication.
I felt I was about to collapse and I told him about my really, really, painful palpatation. He told me that I should take my antidepressants and that they would make me feel better. But I insisted that I wanted to see a doctor as soon as possible. So he told me to go to my room and he will send a doctor. I did as I was told and waited in agony and waited, and waited.
Anyway I don't know how long it passed but it was getting dark when I decided to crawl out of my room again. When I did, I found the ward completely deserted! I could hear the patients in the TV room laughing and talking but apart from them I couldn't see anyone else. I went into the TV room and asked if anyone had seen the nurse and no one said anything.
I wanted to leave the ward and get a taxi or something to get out but I was in too much pain. So I made it back to my bedroom and just lied down.
"Nurse ignored my palpatations"
About: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust / Working age mental health care (inpatient) Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust Working age mental health care (inpatient) BN13 3EP
Posted by Jake59 (as ),
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Update posted by Jake59 (the patient) 14 years ago
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