Mental illness

Stop press: just had a long phone call from the consultant psychiatrist and HE ACTUALLY LISTENED TO ME AND TOOK MY CONCERNS SERIOUSLY. At last I think someone has heard and is prepared to take action; he's going to speak to my parents in law next and that will be the FIRST time they will have had unsolicited contact from any of the mental health professionals since 2009.

I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but I'm just going to enjoy this feeling for a while. Somebody is going to do something at last.

GAmy heart goes out to you,I also have a friend whose family is being torn apart by the very same illness that your relative suffers from,she also has very little help ,I have spent all weekend putting together a information pack for her and some very good advice and information by our lovely when.
When googling Mental Health services there are many glossy adverts for mental health services but when you look closer a lot of them are dead ends and the help for all is just a smokescreen a very lonely time for all concerned.
E's father is paranoid schizophrenic.and most of you are aware of the tragic consequences from that.
I really hope that there is some good news and your poor relative,is able to get some help and your family the peace of mind they so clearly need..

ga big hugs I hope you get some action soon, it sounds horrendous.

Another day...................and we're no further forward. Except I have actually had an unsolicited phone call from M's consultant psychiatrist (that's a first - getting a call from anybody!) and it seems possible that action may be pending, if M returns to his home town soon. Letters of complaint are once more winging their way southwards, but I have little hope of any resultant systemic change. The mental health service doesn't care about carers is the message we receive time and time again. I don't know if M is still local, but doors are locked and phone calls are being screened, just in case. My in-laws so often survive these encounters 'by the skin of their teeth', that I fear one day there will be a catastrophe.

Thanks for the link Minty.

www.rethink.org/about_mental_illness/early_intervention/understanding_psychosis/what_is_psychosis.html

If someone is experiencing psychosis they may:

feel very anxious or agitated
have very low or high moods
think that people are against them and they may hear voices or sounds that aren't real
some people also have what are called delusions – beliefs about something that isn't true.

That sounds awful granny activist at risk of sounding ignorant what defines psychotic?

Do hope he gets help sap sorry you got this worry.

You're right Nellie the police cannot detain someone on a Section 136 from a person's home or garden, as neither of these constitutes a public place. In my experience the Police are generally very good at carrying out this duty if given the right information beforehand. I know that you know the legislation grannyactivist so I'm sure you will handle it appropriately. Good luck, yet again.

GA, as if you didn't have enough on your plate. I do hope this situation is soon under control. ((((hugs))))

Oh, ga I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this torment again. I hope help is given very quickly. They need to listen to you, as you obviously know what needs doing when he gets to this critical stage.

The police are usually much more decisive than some other agencies.

For a person to be sectioned they need to be assessed by a doctor and a senior social worker who has been specially trained.

It's a horrible situation to be in, but sometimes there is no alternative.

Definitely worth a try though, the police, if no help from NHS. Desperate isnt it.

If he seems very disturbed and in a public place the police could take action and take him to a place of safety for an assessment. ?Sec136 I think.
I am not sure they could do it if he is in someones home or front garden though?

GrannyA (((hugs)))

Oh grannyactivist What a dreadful situation for you and your family. As Movedalot has just said it seems so much for you to cope with on your own. When my mum was seriously ill (physical not mental illness) I too was messed around terribly by doctors and consultants and found it very difficult to be taken seriously. I ended up dialling 999 and pouring it all out to the service operator . Mind you it worked as within the hour my mum had an acute care team at the door. Thinking of you GA and hoping you get the help you need and deserve.

Yes, the police WILL be called this time although it will break my in-laws hearts to do so. I've just informed them that they can do it or I will, but it must be done.

ga this sounds like you should be calling the police is you are worried someone could get hurt. It must be so frustrating not to be able to contact the right people. Can the GP help? You can't do this on your own, get help now! Please don't take it all on your own shoulders.

Please let us know who it goes. big hug

In angry tears!
Psychotic relative is in desperate need of (although doesn't want) hospitalisation. Just got off the phone to his mental health team. His CPN is away, the person covering for his CPN is away, his consultant is away on training. I finally managed to speak to his consultant's secretary who will 'pass on a message' when her boss phones in later today. In the meantime I have an aggressive paranoid schizophrenic relative who is in the same town as my in laws and has already visited them and scared them half to death. Waiting for the phone to ring to say if they've been able to contact local MH team and get help. He needs to be sectioned (again) and TREATED. Last time he was sectioned he had no medication change and as he's psychotic no amount of talking therapy is going to make a jot of difference.
I want to scream and bang my head in frustration!!!!!
I am truly afraid that someone will be hurt or worse before appropriate action will be taken.

Oh my goodness, GrannyA I was assuming depression rather than psychotic. It's horrendous how stretched our medical services are, especially over Christmas. I do hope a bed comes available soon. It's appalling that situations like this develop when the MH team are aware but cannot or will not do anything.

wow granny-a what a thing to have to deal with. Your family have done very well, good on all of you, it's just - as you say - what do you do?! What next? I have great sympathy as I have experience of a family member who had a psychotic episode and it is very frightening. That fear never quite leaves one, even knowing it was an episode rather than enduring. And it made me acutely aware of how fragile mental health is, it slips and slides. That's the only way I can describe it, you cannot contain it when it is 'unhinged'. No wonder people used to use that expression.

Sadly, when I said nobody died I actually did mean that there was a real possibility of someone dying! We're all heaving a sigh of relief that, once more, disaster has been averted for now, but wondering how on earth we can keep certain family members safe in view of a severe and enduring psychosis which is left untreated by mental health teams that are stretched to the limit and have no beds available to admit the person. I am frustrated beyond words. And permanently afraid!

grannya {{{huigs}}}

I'm sorry to hear that your Christmas went awry. But it's brilliant that you had support from your wonderful children. As you said, nobody died. So there's hope for better things. May 2013 be a really good year for you and yours.

The day is ended and nobody died!! I am very grateful.
Thanks (once again) for good wishes; I won't bore you with the details, but the last two days have been very worrying and the mental health services in this instance are a joke.
Still, the family managed to not only get through the day, but to enjoy being together as much as we were able and to support one another. My children are amazing and cared less for their Christmas plans (which went awry in a big way) than for the feelings of others. I am very proud of them and their spouses.

Hope things have settled a bit for you and your relative, ga. xx

ga I hope by now you have managed to find some calm and rest after a difficult morning. Thinking of you. x