Poll Has The Mental Health System Ever Failed You?

[want2cope]

I am doing research to see if anyone feels, knows, or had proof the mental health system has ever failed you or family member? If you feel like sharing your story, that is welcome too. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Jen93]

I'll be the first to answer in the affirmative. I'd rather not go on again as to why though.

 

[maddog]

To be honest, I can't say it ever has, though my contact with it has been brief and confined to just a few individuals. I have had one primary T from the outset who has been beyond outstanding and whose support and constructive input has more than cancelled out any negative experiences I have had with other individuals. I have worked with 3 psychiatrists, one of whom was appalling and should have been deregistered for incompetence in my opinion, one of whom was sound but ridiculously overpriced and one of whom is reasonably good, though by no means would have met my needs in the absence of my T.

My only other contact with the MH system was a largely unhelpful and somewhat traumatic in-patient experience which was deeply disappointing and concerning to me - possibly my most disturbing encounter with the limitations and inadequacies I hear so much about with the MH system.
The less I have to do with it, the better, but touch wood, so far, I have gained more than I have lost through my experiences.

Maddog

 

[want2cope]

I'll be the first to answer in the affirmative. I'd rather not go on again as to why though.

Thank you for your response. I know people have their personal stories and experiences already posted on here. It is so draining to go dreading through all that past stuff. I myself have not posted my trama story here yet. Sometimes reading others history makes me wonder why I have such a hard time when others have been through way more than me. Makes me feel less than. That's why I wanted to tell you thanks and I appreciate you responding. Much love.

Maddog,

Thank you for your response. You seem a lot like myself. I too have had many MH experiences. Some good, some bad, and some telling me nothing I didn't already know. I love to hear your response's on here. You seem to be very educated and a wealth of knowledge. Much love.

 

[piratelady]

I was just talking about this a few hours ago with another member - and the answer is a big Yes.

Several years ago I attempted suicide. I was found, an ambulance was called and off to the hospital I went. They sent a mental health person in with her little clipboard to evaluate me. She asked me a handful of questions. I can't remember all of them. I believe she asked me "Why" a few times and I know she asked me, "And you do not have health insurance?" like 3 or 4 times. I did not - as I became more depressed I had quit my job. So, once my blood work came back, I was sent on my not-so-merry way and told to get some anti-depressants.

 

[Nicolette]

Looking at your question I would think it would be interesting to know what countries felt that way too. Do you think there may be an issue with the system in a particular country but not in others which would distort your results depending on whether you were assessing world wide or just in your country?

 

[Ice_Fire]

Well, considering I had to interpret for my deaf mother at her assessment, which isn't exactly ethical, yes I have been let down. She was "fine" because she "kept eye contact"...of course she did! She's deaf and a good liar! Anything me and dad said about her behavior was apparently irrelevant.

However, with regards to my own mental health care, I've fared a lot better. I have a good T, who I started seeing through school and I have a good support worker, who is a friend, advocate and advisor all rolled into one. :) She's even going to my gp with me on Tuesday.

So, half and half, depends on who you get. I'm in the UK.

 

[Sterre]

I feel that the mental healt system has failed me bigtime. Allthough I have been in many therapies througout the years, there was none that was helpfull. They all where temporary band aids, leaving me more confused and insecure about myself after they came to an end. I followed therapy ,of and on, for about 20 years, and never recived proper treatment to learn how to cope with my symptoms. It was only three years ago, I recived a proper diagnosis. And even then there was no therapy program for me, except medication and two weekly talking appointments.

I live in the Netherlands, and even though there is many theoretical knowledge coming from my country, in regards to PTSD, there is not very much pratical knowledge or programs here, for people who suffer Complex Trauma.

Three years ago the first Trauma centre was opend. The waiting list to be admitted into their program was one year! There where many people looking for that kind of specialised help. After two years it was closed again, due to financial and organisation problems. Now the trauma departments of the largest psychiatric institutes, are all closed down too. If you suffer multiple trauma, then there is no trauma centre or trauma therapy you can follow anymore.

I have found that therapy only made me worse. Not because I am not treatable, but because the therapy´s I recieved are not helpfull when you suffer symptoms of PTSD.

For me after may years, I concude for myself that the biggste problem I face when I would follow some kind of therapy, is that PTSD or Complex Trauma is regarded as a mental problem/disease. Wich, for me, it is not.

The last sevenmoths I have been searchin all over my country to find help for my problems. I found that there is no help available,other than medication ( AD's, AP's,sleeping pills,and benzo's)
The mental healt industrie here in my country aknowledges the fact that there is no program/help for poeple who suffer Complex Trauma. They also aknowlegde that this group is the largest group of mental helpseekers in the country.

If you are lucky, and you ave a lot of cash, you may find a private therapist that is specialised in PTSD.But for people who dont have the money, this help is not available.

I am coming to the conclusion that the mental healt industry is a big scam, and I dont want to get involved with them any longer. The therapies I followed have made me more insecure and confused about myself, instead of the opposite. I regard it as some kind of trap,once you get in the system, it is very hard to get out of it again.

If therapy really worked, than why are there so many people who have to go trough therapy over and over again? I was told may times by different therapist that they where able to help me. I just had to trust them. Only to find out that after a while they couldnt help me, and made me believe I was untreatable.

No therapy I followed during those 20 years, ever focussed on the trauma's I suffer. Except for one short training programm I followed only a year ago. That training programm was very helpfull and provided me a " toolbox" I can fall back on when symptoms arise. It was short and very to the point. It was the only time in 20 years that a therapy was focussed on trauma experience. I still gain a lot from that training.

I am done with the mental healt system in my country.

( I probably will recieve another grammar warning about this post. Writing my text in word before I post it, leaves me with a wrong textformat that i cant get right. So, I am stuck in how to do it right, without recieving a grammar warning)

 

[Sterre]

I have learned more about PTSD, and therefor about myself, and how to deal with symptoms, from forums ( and all the members that or part of them) like these, than I have in 20 years of regular therapy!

 

[Meadowsweet]

I'm from the UK. With a skin condition I was given various eczema creams for years before a doctor said she didn't know what it was and sent me to a dermatologist for it be diagnosed properly. The other doctors had just jumped to the easiest conclusion.

My mental health care took a long time to be provided. The NHS is underfunded and short staffed, especially in MH. Their admin messed up my referral too.

But, the assessment's I've been given have been thorough. And in my area the guidelines they follow are in keeping with what I have read regarding the best treatment based on current research.

The treatment I'm getting seems to be good. But it remains time/money limited.

So in terms of the original question, I guess it's a bit of both. The treatment is good, but there are improvements that could be made.

 

[Chondra]

USA and a bit of both actually. Going on Social Security Disability and Medicare has narrowed my options drastically. I am very fortunate to have found good quality T and Med providers, but I also had to leave ones that I really liked. And the medications - good lord they are expensive. I dropped two and saved over $100/month but I am still paying over $400/month on the remaining ones. This is after my insurance plan covers it's share :eek:. Not fun on disability - food/medications, take your pick.

Perhaps my biggest let down was my Disability Insurance. They dropped me after 2 years claiming I am supposed to be cured already:x3: :mad:. This is more a failure of the Insurance system then the health care system but, in my opinion, both are culpable.

 

[Spiderallis]

The US mental health system played a role in some of my traumas. I've been in and out of therapy over half my life, being treated for depression while being abused. Sometimes the abuse was outside my sessions, at one point it was taking place at a long term in-patient treatment program for teenagers. Now, I've found a great therapist and psychiatrist. We haven't been working together very long, but treating PTSD instead of depression seems to be getting much better results. I can't be upset for the misdiagnoses, depression is a big part of my symptoms and I tend to hide the rest out of shame. I wasn't doing my part to work with the mental health system, we failed each other.