Poll Has The Mental Health System Ever Failed You?

[krikkit]

Yes, unfortunately. I went into exposure therapy, which works well for some other people. However the therapist repeatedly ignored me when I started to insist that we were going too fast, that I couldn't handle it, that I needed time to adjust to one stage before we moved to another. I kept asking for us to slow down, and instead he'd try and make it even harder for me to avoid moving up to the next level before I was ready to do it. He told me I was wrong and just being difficult and trying to avoid making any progress. Instead of becoming less afraid of my triggers I was starting to feel trapped and like I couldn't escape them ... eventually I developed an extreme aversion to the building he worked in, and I stopped showing up one day. I was too scared to even call and say I was leaving. So somewhere on my files it says that I left therapy against medical advice and without warning.

All the rest of my therapists have been wonderful and worked very hard with me. That one almost made me stop seeking help entirely ... luckily I was hospitalized eventually and exposed to CBT, which I went on to try as a therapy method.

 

[bluehairedstevo]

Once I had a horrible substance abuse counselor who took me to AA even though I explicitly told him, it will trigger me. Then when I told him that I had been triggered (so badly that I was shaking) he was like, you should feel grateful you can even get support, some people only have AA as an option.

Countless therapists at the LGBT clinic who would tell me it's natural for gay people to be afraid of Christians. I was like, "I couldn't even go to the pride parade because I had to run away from the people holding up signs about hellfire and damnation and curl up in my room! Is that normal?!"

Another horrible therapist who tried to tell me that all of my 'problems' were due to rebelling against my parents, as evidenced by the fact that I had blue hair at the time - absolutely not true.

I'm glad I have a really good therapist now - I had given up on getting this treated, but she was like, "It sounds like that was very traumatic. I wonder how you would score on a PTSD test."

 

[SusanaBanana]

Mental health system is appearantly not well educated about PTSD, and because I can appear so normal, to them, I'm OK. I have a great GP and he has helped me with meds, I cannot take anti-depressants.

 

[Red Feather]

Big YES YES YES. :cautious:

 

[Ice_Fire]

(((((Nadia)))))

 

[Taven Carlsen]

Yes. Mostly just not wanting to do their job (not a fun job), but occasionally wilful misconduct. Occasionally because I won't cooperate with such an absurd (and potentially harmful) system, so knowing what I need is impossible. (American)

 

[zeb]

Yes I was very badly let down by the mental health I will be posting my story soon.

 

[just me here]

I can't imagine anyone feeling like they haven't been let down at some point.

I admit I haven't read all of these posts, but it is just not imaginable to me that any therapist could be a 100% fit or any sufferer able to feel like the therapy has always been on the mark.

 

[freakofnurture]

I'm from Germany. One thing I can't complain about is the willingness of the system here to pay for my treatment. If your doctor says you really really need it and it's in the catalog they'll pay for it.

Therapists however have failed me numerous times by dismissing my complaints (you're too young to have a sleep disorder) or not recognising my symptoms.

 

[Rob_Dog19]

I honestly feel that with the exception of one therapist, the mental health system in general has really only succeeded in the decline of my function and even made me feel as though I were a victim of everyone else's ideas of how I "should be"-and if I don't fit those standards then I'm simply given yet another prescription that will numb me into submission.

 

[Nephtys]

Yes, it has...many times. And the most recent was by a world-reknowned trauma expert... I have alot more to share.

 

[Nephtys]

They told me that I would just "get over it". I also had doctors at the hospital make fun of me for attempting suicide.

Malia that is beyond reprehensible. I hope you went/go after these so called "professionals" they should have their licences revoked.