Everything at CAMHS has been thrown up in the air and all come crashing down at the wrong time; like a juggler who has got his balls out of sync and is going to drop them all. In my area CAMHS finishes on your eighteenth birthday and you are either discharged or if you played with the statistics and got it wrong you join the world of CMHT. Six months before your birthday you are meant to be assessed to see if you have “severe and enduring” mental illness or are just a bit fucked.
Six months before my birthday I was as high as a kite and didn’t bother going to CAMHS much, so instead of fucked up or severe and enduring I got “non-compliant”. I am sorry, I was writing a book better that the bible and medication and meetings didn’t go well with my masterpiece. When I crashed back down to earth I assumed that I would be discharged, well actually I assumed that I wouldn’t be here. I ended up in hospital and people started talking about bipolar this, manic depression that and introduced the idea of the adults team. I was not impressed after two years of slagging off the adults system they were then telling me that despite its flaws they thought I should be referred up to it. I threw a strop (well they thought I was pissed off about CMHT I was just angry about being in hospital but I didn’t correct them). I was sent to the outreach team when discharged and met my CPN who would do short term work to get me out of the “crisis” (I still see her so I suppose it means that I am still in “crisis”) and to do longer term work with the CAMHS clinic team.
After much discussion they decided not to start the referral process until after results day so they knew which part of the country I would be in and I would get “continuity of care”. The problem is that on Friday I turn eighteen, it means that I am not supposed to be under the outreach team but crisis assessment and treatment team CATT. But me being the special person that I am, it’s not happening because I am staying under CAMHS for another month. The outreach team will receive less funding for me so my sessions are being cut, simple the answer to that is to have more CAMHS clinic sessions. And here we meet problem number two; my main CAMHS worker goes on holiday on Friday until September. I don’t want to see someone new for a month so again we are stuck. Somehow I have gone from too much support, to no support.
Last line…
It’s stopped raining at last where I live and its actually sunny. Yay, I no longer have to carry an umbrella wherever I go (not that I have actually been out much)
10 Comments
July 14, 2008 at 9:47 am
“Somehow I have gone from too much support, to no support.” I am sure many people with mental illness would tell stories of extreme full on care (and not always welcomed) to zilch in 60 seconds.
Sounds like you are walking through a minefield there. I empathise but am not at all surprised that you could be slipping through nets and messed about in regards to continuing care.
Staff going on 2 month holidays (I doubt with anyone covering their workload) and their union groaning that the pay is below par. Ho hum!
July 14, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Sounds like the ring master stayed home and put the clowns in charge for this show! Hope they manage to sort some semblance of contact and support out for you over summer – when do you get your results? Have fun in the sun!
July 14, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Eek! I’m having similar problems to you at the moment, a month past my eighteenth birthday and CAMHS will only have me until august at the most, not even sure if they have any plans to move me up to CMHT or just let me go at it alone as nothing has been discussed, don’t know how I will manage if I have no support at all!
Is there nobody else at CAMHS you would feel comfortable talking to? I know there are about 3 CPNs at mine that I know a bit and could turn to if I really needed it, not sure if you have anything similar.
Hope they sort this out for you somehow x
July 14, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Mandy- two months is a long time. I know what you mean about being dropped quickly, I went from fifteen minutes obs in hospital to not seeing anyone for three days when I was discharged
Chuckle- results day on august 14th, exactly one month away. I dont know if to look forward to it and hope i get grades for university or am dreading it. But i am going away and coming back the day before to keep my mind off it.
Heavyliesthecrown- well I can still see my psychiatrist who i get on pretty well with. Outreach team wise I get along with most of the team but my sessions have to be cut because of funding. At CAMHS clinic I know quite a few members of staff but not that well, nothing in comparison with my social worker who I have seen at least once a week for two years. Good luck with your referral if you have one.
July 14, 2008 at 8:17 pm
It’s shitty that they’re messing you around so much. My care co-ordinator is a bit of a tit. Initially I was seeing her every week, then she tells me that she doesn’t have the time so made it every two weeks. 2 weeks ago she cancelled and I haven’t heard from her since and this was after a 3week gap anyway. So I haven’t seen her for other 5weeks now and she hasn’t called yet. Luckily I can talk to my GP but feeling less able to do so these days
Take care x
July 14, 2008 at 10:17 pm
If you are under two seperate teams maybe the care coordination is not that good. Do both teams have the full picture of the amount of support you will recieve. If not get up and wave your care plan alot. Dont give up.
July 14, 2008 at 11:02 pm
eccedentesiast- That is a long time to go without seeing anyone. Same thing happened to me for a while with my social worker because she had a large amount of sick leave sometime last year. Maybe you should phone her up to rebook another appointment.
camhshate- yes I am under two teams but I think that they are pretty good at talking to eachother. Because my CPN only sees a few people but sees us alot she is pretty good at talking to the CAMHS clinic. I can remember being part of the CPA but never saw the finished copie so I dont know what it actually says. Thats something to find out about. Thankyou
July 15, 2008 at 10:57 pm
That sounds really difficult. If you went up to adults now would you get more help? Or could you afford to go private? Ask to see your shrink more. Try your family doctor. Dont let them decide whats right for you.
July 17, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I just had to come back to this post because I was thinking about it yesterday in my meeting, and yes, you have managed to invade your way into my everyday life well done
Well anyway, I agree now, what is it with CAMHS sitting there slagging off CMHT and then saying ‘Oh, we think you should go there’ how ridiculous! My psychologist basically sat there and said that they wouldn’t give a shit about me and wouldn’t waste their time on me if I wasn’t going to talk like he does. And then he was just like ‘But we need to make arrangements for you going there”
Argh!
July 19, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Oh honey, what a mess! I hope they get everything straightened out for you soon. You need to be well cared for. I’ll be sure to keep you in my thoughts.