Done With Mental Health

they should have someone running things who has experience of mental health problems im actually wondering if things will improve if labour gets in they might scrap bedroom tax i was kicked out of my home of 12yrs because it had 2 bedrooms and i only needed 1 and i couldn't afford the extra £15 a week i had to pay it's taken me nearly 2 years to get over loosing my home i still miss it though

My rant!

I share many of the experiences and frustrations of the people here.

I only got official help and support with mental health after I made three suicide attempts within a short period of time.  This help has been reduced.  The crisis team no longer visit in person.  They left me with telephone numbers, information packs and web site addresses ( They first introduced me to NAS).

The job centre considers me perfectly employable.  Employers consider me unemployable.  I AM FALLING IN BETWEEN THE CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM.

I do not and have never received any disability benefits.

When I'm in my good periods I turn up for all appointments on time, washed, cleanly shaven in fresh clothes.  Job centre thinks I am employable

When my mental health crashes I cut myself off completely.  Turn phones off, do not open letters, don't go out, don't wash or shave, don't eat, I stay inside read books, watch DVDs, spend hours on the internet.  Job centre sanctions me for missing appointments.

When I'm in employment.  People quickly notice that I'm different and the kind ones call my behaviour quirky.  Others call me bizarre.  The management and HR just want to get rid off me as quickly as possible.

I don't qualify for PIP or ESA.  Because I can travel independently,. I can shop, I can prepare food to eat ( hopeless cook). I can interact with people for short periods such as in shops, banks, buying tickets on buses and trains.  I have successfully coped with higher education.

But in a social setting such as visiting people in homes, having people visiting me at home, being in pubs or clubs, parties.  I am lost and cannot cope.

Unfortunately Healthwatch are controlled opposition, created by the tories to funnel complaints and legal challenges into a black hole, it is not independant, it is answerable to the CQC and Dep. of Health.

Once again i'll quote Upton Sinclair.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it"

I will also once again reiterate the need for us to collectivise.

Many of the experiences shared upon these pages are our collective experience of life, is it a happy experience?

Are you ok with 54, suicide? I'm not.

Are you ok with having no voice AT ALL? I'm not.

Are you stong enough to take on the Gov on your own? I'm not.

NAS Won't (Can't).

So who do we turn to, like really?

"Crazy, fantastical, conspiracy-theory notions of 'social cleansing' can't help but come to mind..."

Which is how they get away with it. Don't perpetuate it, it is reality and the UN are on the way to investigate.

“I come from a people who gave the Ten Commandments to the world. Time has come to strengthen them by three additional ones, which we ought to adopt and commit ourselves to: thou shall not be a perpetrator; thou shall not be a victim; and thou shall never, but never, be a bystander.”

“The BMA cannot wash its hands and abdicate from their moral responsibilities. It must act now without any further delay.”

Of all the professions, British society places the medical profession upon the commanding heights of moral authority. Standing by and allowing patients’ health to be damaged risks a severe fracturing the public’s high esteem for our Doctors.

They must take action now."

"Dr Eugene (Eugeniusz) Lazowski, Poland’s Schindler

Their position as passive bystanders witnessing this carnage at the hands of an inhumane and outright nasty Government is no longer tenable. 

Black Triangle’s demand is not only a simple one and easy to achieve: It is an astoundingly reasonable one.

For the sake of us all, I hope and pray along with Black Triangle that just for this once, power listens to reason in this case and that the BMA leadership’s inaction does not translate to infamy when in future people ask “what did the British medical profession do to put a stop to it?”"

Trogluddite said:

I'm trying to find someone again now, to help with my upcoming Work Capability Assessment, but all of the places that helped me before either don't exist any more, or are taking only the most desperate of cases. And no doubt, the DWP will try to make out that my disabilities can't be all that bad because I'm not getting any support!

I've been through that humiliating and grossly unfair process myself.  I was the same - couldn't get anyone to support me at a WCA - which counted against me.  Turning up clean and neat counted against me.  Traveling in alone on public transport counted against me.  The backup testimonies of my GP, my therapist and my alcohol key worker were effectively ignored.  I scored ZERO.  I only ever won by taking it to tribunal stage, by which time my mental health was so bad I broke down.  I have a friend who was reduced to basically lying in order to get through.  She turned up smelly  and scruffy, shaking, barely coherent, having to be 'supported' by two friends.  That we're reduced to doing this in order to simply survive under this hostile regime.  Crazy, fantastical, conspiracy-theory notions of 'social cleansing' can't help but come to mind...

Trogluddite said:

At the same time, many disability support organisations rely on local authority grants, and those were drastically slashed in April's council budget.

This is why we're having 'restructuring' at work.  As I read it, it's basically about squeezing more hours - for the same money - from an already over-worked staff.

Trogluddite said:

Prior to PIP being introduced, it was pointed out that it might lead to additional suicides. A while after it had been introduced, sure enough, researchers found an increase in suicide and suicide attempt rates amongst people with disabilities; and. because PIP was introduced region by region, and the rise followed it around the country, there was very little doubt about the cause. Every concession on unfair elements of disability benefits has had to be won by a fight in the High Court one issue at a time, where the government has lost nearly every time. The private companies who were slated for their inability to conduct disability capability assessments properly still had their contracts renewed for another two years to "avoid disruption". The same government has brought local authority finance to its knees in many areas by withdrawing central government grants, which they intend to do away with completely in only a few years. If they can ignore people killing themselves so easily, I don't think that much that I have to say is going to make a huge amount of difference. I just like to rant!

But your rant hits the proverbial nail on the head.  This is what happens when a bunch of venal social Darwinists run the country.  Every death is a saving.

It's something that our local HealthWatch organisation are looking into at the moment; they've made autism services one of their priority projects. Their interim report about our area was shocking; the local authority hadn't even fully outlined any planned pathways for autistic people as of early last year. The local NHS assessment unit that they fund had only two part-time staff to deal with the entire Airedale area; post-diagnosis support was dropped once it became obvious that the waiting list for assessments was rapidly growing (up to 2 years, and spells where they were not accepting any new referrals.) The rejection of support for autistic people without learning disabilities was also highlighted, as was lack of provision for autistic children in local schools.

By and large, they get away with it by simply trying to evade responsibility, bouncing people back and forth between local authority, voluntary, and NHS services. None makes the support I need accessible, but each expects one of the others to do it, and then there are provider requirements about referral sources and PIP passporting. If you say that you know an intervention to be unsuitable, you are simply counted as having been offered support, and told that lack of support is your own fault for being too ungrateful to accept it. To take it any further would mean fighting legal action against the local authority itself, which is unlikely to be eligible for legal aid, and involves obvious difficulties for many autistic people and their families (after 2 years fighting my PIP appeal, it's not something I feel capable of taking on.)

At the same time, many disability support organisations rely on local authority grants, and those were drastically slashed in April's council budget. In my small social circle alone, I know of half a dozen people no longer receiving support for various conditions because of support organisations closing their doors, and I lost the disability advocate who was helping me through my PIP appeal and social services application. I'm trying to find someone again now, to help with my upcoming Work Capability Assessment, but all of the places that helped me before either don't exist any more, or are taking only the most desperate of cases. And no doubt, the DWP will try to make out that my disabilities can't be all that bad because I'm not getting any support!

IMHO, much of this could have been avoided if the Autism Act had specified that all autistic people should have a single point of contact for diagnosis and support, instead of the vague requirement to specify "pathways", which allow arcane circular chains of referrals, and autism units which diagnose, but do nothing else.

Giddy said:

i reckon you could teach these so called experts a thing or two

I think just about any of us here could, but sadly, I'm not sure it would do a lot of good. Prior to PIP being introduced, it was pointed out that it might lead to additional suicides. A while after it had been introduced, sure enough, researchers found an increase in suicide and suicide attempt rates amongst people with disabilities; and. because PIP was introduced region by region, and the rise followed it around the country, there was very little doubt about the cause. Every concession on unfair elements of disability benefits has had to be won by a fight in the High Court one issue at a time, where the government has lost nearly every time. The private companies who were slated for their inability to conduct disability capability assessments properly still had their contracts renewed for another two years to "avoid disruption". The same government has brought local authority finance to its knees in many areas by withdrawing central government grants, which they intend to do away with completely in only a few years. If they can ignore people killing themselves so easily, I don't think that much that I have to say is going to make a huge amount of difference. I just like to rant!

thanks tom but i don't have facebook ive signed up to that site you linked for updates shame they want £19.95 its a lot of money when you're on benefits but i suppose nothing is free

There are some other FB pages that are very helpful for anyone claiming benefits or having a hard time with either the DWP or SS.  Some of the Aspie pages on there, mind, are a bit juvenile.

cheers tom

Trogluddite said:

Social services have been no better; I have been refused anything at all because I don't have a learning disability; even though the Autism Act 2009 specifically says that this isn't a valid reason to deny help to autistic people.

This is appalling.  How are they getting around government legislation?  It's on the statute book.  They can't ignore it.

I didn't know about joining it.  I'm not a member.  I just get monthly newsletter updates from them by email.  You don't need to pay anything to get access to the info on the page.I found out about them via a Facebook page - Atos Miracles - which is another source of valuable information for anyone claiming sickness benefits.  They are legit.

hi tom that link you sent re benefits etc looks interesting but its £19.95 to join is it legit and good value ? i tried messaging you but couldn't figure out how to do it

as always your replies are thoughtful and insightful trog i reckon you could teach these so called experts a thing or two

i totally agree with you i don't want special treatment i just want reasonable consideration and help

I sympathise with you Giddy. Inappropriate care for a few decades before my autism diagnosis was frustrating and harmful enough, but nothing has changed since my diagnosis, either. I always think of the old engineers' saying; "if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail"; all of the interventions that have been tried assume that all of my issues are mental health problems, and only temporary aberrations; some are, for sure, but most are consequences of innate neurological differences that I will always have, and hardly anyone working in mental health seems to appreciate this. I was fortunate to have seen (by accident more than design) a counsellor who did specialise in dealing with autistic people, and the difference was immense. But where are they? Why is there no programme to get at least some staff up to speed and learn best practices from people like that counsellor? There is none, and we're just expected to get by with interventions that are designed for completely different psychology than we actually have.

Social services have been no better; I have been refused anything at all because I don't have a learning disability; even though the Autism Act 2009 specifically says that this isn't a valid reason to deny help to autistic people. None of what they suggested before my rejection would have been any use anyway; for example, I don't need teaching how to make meals, the reason I struggle to feed myself is due to executive function impairments and not noticing my hunger, not the inability to learn how to use kitchen utensils! Off my own back, I found a local non-profit autism support service, but I'm not allowed to attend because it requires a referral by social services; even to get counselling from them, I have to hope that my GP can get discretionary CCG funding (this was refused twice when I was first trying to get a diagnostic assessment, so I'm not getting my hopes up.) Without a social services budget, my PIP won't stretch far enough to afford these services, even though I know where to get them and that they are appropriate.

I'm not looking for special treatment, just appropriate treatment. If a non-autistic person can just go to their GP and get suitable counselling after a relatively short wait, then why shouldn't I be able to? What happened to the post-diagnosis counselling and occupational therapy I was promised four years ago at my diagnosis? Why do I have to spend nearly two years appealing PIP, only to find that it's not enough to pay for services which I have had to stress myself out trying to find for myself? Why do I have to apply to an inappropriate department of social services for lack of one which targets developmental conditions? Where is the training for better understanding of autism which the Autism Act assured us would be rolled out across front-line healthcare staff? The supposed improvements and safeguards which were trumpeted when the Autism Act was passed have come to nothing because the legislation is absolutely toothless, and is utterly ignored whenever it's inconvenient (my local authority hasn't even implemented the most fundamental production of a plan for these things, as required by law the best part of a decade ago!)

yeah im lucky to be on benefits and managing to survive but thanks for the link

I guess you know about these people.  Very helpful, even if you're not working.

Benefits and Work

and it's only going to get worse i fear

Well, if these changes go through, I'm not going to be there much longer myself.  I dread going back into the 'sick' system.  I had 2 years of it and it made me sicker.  But what my employer is proposing is outrageous and, on the basis of my contract, probably not legal. 

I also had battles of my own when I was dealing with social services whilst I was caring full-time for mum.  Her care manager was hopeless.  She got mum's health conditions wrong on a report she did based on a home-visit review.  And she kept on about mum getting her independence back and living on her own again.  This was a month before mum passed away.  I told the woman 'In the last week, she's had 2 life-threatening hypos.  She forgets she's taken her insulin, so could overdose.'  I just got a sweet smile that seemed to be saying 'Yes... but we know best.'  Agh!!!

Thank you Tom you're so right i feel like im just a box to be ticked on a piece of paper its just so un personal

i hope you're feeling better i read you were having problems and now your work is about to change i take my hat off to you i haven't been able to work in 13yrs so how you manage to cope with all that as well is beyond me