Published on 12, July, 2020
I have suffered from significant depression and anxiety for the last few years, which came about due to the treatment I endured by a former employer. During this period I have struggled to get any help from mental health services at all - I am just passed from one service to the next and none of the professionals appear to understand me due to my autism. All I keep hearing is 'well that's not my area' or 'I don't specialise in that' when I ask to see someone who can treat my mental health problems and understand my autism. When I asked if adjusted CBT was available in my area (such that is appropriate for someone with autism), the answer was a straight no. Further, I get 'well we can't guarantee the same person would see you all the time, could you cope with that?' and 'well you're going to have to have a degree of flexibility and willingness to change and obviously that is going to be hard for you given your autism.' In other words, mental health services are very negative about my autism and they are unwilling to understand how it affects me because they only deal with the mental health side of things.
A few weeks ago I had a very difficult episode with my ongoing mental health and I ended up in hospital as a result. This led to me being referred to CMHT once again. Then yesterday, following a visit to my GP where I unexpectedly found out my referral to CMHT had been rejected (which nobody cared to tell me about), so I spent 6 hours chasing around 4 different mental health services because each was saying the other should be seeing me and communicating with me about what is happening, only to be ultimately told following another assessment that CMHT is the most appropriate team for me and I will be re-referred to them. Added on was the fact that if I wanted to see someone who would understand my mental health and my autism, then I would have to go privately because CMHT don't have these services.
This all just seems like utter madness to me, and it has been going on like this for years - nobody in mental health wants to deal with me because they don't understand the autism, but then services for autism say that mental health is not something they deal with. Why, just why, isn't there somebody, somewhere, that can understand both?! As my autism is a fundamental part of me, then I believe it is imperative that anybody assessing or treating my mental health understands it and how it affects me. If they can't do that, then I don't believe they can help me as they can't even begin to understand my thinking. What do you guys think? Am I being too demanding here?
Hi just to let you know I am on the sick after a crisis on Sunday night, when I screamed down the phone at my poor old Mum, then phoned 111 the NHS crisis line for the second time in a week and sobbed about the lack of support within work and community. Not only that I was advised to come off anti-depressants with nothing put in place, I even self harmed that night and reported that to the GP the next morning as my anger, frustration and stress got the better off me. The emergency GP stated that I had been left to 'float' with very little support from social services, the mental health team and no carer to support me. The next day I went to see my GP and admitted I self harmed, My employers have laid me off as they said there are too many 'variables' at work and so I contacted my union, UNISON, who said that they should have done a 'stress' audit. I will be seeing my GP again on the 21st May, have started looking for alternative jobs after my fit note comes to an end. I was so volitile on Monday morning, I could not work with kids, I might have eaten them for breakfast, we aspies are like the 'incredible hulk' at times. It was a better day yesterday, celebrating May day in my favourite wood and contacting agencies and updating my Curriculum vitae. There is also a sense of relief that finally someone is listening and supporting me, as I could not contact the NAS helpline as I work between 10.00 am and 4.00 pm.
Sorry to hear it's been so hard, but glad you had a more peaceful and constructive day yesterday, and have some support from your union and GP,
Bardic Poet said:I was advised to come off anti-depressants
By whom? For what reason? They may not be helping, but I'm sure you know it's just as important to taper off them under medical supervision. Is a change of medication something else to add to the pile right now?
Did you have a Care Act needs assessment? Is the description of needs correct, and are social services trying to provide accordingly? Hope you feel better soon.