I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced difficulties getting appropriate support for a mental health condition. My daughter has been struggling with bipolar disorder for quite some time and has been on a waiting list to see a psychiatrist for several months.
While she has been waiting, she was offered support from a community mental health nurse. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel that the two professionals she met were particularly helpful or understanding. Some of the comments they made about bipolar disorder felt very inappropriate to her. One of them told her about another patient with bipolar disorder who had become extremely distressed and said they were afraid the person might become violent. They also made a comment along the lines of, “Everyone seems to be looking for a diagnosis these days.” My daughter found these comments upsetting and became afraid to speak openly about what she was experiencing.
She was later admitted to a psychiatric hospital for several weeks. During her stay, she experienced several severe episodes where she became extremely distressed and agitated. She felt that the environment and the way staff approached her made things worse rather than helping her calm down.
On one occasion, staff entered her room and continued trying to engage with her even after she repeatedly asked to be left alone. As her distress escalated, she was given medication to control the episode, and on another occasion medication was administered even after she had already calmed down. Some of the comments made by staff were also very upsetting, including telling her that her behaviour was “disgusting” and suggesting that she was simply seeking attention.
After these experiences, she has completely lost trust in mental health professionals. I’m now unsure how I can support her or encourage her to seek help again. She had previously been willing to consider medication, but since her hospital admission she refuses to take any. I suspect this is largely because of the traumatic experience she had with medication and the way her episodes were handled in hospital.
Has anyone else experienced something similar? How can I help her rebuild trust with mental health professionals without making her feel pressured?