• Replies 8 replies
  • Subscribers 7 subscribers
  • Views 1777 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Community Mental Health said no. Social Prescribing?

MrsMacca

Hi, I'm wondering if this is common and if anyone has any positive experiences with Social Prescribing?

I have 3 pre-existing mental health illnesses that were diagnosed over 20 years ago. I got my autism diagnosis, aged 39, a month ago. The consultant psychiatrist at the ASD Assessment Clinic discharged me because his job is only to diagnose. He referred me to the Mental Health Team because it's possible that my mental health illnesses were misdiagnosed now that we know I'm autistic. It's also possible that they weren't but that the treatments I've had over the years have been the wrong ones given my autism.

The Mental Health Team refused the referral claiming not to be the appropriate service the second they saw the word autism. My GP argued that my referral was to reassess my mental health illnesses and needs and not for support with autism but he was unsuccessful. He said the best he can do is to refer me to Social Prescribing instead.

I feel like I don't fit in anyone's remit, that my autism diagnosis is now a way for all the other services to wash their hands of me. As a late diagnosed, childless, medically retired woman I also don't fit in any of the autism support boxes. Perhaps social prescribing will be able to signpost me to something I haven't been able to find myself in the past month but I highly doubt it. I've honestly looked everywhere. I've spent hours and hours on it.

Is this normal? Or should I be fighting the Mental Health Team's decision? Has anyone had any positive experiences with social prescribing?

Parents

  • It depends on what you think your support need is, I guess.  

    If you think what you need are social supports, like say to get out more, or meet other autistic people or pursue your hobbies in autism friendly environments, the a social prescriber might be helpful.

    If it's other support needs like managing with life's executive or accessing other essential services or looking after yourself, you should have a social care assessment.

    If you think your mental health is suffering then MH cannot dismiss you because you are autistic.  Any therapy would have to be autism informed to do you much good.

    Sadly, the MH saga seems to cut both way to people's detriment.  Many find their mental health needs are forever being dismissed:  "oh that's just your autism", whilst others are being misdiagnosed with mental health conditions, because their autism has not been identified and understood.

    But no the system is not geared at all for us.  The only thing I need is help and support to access medical care.  There is a service but only if you are intellectually impaired and I'm not.  Social services say this is MH responsibility - which it isn't.  And everybody says "see your autism charity" - what???  Our local mind CASS (adult autism support) are clueless to help as is a social prescriber, because it genuinely doesn't fall under any of their remits.  PiP people whilst on one hand saying they accept I can't access health care, won't give me any points so I could buy in support.  Meanwhile, the strain and drain of herding wild geese over this is left with me the autistic person to exhaust herself and get more stressed over this with.  Sadly, we are not only a minority but our needs are all so different from eachothers that they all fall through the gaps in the system.

    I don't think that this is going to change much until there is a central support service for all autistic people that can adapt and think and act outside the box for each individual, covering a wide range of needs - some might need help finding a job, another making friends, another getting through a dental appointment, another advocacy with housing, another a carer to manage the household.  Most of us will need help that one little thing that's too tough, a few will need a lot of support, but we will all be different in our support needs.

Reply

  • It depends on what you think your support need is, I guess.  

    If you think what you need are social supports, like say to get out more, or meet other autistic people or pursue your hobbies in autism friendly environments, the a social prescriber might be helpful.

    If it's other support needs like managing with life's executive or accessing other essential services or looking after yourself, you should have a social care assessment.

    If you think your mental health is suffering then MH cannot dismiss you because you are autistic.  Any therapy would have to be autism informed to do you much good.

    Sadly, the MH saga seems to cut both way to people's detriment.  Many find their mental health needs are forever being dismissed:  "oh that's just your autism", whilst others are being misdiagnosed with mental health conditions, because their autism has not been identified and understood.

    But no the system is not geared at all for us.  The only thing I need is help and support to access medical care.  There is a service but only if you are intellectually impaired and I'm not.  Social services say this is MH responsibility - which it isn't.  And everybody says "see your autism charity" - what???  Our local mind CASS (adult autism support) are clueless to help as is a social prescriber, because it genuinely doesn't fall under any of their remits.  PiP people whilst on one hand saying they accept I can't access health care, won't give me any points so I could buy in support.  Meanwhile, the strain and drain of herding wild geese over this is left with me the autistic person to exhaust herself and get more stressed over this with.  Sadly, we are not only a minority but our needs are all so different from eachothers that they all fall through the gaps in the system.

    I don't think that this is going to change much until there is a central support service for all autistic people that can adapt and think and act outside the box for each individual, covering a wide range of needs - some might need help finding a job, another making friends, another getting through a dental appointment, another advocacy with housing, another a carer to manage the household.  Most of us will need help that one little thing that's too tough, a few will need a lot of support, but we will all be different in our support needs.

Children
No Data