You don’t appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone

From July 2012-February 2013, I was a CAMHS service user. I saw the consultant psychiatrist 4 times, an assistant psychologist 5 times and the CPN a few times a month. During this time I would also see my GP at her request, sometimes every week or sometimes every 2 weeks. Never more than 2 weeks though. She wanted to keep a very close eye on me.

At the time, I can’t say I was particularly enamored with the care I received from the CAMHS team. In this blog I spoke about how damning the “professionals” could be at times. 

Before I first got seen at the CMHT, I was rather excited. I was looking forward to working towards recovery with a new team of people, fronted by my two GPs who would have fortnightly/weekly contact. The first appointment was very disappointing. I blogged about it here.

Since then, I have met with a psychologist to discuss psychological therapies. This was also a fail of an appointment because thanks to her, no decision was made.

And then there was the overdose episode. I have actually not heard from the CMHT since then, but my GPs have both been more than brilliant at dealing with me and looking after me since then.

Then I found out that there was this professionals meeting about me which was to be attended by one of my GPs, the psychiatrist and the psychologist. This week, I got to find out the outcome of this. And it most certainly was not what I was expecting.

From this week, I am not supposed to be having ANY contact with my GPs (which is impossible because I have physical health issues which need to be sorted out) because apparently they’re “TOO SYMPATHETIC” towards me. Have you ever heard such drivel in your life? Because I certainly haven’t. I don’t think my GPs are in favour of this at all but are not in a position to argue with these so called “specialists”. It is pretty obvious to everybody around me, even those who don’t know the specifics, that I have very close relationships with my GPs and that I trust them with my life.

So now my care is managed in secondary care, rather than primary care. When I found out at my appointment with one of the GPs on Tuesday, I just cried. I have been going to the Drs’ surgery for over two years to be looked after regarding my mental health. How can it just be stopped so abruptly and without asking me what my opinion is??

To make matters worse, with my very important exams coming up in the next couple of weeks, I am going to be needing ALL the support I can get and my GPs were more than happy to see me every week, even twice if necessary to make sure that I was coping properly.

Since the meeting which was on the 9/05, I have not been contacted by the CMHT to let me know about what is going on. I have not got an appointment booked in with anyone which always makes me feel uneasy. I know that I cannot do these exams without any support. My GPs know that.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is that up until the end of January, I was being seen regularly by the CMHT and by my GP(s) and it was working just fine. Now, about six months later, it appears that I’m being seen by no one. And by the way it sounds, I will be chastised if I go to my GP surgery asking for help with my mental health problems. Brilliant isn’t it?

You don’t appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone; I miss CAMHS & I never thought I’d say that.

I’m just massively disappointed with how it’s all turned out.

Courtesy of CAMHS to Adult