And does the amount of support you get determine how ill you are?
I have Schizoaffective Disorder, written on my notes as chronic. I also have an intellectual disability. I’m from the U.K. I’m not apart of the community mental health team but get support from the community learning disability team…
I receive quite a lot of support. I get 21 hours a week support one-to-one hours from my support workers paid for my social services and I see my community nurse every two weeks, in-between that he phones me and we email each other. If he see’s signs off me becoming unwell, mainly focused on conspiracies - he sets up appointments to see pdoc - I can very easily get appointments to see pdoc every Wednesdays as he has a clinic in my town that day. I have known my pdoc 5 years and he’s a good pdoc.
I’m also on a community treatment order. They have kept me on one since 2011… I seriously harmed myself cutting a microchip out my armpit… Do you think that is the reason I get all this support?
How much support do you receive from outside services?
Well I still have to pay for healthcare here in the United States. But I do get a lot of help. I am on disability and I have good medical insurance. I see my therapist every two weeks and my psychiatrist every month for $5 each visit. My medicine is only $4 per month. I have a part time job. I get a 4%-6% raise on disability each year (usually). With my diagnosis I’m guaranteed to get disability until I retire. (In which I’ll get retirement pay). So I can’t complain too much. I want to move to Australia. But that’s another story!
I get more support here than I did where I lived before. Support from the actual mental health trust is minimal in terms of them being ‘hands on’ . I’ve seen a pdoc once in 23 months , but do have someone coming once a month to give my depot . Through them liaising with other people ie social services I got 3 hours help from a care agency. That lasted until they wanted me to pay a lot of money for past care and a high weekly sum. My stepdaughter then asked someone she’d worked with to provide 90 minutes a week cleaning help privately and cancelled the care agency help.
I’ve also been listed as a vulnerable person and now will be seen yearly re the care act .
A lot of my help and support though comes from my stepdaughter .
I’m on indigent funds at a charitable mental health facility. I receive US Social Security benefits. I go to several therapy groups each week, and get a free lunch. I get weekly counciling one on one with a therapist, and see a pdoc as needed. The mental health treatment doesn’t cost anything. I’m on Medicare for other health issues.