My pdoc is considering discharging me and my just being seen by primary care i.e the GP. That would mean coming off the depot. My immediate concern/thought was 'How would that affect disability benefits? Also in nearly 40 years of independent living I’ve never had a GP ask to see me about how I’m doing mental health wise.
Have any of you in the UK been discharged to primary care?How has that affected you re benefits etc
What would you take instead?
After such a long time is your disability not approved life-long? Or does it work differently in the UK?
I didn’t ask, and she didn’t say. She said that I don’t put a heavy burden on mental health services. in being seen every 3 months for my depot and separately a catch up on how I’m doing. That they’re talking of discharging me, given that, doesn’t say much that’s good about the state of mental health care in the UK.If I was being seen weekly or fortnightly it would be different.
I’m in the US, but my therapist just asked me the same thing. I’m very worried about going off the mental health part because if I have a relapse I’ll have to go through all the steps to get care again. It’s a lot and hard.
Her response to two issues today suggests she has no problem in seeing me as disabled. The first was my stating the guilt and feelings of worthlessness I have re never having worked. She said that not all people with severe mental illness can manage to work, and there’s no shame in that. That my mental illness is a constant thing.
We also discussed the bullying I’d experienced . I’d raised the issue re how that had played a part in my developing SMI…
She asked if it still affected me, to which I answered ‘yes’
She then talked about CBT and EMDR for trauma. I told her that although my experiences had been bad,I’d never felt I could legitimately call them ‘traumatic’ She politely disagreed with me.She then said that I don’t give myself enough credit for how I’ve done despite my difficulties.
That’s the kind of thing that worries me. Especially as the GPs I’ve had over the years have been backwards in coming forwards when it’s come to my mental health. Would I be placed under extra pressure because I must be doing OK if discharged to primary care.
I’m doing OK because I live a low key lifestyle, with stress minimised. That being massively helped with the support I get for the things I struggle with.
I get very little support, it would be nice to have some encouragement once in a while, i was discharged to my GP and it was a bad decision i would say for me at the wrong time, i told them i was wanting to reduce my meds and they still discharged me, the GP was nice enough but i got unwell again and had to see the psychiatrist again.
I’ve just had a chat on the phone with my (s) daughter she thinks I should stay under the psychiatrist, and that I’m not a heavy burden on mental health services
I’m sorry to hear that. Have things improved since then?
yes but i had another setback a few weeks ago and it has interrupted my routine, i am trying to take it easy a bit more.
I would be worried too if they discharge me to GP care as well. I’m only remaining stable with all the support I get. I told my community nurse that I’m worried about appearing to well with my holidays and stuff but he says I havent got anything to be worried about as they know they are maintaining it and they want me to continue to be well so thats why I get the support and they won’t discharge me. Also I’m in LD services and they don’t discharge like MH. They are holistic.
I was discharged to my GP Jan 2021. My GP renews my prescription and I am still on 5mg risperidone.
I was forced to be discharged by my last pdoc. I hate it as now I want to try new meds. I had an interview to assess my symptoms so I talked about negative and cognitive symptoms. They said they will call back if I am accepred, its been weeks nothing yet. I also probably have to wait at least a year to see a pdoc now if I am accepted.
Last time anything was said it was that I was ‘in remission with some breakthrough psychosis’ .I’m currently experiencing some paranoia re my neighbour(s)re them breaking into my flat. I can reality test it as being irrational, but it’s very persistent. With a low key life style and the support I get things aren’t perfect but they could/would be a lot worse if there was more pressure and no support. She mentioned CBT and EDMR for trauma related to bullying . I was asked if the bullying still affected to which I said ‘yes’ . I personally have never thought my experiences warrant being called ‘traumatic’
I think it’s indicative of how inadequately funded mental health care is in the UK.
10 years later and they still won’t take me off a CTO. I been stable since 2020.
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