Talking to other people about your mental health

How do you discuss your difficulties with your mental health?

I just got referred by my Psychiatrist to an out of hours service, but the problem is these people call the ambulance and police very quickly if you talk about dark things

I am flat, emotionless, sarcastic, dry and have a really dark sense of humour

Think maybe the fact I also have Autism makes communicating that extra bit harder

How do you effectively get support without just scaring the person supporting you into calling the emergency services?

Please, can someone describe how they navigate this topic without causing alarm in others

Personally my head gets into some pretty bad places at times, but I really need to learn to communicate better with professionals.

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Easy, I don’t.

15151515

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I had a therapist.
I ghosted her

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When I communicated with these people, I felt like blowing my head off. The comparisons with John Nash start and they become curious about your life and how you are coping. It reinforces the fact that you have schizophrenia. Because, they treat you all too nicely and stuff…I felt like being special, both in a positive and a negative way.

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The problem is something needs to happen, as out of hours I have difficulty

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If you have to communicate with them show them a facade of wellness. Just don’t say what is on your mind.

I think I have Autism too. When I take the Aspie quiz, I come out as highly autistic. Looking in the eyes and talking with someone is tough. The brain cannot take it. I have all these difficulties, but I don’t think too much about them. The doctor is disinterested in diagnoses that can’t be treated and so am I.

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I think this is extremely bad advice. It is important to be open with your treatment team in order to get proper treatment. What happens when they hold back, don’t get help and end up in a worse situation or dead?

Please be open with your treatment team.

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Which situation is better or worse is open to interpretation…?

In one scenario, he lies and pretends he’s ok and receives no help, probably continuing to get worse. In a different scenario he’s open and honest and possibly receives help that could potentially be life saving.

There’s your interpretation.

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We have a crisis line here, which has been helpful for me in the past. You don’t actually have to be in crisis to call, just struggling with something.

One thing I had to learn, is that they are trained to look for certain trigger words. Like yourself, I have a pretty Dark Twisted sense of humour. What I do now is cut directly to the chase, get directly to what I’m working with, and keep the inner commentary to myself.

I found this frustrating in the beginning, but I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve actually had a few good Chuckles, thinking about how they would react if I said what was really on my mind

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But, he is honest with the doctor I am assuming?

The doctor is perhaps able to adjudicate better in an emergency situation…I wouldn’t want others to think I am sick. Besides, as far as treatment goes, too many cooks spoil the broth.

I have learned to keep it simple.

I don’t tell a complicated story.
You keep it to honest and direct.

I also don’t share everything to everybody.

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If your talking about the Sussex mental healthline - i dont use it cos they are a bunch of judgemental arseholes.

This is the staying well service from West Sussex Coastal Mind

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Haha. Oh those people. They had me arrested and charged for phoning up when i was psychotic. “Threatening Behaviour”.

Nevermind i was ill. Be careful with that lot - they have a hidden agenda.

I wouldnt piss on them if they were on fire.

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I don’t. And I suffer alone without telling anyone.

Hopefully I die soon.

Ok thanks for the heads up

I will cancel our meeting on Saturday evening

The mental health line always call the police and ambulance round as it is when I call, so last I need is these do-gooders causing me more grief

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I used to call the suicide hotline a lot, it helped me talk about my suicidal feelings without getting the ambulance called on me. I had a therapist once who didn’t write down the things I said, he was just very general about his notes and I shared some things with him. Other than that I don’t really open up that much about my deepest thoughts. It’s private.

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I struggled very much with therapists

My case worker before was an OT, and she used to strong arm me constantly into going inpatient

Since she left, I have not been back once!

The Psychologist was useless, and as you describe your experiences

I just hate the fact that there seems to be a lack of support for people who have serious issues to deal with

We’re just left with services meant to treat lesser evils, and we’re deemed to be in need of being imprisoned in hospitals at the slight whiff of trouble due to our dx’s

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