NHS Mental Health Assessment/Consultantion on Tuesday. Has anyone been through it or work in the sector and have any advice?

Posted by EmbalmedCoconut@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 18 comments

Suppose this will be deleted but as the title says I've got a mental health assessment on Tuesday. I have a habit of, I don't know, just telling them I'm fine? I choked up the other week on the phone to my GP. I really needed help but I just couldn't get the words out. I ended up making another appointment in person the next day and the GP was like, hot damn, I'm referring you to the crisis team, giving you some antidepressants and getting you booked in with the community mental health team immediately. I've been like a damn yo-yo for as long as I can remember. I can have periods of total sanity and sobriety for months. A million and one ideas and productive asf. Then months of just, nothing, dread and drinking. I've been hospitalised for self-harm twice in the past year. Needed stiches for a neck wound not long ago. I wish I'd hit my jugalar lol. I have a lot of thoughts of "let me die". Then a month later I'm writing spreadsheets and business plans. It's diabolical. I suppose this is more for my own sanity but I'm scared come Tuesday I'll just downplay the whole thing. Any advice is absolutely welcome.

18 Comments

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psychopathic_shark@reddit

I worked in the crisis team for 5 years. Talk to me goose... What happened for them to refer you to the crisis team? On top of that don't panic. We are people... We are people we are not people you cannot talk to. We are not here to catch you out or as many people think "section you " actually we can't that is a whole other bag. we are here to help and see what you need to help you. There must have been a trigger for the GP to look at referring you? However there are circumstances where the GP will withhold antidepressants pending a referral. If it helps many or of the mental health nurses have struggled with their own mental health and challenges at some point but loved experience is something that makes them good at their job. Unlike a GP appointment where you feel rushed an assessment with the crisis team is not about in and out. We looked at the fact a planned assessment would take up to an hour with the person and this is time to build a rapport and get an honest assessment of the person .

peppermint_aero@reddit

Could you prepare some notes or bullet points ahead of time? Would save you having to think while on the call, you could just read them out. In fact you could probably just read out what you've written here and that would be a good start. Good luck.

Eyupmeduck1989@reddit

I was going to say, just show them this post really

Loose_Acanthaceae201@reddit

This is the hardest part. You've made a great start and you deserve a pat on the back. You could consider writing stuff down as you think of it, and either using that as a prompt for yourself, or even just handing it over to whoever is assessing you. It doesn't need to be organised. It just needs to be true.

EmbalmedCoconut@reddit (OP)

"It just needs to be true" is really what scares me. I'm so worried if I don't downplay things I'm just taking funding from someone worse off than me. Like I don't deserve their fucking time. It's stupid I know but I can't help it.

blackcurrantcat@reddit

It’s not your call to make whether you’re wasting their time or taking resources off someone else; that’s literally the point of the appointment, it’s the job of the person you have the appointment with to listen to you so they can see what you need. That’s why it needs to be true. You could also consider this- if you’re not being true, then you’re wasting their time anyway. So be honest. They’re not going to be judging you; they’ll be making a medical assessment of your needs based on what you tell them, how you present yourself, what they know about your history, their own experience and knowledge of someone with symptoms like yours. The best thing you can do for everyone involved in the equation is be honest and tell it like it is.

No thank you this is the most concise way of putting it. I'm still a bit off the cuff as it were right now, suicidal and whatever, but realise if I downplay it and don't get the correct help I'm going to end up back in A&E or dead. Someone else has alluded to how that actually costs more than treating me through the community. I'm definitely going to make some notes about my general frame of mind and the whole yo-yo feeling for my meeting on Tuesday per the advice of most of these comments even if it isn't some fact sheet. Thank you all. I think I'm going to lock the thread now but I appreciate the input. It has really helped.

You’re very welcome. You’ll be ok.

MadWifeUK@reddit

This phone call is like a triage thing. They will be assessing what your needs are and what they can provide. That is their job, they are the experts in that. They will make a decision based on your clinical need, not on what everyone else needs. You are the expert of you. Tell them the truth, everything that is happening. Don't downplay it, that's not going to help anyone. Let this person do their job, be honest with them, and let them decide what resources they direct to you. And if you're really worried about funding just remember it's more expensive to treat the longer you go untreated.

You deserve their time. You deserve to feel better. What you write doesn't have to be complete. It's just somewhere to start.

PatTheCatMcDonald@reddit

Agree, it's why they are there so the OP should take that help.

HobbitsInTheTardis@reddit

You've done a great thing by taking these first steps to ask for help. Absolutely agree with others saying tell them what you've put in this post about how you've felt at different times. You're not wasting their time and you deserve help and CAN GET BETTER

So long as you turn up and admit you have issues sometimes, that would be a solid start. You have to talk then out and personally I think you despair of not finding a person that cares about you. Don't give up. There are good people out there. You have to reach out for them.

avspuk@reddit

Show them this post d the resulting conversations. Then they can take it from there

Familiar-Donut1986@reddit

Speaking as a mental health professional in the NHS, just try to be honest. We want to help but we need to know what's going on to be able to help you. Some people find it helpful to take in some notes to remind them of things they want to discuss or think we should know. Please try not to downplay things. I hope it goes well.

Muggerlugs@reddit

Been through it many times rather than being someone who works in the area. Tell them what you’ve written in your post and/or said to your GP. You’ll normally be asked about your current experience and any symptoms and how this is impacting your daily life. You’ll also be given a questionnaire to complete that helps to assess you, and you’ll answer the questions based on the last 2 weeks. Then in therapy you’ll have the same questionnaire regularly to see if any progress is being made etc. The initial assessment is about them trying to identify the right course of treatment for your situation. Don’t overthink it!

WatchingTellyNow@reddit

Be honest. They're not "the enemy", the people you'll talk to are there *for* you, to help you get off the yo-yo you sound like you're on. They can't help you unless you're honest with them, and their help can only go as far as helping you to help yourself. Do you *want* to carry on as you are, or do you want things to change, to improve? If you want things to stay as they are then yeah, tell them you're fine. They probably won't believe you. Otherwise, *be honest*. If you find that difficult, then write stuff down before you go, and let them read it if you can't read your notes out loud. Good luck - riding that yo-yo sounds utterly exhausting.

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