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Why we need excellent crisis care everywhere
Posted Thursday 24 May 2012
Sarah writes about two very different experiences of crisis care and explains why excellent crisis care needs to be consistent.
Consistency seems to be society’s new buzz word. Everyone from parents to politicians are being advised to be consistent – to foster relationships of trust and safety.
The following stories demonstrate why having consistency in the mental health crisis care system is worth the investment.
Janey’s story
Janey was in hospital. She overdosed and was waiting for psychological assessment. She felt ashamed of her actions but was treated kindly by the nurse. Janey was advised she was well enough to go home and was offered a variety of care options.
Janey chose to stay in a respite care house. She was able to take a break from life and avoid being admitted to a hospital ward. Janey had 24/7 access to support staff.
After a week she felt more stable. Her care was passed to the crisis team who were able to take her home. The team kept in daily contact with Janey and supported her for a further week.
With support from the crisis team, Janey was encouraged to apply for university. After being admitted to hospital and believing her life was over, University had a significant positive impact on her wellbeing.
Amanda’s story
Amanda was in hospital. She had been abusing medication and felt suicidal. While waiting for psychological assessment, Amanda felt helpless about her situation and was treated unkindly by the nurse. Amanda tried discussing her suicidal thoughts but was told she was well enough to go home.
She was offered one option of care – a next-day referral to the crisis team.
Amanda left in distress but attended the appointment. She explained that she was a student who shared a house and had no privacy for home visits. She also explained her housing situation caused her a lot of stress. Amanda knew she would find respite care helpful.
The crisis team looked at her in surprise. Surely she knew respite was not available in her area? But Amanda didn’t know. She was offered home help which she declined. She became angry as she felt she had not been listened to. The assessor scribbled down “unwilling to engage with support offered.”
Two days later Amanda was back in hospital. She had overdosed and was awaiting another psychological assessment. Again, she was treated coldly by the nurse.
She was told she was well enough to go home and her unwillingness to accept home help meant there were no other options for her.
Amanda went home and carried on alone. A few days later Amanda took a second overdose. She experienced the same treatment. She was threatened with security if she did not leave the hospital.
Amanda’s experience of crisis care had not met her needs. Her condition worsened. Amanda has since taken leave from her studies to recover.
Janey and Amanda are the same person. They’re both me.
Crisis care is inconsistent.
Where I was living affected the services that were available to me. Excellent crisis care helped me recover and move forward with my life. Poor crisis care really set me back. This is why I believe it’s important for excellent crisis care to be available everywhere.
Sarah
Mind is campaigning for excellent Crisis care to be available everywhere, for everyone.
Learn more and find out how you can support the campaign.
15 Comments
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We know it all costs money and the government would rather be spending it protecting Pheasant's from Buzzards (in the news today 24/05)
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An all to familiar story !!
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This story rings so true for me! Even basic care was lacking, I know I took the overdose and slashed my own wrists but my state of mind was greatly diminished. Just five hours later I saw a psychiatrist, I was told to stop taking one of my meds and that I was well enough to go home! Care...what care?
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Thanks for sharing the information. I am a retired person & reside in AZ. I was suffering from long illness & now I am at final stage of illness. So I am looking for palliative care to reduce both physical pain and emotional suffering. I approached global community communications alliance Medical Institute. It is a nonprofit organization & helped me to recover. They also provide Reiki therapy, aromatherapy, reflexology, ion Cleanse, and palliative care. I think they are doing good & helping many patients at a cheaper cost.
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The Mental Health Foundation work on supporting user led crisis services showed that crisis houses such as that Sarah mentions get almost 100% satisfaction from people who use them. They offer practical and emotional support from Day 1 of admission, and link people into local support. They create networks of support and set up phone lines so people can stay in touch and self-refer at times of need. THESE TYPES OF SERVICE HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO WORK!!! So how come excellent services like Barnet Crisis House, set up, run and staffed by service users, was closed down, and others that still exist are constantly threatened with closure? WHY are we not building on the learning and evaluation from these exemplary services?
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I took an overdose as a direct result of the "care" I had previously been given on a psychiatric ward. The way they treated me made me feel degraded and worthless and I wanted to die so they couldnt hurt me anymore. I came round in the Intensive care unit. I told them why I had taken the overdose and what was their response? To send me back to the psychiatric ward for further abusive and brutal treatment. They say I have "delusions of persecution", but the five nurses who held me down and forcibly drugged me on many occasions were all too real. I was never suicidal prior to receiving psychiatric "care".
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Dear Ian, I’m sorry to hear you had such a bad experience - being turned away when you most needed help is just not acceptable. It shows how far crisis care services need to go. I hope you are better supported now but if you wanted to find out about other local services you could try our infoline - 0300 123 3393.
You could also give your feedback through Patient Opinion - http://www.patientopinion.org.uk/ or consider sharing your experience with your MP http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1705&ea.campaign.id=12744
Thanks for sharing your story with us, take care
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Dear mitzimum, I’m so sorry to hear you had such a distressing experience - crisis care should be there to help you recover, not traumatise you even more. Good crisis care is where you can choose the right treatment for you - not somewhere it is forced on you.
I hope you’re reaching out to friends and family members for support at the moment. Remember also that the Samaritans can provide support 24/7 on jo@samaritans.org or08457 90 90 90.
Our infoline info@mind.org.uk / 0300 123 3393 can also help you think about your options.
If you haven't already, please do contact your MP and share your experience: http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1705&ea.campaign.id=12744
Take care of yourself,
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MP's are not interested, complaints are pathologised and now ideology and cuts mean there is little or no meaningful crisis care. Staff who care know this.
People are expected to 'respond' quickly and to whatever is offered if it is offered, failure to do so means 1] you get nothing 2] get put into PD services for failing to recover -
ian.666 - I find it shocking that anyone who has self-harmed or taken an overdose can be assessed as "well enough to go home." Your experience of crisis care were unacceptable. I do hope campaigns such as this will help to improve things.
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Jan Wallcraft - I agree completely and the crisis house I attended is now under threat of closure as well. The amount of money pumped into drug research is enough to fund a crisis house for most cities in the UK! I volunteer for Mind and setting up a crisis house in our area is something I am pushing, and pushing for.
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Mizimum - I feel so sad and disgusted by the way you were treated. Even if a person is suffering from delusions, their feelings and thoughts are real to them and often terrifying. I hope you are able to find support through the links suggested. As I said to Ian, I also hope these campaigns can improve crisis care. Having read the comments on here and on facebook, I feel lucky. My experiences were poor, but so many others have received worse. This has to change.
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Well I would like to know WHO is getting any help these days because it seems like a lottery. I am in crisis right now! I cant stand what my head is doing to me but all I get told by GP is how well I'm doing I'm convinced hes been told not to bother referring me anymore after my BDP diagnosis. God I cant beleive what is happening I am so scared WHERE IS THE HELP!
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Dear Linda, I'm really sorry to read you're feeling like this. I hope you can speak to a friend or family member for support. The Samaritans are always a phone call or email away, and they're happy to provide support 24/7. Email jo@samaritans.org or call 08457 90 90 90.
To find out about support and services in your area, do call our infoline team may also be able to give you some guidance - 0300 123 3393. Take care, -
Crisis care is a joke! My daughter has Bipolar and was in an extremely low state and felt that she could no longer cope. So instead of attempting to harm herself she tried to get an emergency appointment to see her consultant Psychiatrist. She manage to see him except it took 3 months. I mean if thats an emergency appointment I would hate to think how long someone has to wait for a regular appointment! Its disgusting!
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