Each week we publish blog posts on a whole range of topics, relating in some way to mental health — written by Mind staff, service users and health and policy professionals. Some blog posts may not reflect official Mind policy.
We welcome comments and questions on our posts, but have a few ground rules to keep the site welcoming and interesting to every body. The first rule is the most important: be respectful of other commenters and bloggers.
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.
2 CommentsJust over two weeks ago, I spotted a request for the charity Mind on Twitter. They wanted people to come and speak about their experiences of crisis care in London. It felt like a daunting thing to do let alone consider going, given my recent mental health has not been great.
However, the experiences I have had when in crisis at times have been unbearable and I felt strongly about having the ability to put forward my experiences because there are so many people with mental health difficulties that cannot speak out. If one thing has changed about me over the years I have found my voice and if me sharing my experiences with others can help then so be it. I decided I wanted to be part of the event.
8 CommentsI am keen to attend this event as I am passionate about promoting excellent crisis care. The quality of crisis care interventions, services and resources are inconsistent and they are also underfunded. This situation is made worse by government spending cuts which are a costly false economy both in financial and human terms.
13 CommentsMind's CEO Paul Farmer welcomes a landmark Supreme Court judgement, which promises greater protection for people with mental health problems who admit themselves to hospital voluntarily.
29 CommentsLast week saw the launch of our report on acute and crisis care. Here, Catherine describes the delays that stopped her from getting help when she needed it most.
Trigger warning - this post discusses suicide and readers may find some sections distressing.
My first impression of UK crisis care was the crescendo in mental distress that I had to suffer before I could access it.
7 CommentsAs part of our campaign on crisis care, Charlotte writes about what happened when she needed emergency support and considers how her crisis could have been prevented.
Trigger warning - this blog discusses thoughts of self harm and suicide.
I have already blogged about my recent adventures in insomnia. This was exacerbated by a rare side effect of the mood stabilising drug sodium valproate: visual hallucinations.
6 CommentsIn a guest post for our crisis care campaign, Judith writes about her experiences as an inpatient and the need for well-trained, supportive staff.
I was 37 when I became psychotic. I was hospitalised for six months, sectioned and underwent six treatments of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
5 CommentsThis week Mind publishes its report and recommendations on acute and crisis mental health care and promotes them to Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Rhian asks about whether it can really be called ‘care’ at all.
Trigger warning - this blog discusses self harm.
For the past year Mind has been investigating the state of crisis care for people with mental health problems, whether it's good or bad (the care, not the mental health).
9 CommentsIn the latest in our series on crisis care, Sharon Howard writes about how she had to find her own support after being let down by local services.
Based on my experience you would think there really is no support for mental health on the NHS...
13 CommentsA timely and supportive response to a person in crisis can make all the difference. As part of our acute and crisis care campaign, Krishna writes about his passage through services. He's currently an inpatient.
The arcane world of psychiatry is a scary one but please take heed when I say it is not to be feared.
When I began to experience mental health problems, I was quick to disagree with my family about being ill and suffering symptoms of an illness.
1 CommentIn the latest post in our series on crisis care, Zoe asks why her local services are limited to office hours when a crisis can happen at any time.
I live in an area with no crisis care at all. Should one wish to have a mental health crisis of any sort one has to confine it to office hours. Out of these hours you are on your own.
5 CommentsAs part of our crisis care campaign, Nikki writes about two very different experiences and asks what patients should do when they're not treated with support and respect.
Looking at me you would probably never guess that I have a mental health problem.
14 CommentsTo mark the launch of our crisis care campaign, Zarathustra writes about the need for good nurses in acute care and the difference one personality can make to a ward.
When I was a student mental health nurse, I had a series of nurses inform me that I should spend my first year after qualifying on an acute psychiatric ward.
3 CommentsGuest blog from Paul Grey, who is chairing Mind's inquiry into acute and crisis care mental health services
Back in November 2010, which seems like a long time ago now, Mind asked me to chair an independent inquiry panel investigating the current state of crisis mental health services in England and Wales. The panel's goal is to present a series of recommendations on how to improve the provision of these services.
7 CommentsMental health hospitals serve around 100,000 people a year, yet despite treating a significant number of our society, for most people they remain a great unknown. We know they are there, but don’t know what happens there; they have an interlude in the media spotlight when there are failings or scandals, and then return to anonymity, a silent presence in the lives of our communities.
36 Comments