Dear York Mental Health Services
TW: suicide
Messages to the mental health team after reaching crisis point out of hours:
Message 1
“Hi ****. Thanks for the [discharge] letter you sent. I've literally just switched the news on to watch because i haven't been watching it for months now as too depressing and wanted to catch up on the Taliban situation today and the headlines about *** came up and its kind of sent me into meltdown if I'm honest. Just thought i would reach out before the behaviour starts again of self medication and isolating gets too bad. Sorry to be a pain but i didn't think ringing anyone else would be as beneficial as contacting you because you have worked with me. Hope you're okay and hope you don't mind me texting. Many thanks.”
Message 2 (after twenty minutes on hold to the crisis team and a short conversation with them)
“Rang the crisis team tonight to plan something for tonight so did get through after twenty odd minutes so going to watch movies tonight. Just thought i would let you know so you're not worrying”.
Reply received the following afternoon from my previous mental health worker.
“Hi *****, sorry to hear you've had a bit of a setback, hopefully you can get back on course soon, there has been quite a bit of disturbing news recently but hope you can find some good things around to balance it out, regs, ****”
I felt outraged by the lack of empathy or interest.
Message 3
“Well i was kind of hoping for a bit more support than that but i get it. No resources, it just seems like services are only there for you when you're in crisis at the point of considering taking your life again rather than the times when trauma this has stirred up for me which leads to suicidal thoughts.
The crisis line last night, although the person was lovely, she pretty much said watch a movie and see how you go. Politely stating here that the support when you do reach out is really not good at all and that's putting politely ***, because i respect you and all the staff as human beings but the service isn't fit for purpose. I've just watched the news last night that *** and i still hold that belief **** and the suicidal thoughts that come up whenever *** is in my thoughts and the measures suggested are movie watching and oh well. This is shocking behaviour and not on at all or in any way supportive enough for someone with very poor mental health.
I'm disgusted really at how I'm treated at times by the mental health system (not the people necessarily). The people are lovely but the system of support only exists on paper, it isn't actually a real tangible option for people with severe mental health problems when they reach out. I shouldn't have to be at the point of actually overdosing or acting on my suicidal thoughts before support is offered.”
Signed
Really cross person
who doesn't know what else to do
apart from pass this on
for people to start to wake up
in mental health support teams in York.