Apologies for anyone who has already read my comment on Zen Asylum's thread but felt it important to repost here:
Reminds me of what local Mind did to my friend Tommy. He liked to dress in unconventional (challenging for the 'normalists') ways.
On several occasions he was taken for quiet chats with the user group manager (who was paid for with Mind coffers) and ultimtely he was forced to leave as they made it intolerable for him to stay within the group.
I had long since left the service user group, by this time, because I realised that Mind were actually in cahoots with MH services and the Department of Health spin rather than actively making themselves a democratic voice for local service users.
After, or maybe as part of a manic episode, which ended with Tommy going into acute care, being pumped with drugs and not being allowed to wear clothes he liked..he was sent home with minimul support from services (or anyone actually) and hung himself.
The last I saw of Tommy was in the acute unit, when my Dad was in there, and he told me he was on Olanzapine and doing okay. I asked him to take care and wished him the best. F'ing futile on my part.
All I remember is thinking "why isn't he wearing the clothes he likes?".His best friend later told me the acute unit staff refused to let him. There were a fair few organisations refusing to let Tommy be.
Another example of how diabolical charities are is: after the funeral service, Mind had organised for people who attended the day cente (run by them) to go for a drink. Tommy's best friend was not invited, even though he was a regular visitor to the day centre.
If that is charity then they can stick it where the sun don't shine!!!!
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It's always about fitting in to the mental health system's notion of Recovery isn't it!
ReplyDeleteIf you fit in you'll be funded to wear smart clothes , a suit and tie, an official status blinging ID badge and to traipse around lording it over others but if you don't fit in or even just question you'll be shown the door. It's really about belonging and we've created a system that just rewards and perpetuates middle class belongness .
What kind of clothes? Not that it matters but the only way I could justify the dictatorship would be if it was something very offensive to others (nazi uniform for instance).
ReplyDeleteServices only want to help those who help themselves. It is their notion of self-help. That is put up, shut up and gratefully take your meds.
People like Tommy will continue to be seen as expendable casualities.I'm sorry to say. You know I sadly believe, their is no place in society for those with enduring mental illness (perhaps all illness) We are at the back of the feeding line.
Thank you for supporting me last night.
La reve x
Being at the back of the feeding queue is bad enough without the more able services users cannibalising the less well off. This is what is happening . Sorry about Tommy. x
ReplyDeleteThe mental health charities Like MIND and Rethink and Together with their media class of Time to Change and others have sold out on legal rights based Patient Choice of recovery treatments and condition management. Instead they with the NHS Commsissioners (ex NIMHE-ites) and DOH have "shaped the market" (a term in common currency with PCT's) towards themselves "3rd" Sector and their paid Kapo Users - who tend toward over-control of others .
ReplyDeletePOETRY OF DAY CENTRE CLOSURE PROTEST
ReplyDeleteIt is one of two options,make that three, that aren't actual options with services, Lareve.
ReplyDeleteThe ones that can help themselves go around pretending they are helping everyone else (having the odd "Oh I feel shit" day) but really they are in it to get everything for themselves they can and bollox to other people who are genuinely suffering. There's the ones that are an external nuisance to society (as in violent, disruptive etc in public places) who are in and out of acute care, bascially to keep them off the streets and then there's the ones that are drowning and once the services clock that you aren't going to 'miraculously recover' by taking meds or a 12 week course of CBT..they switch off and when people kill themselves, care co-ordinators say "Well, they could have killed themselves anytime. How was I to know when?"
When G (a woman I had known from when I used to go to the day centre) attempted suicide whilst in acute care and subsequently died in the general hospital, one of the Community Mental Health Team nurses said. "She had a history of suicide attempts. I am not surprised she killed herself"
WTF is that if not a statement of total apathy towards patients? People who don't know the system or have much to do with MH services will be shocked that someone was able to kill themselves in acute care. It disgusts me that so little is thought of people with mental illness (particulary within MH services themselves) but I am not shocked. There are many other similar stories of people who in crisis have turned to,or been referred to MH services, only to have been ignored and have then killed themselves.
Is there anything worse than when you are at your most fragile that those entrusted with your care ignore and neglect you? I don't think so. I actually think that should be legally seen as criminal neglect and people held to account...but we all know one of the biggest chunks of NHS funding goes to their legal departments!!!!
That is the measure of how much services actually care for MH patients.
I am afraid, Lareve, that I agree with you there really is no hope and with both the Coalition Government and Labour signing up to getting rid of the benefit system. There will be nothing left for us at all. :<( xx
Yeah but by the law of all that is inner dog and spitting - none of us should go down without barking and weeing on a Charity substitute or service for meeting real need .....
ReplyDeleteRemember thy howl and raised leg gestures ....Remember ye the satire snarl ....or is that the Snotty snarl....Scatter thy peed upon the faithless ... !!!
Be Dogly ... !!!
Do not go into that boneless night without snapping at its nose ....
(Kundogfuss 100000 b.c.)
Hey PG
ReplyDeleteYou gotta bite the leg that keeps kicking you!!!
Any chance of going 2zees on a Bonio? :>)
I'm keeping my eye on the circling poodles and TTC shihtzus
ReplyDelete