Sheer fustration at NHS psychology services.

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I've been asking for psychology services for help with specific aspects of my AS, like OCD & obsessions, panic attacks & the like for almost TWO YEARS. Having changed my GP over to a fantastic one, I managed to get the GP on board with understanding these 'needs' of mine and where I could use the help.

First I was reffered to the local clinical psychology department, which is standard procedure, to see if they had anything, and the first time they replied, they stated catagoricaly that they had 'recruitment issues' and were unable to provide me any specific help.

A few weeks later, after going through the primary care trust for funding, my GP got me a refferal to a psychology department in the City (I come under county). Anyway, that department decided to pass me back to the local department who had already sent a letter back to my dr stating they had nothing to offer me. I then got a letter from the local department inviting me for an 'assessment'.

I went along a couple of weeks ago for this, only to be told I would have to wait ONE YEAR on the waiting list before I could access any services (I've already waited two years in the process of trying to access the psychology service, that was just trying to get a refferal), and if I felt my condition was becoming unmanagable, I would have to contact the emergency mental health team, which they made pretty clear was NOTHING whatsoever to do with that department, so trying to pass the book again. Heaven forbid I ever did land up under the 'emergency mental health team' I would no doubt be passed back to the clinical psychology department by them to be told again I must wait a year.

If I had cancer would I be expected to wait a year? If I had diabetes would I be expected to wait a year? If I had schizophrenia would I be expected to wait a year?

Why is having an obsessive problem (one of the reasons I saught these services), that revolves around the home computer (I'm obsessed with doing things on it that might mess it up, 'just to see what happens'), any different from having a physical ailment that is causing pain & distress throughout your life? and after I succeeded & cost us a £55 repair bill, I decided enough was enough, & started activly seeking this help, not only for this, but for some other issues too.

I haven't carried this obsession out for a long time now, but it's always there grinding away at me and it takes a hell of a lot of time & effort to keep it simmering & not let it boil over & create more problems.

On a good note, me & my partner of 4 years are hopefully getting married in August this year. I still feel a lot of this stuff effects him on a level I might never fully understand. I was hoping for his sake as much as mine I might be able to start sorting some of this out with someone who knows how, because I certainly do not anymore.

Maybe the next step would be to consider going private, this will be an option in a couple of months time, but then again private mental health services are a minefield. How the hell would I go about finding the right one & not some backstreet quack?

My main argument is what is the point in waiting a year? The whole point in me asking for this help was to try & get these things sorted sooner rather than later, so I don't land up an emergency case. Or are they hoping I will, so they can continue to pass the buck & not have to take my case on themselves? Is it all to do with money & time?

I do not understand NHS waiting lists, they have the time to waste assessing me dispite the fact they can't help me for a whole f*****g year. I'm sposed to have gone for another part of this 'assessement' today, but you know what, I didn't much feel like walking for 30 minutes in the freezing fog for something so pointless, so I cancelled. Thats like telling someone they can 'have it tomorrow' but tomorrow never comes.
I'm going back to my dr next Friday to see if he can put some pressure on someone, somewhere, because the computer obsession alone is getting very hard to deal with.

It might have to be that I am unable to have a computer at home in order to preserve my sanity if worst comes to the worst. I hope it doesn't come to that, but the longer I am left with nothing, the more chance there is of the boil bursting.

The NHS psych services here aren't any better. My partner wants a self-referral because she wants plastic surgery and has to be assessed by the psychs first before she's allowed to proceed.

After 4 months of nothing after the referral, she got a letter from them apologising for the wait, telling her she is still on a waiting list for an appointment!

Fast-forward another 3 months, she got a letter asking whether or not she still wants to see anyone, and that she had a time limit to reply before her name would automatically be taken off the list.

I find this baffling and appauling, I mean, okay this is just a standard thing she want to see them about, but what if she was in mental fugue or needed help would they just fob her off in the same way?

You might find getting in touch with the National Autistic Society is a good idea, there may be something helpful on this page?

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1348

I'm having some problems of my own right now and have contacted them, and they've been brilliant so far.....

Here's a number you can also call:

I'm interested in getting help too. I haven't been to the doctor yet though.
If I'm asking for treatment, I wouldn't know how to convince him I'm not just a whiny kid. I don't want to straight away be given some pills that do absolutely zip like one time before.
If I'm asking to be put on benefits, I don't think he'd do that unless I had honourable intentions with regard to employment. I've turned sufficiently far inside myself that I don't even want a normal life.

Healthcare industry does not want to touch autism with a 10-foot pole. 3 years of Kaiser and all I get is, "We don't do adults, we have no experts, nope nobody knows anything about autism, we have no services for that, etc."

That's why this forum is so valuable -- you learn more from those who have figured things out on their own.

I have tried the NAS, they just say the same, to keep going to the GP. All the GP can do at the end of the day is reffer me, they can't force me up the waiting lists of other departments, at least I don't think so. I am considering making a complaint to the PCT, but I doubt that would do any good. My point is they have it on record how long I've been asking about these services, well over 2 years now, so why should I have to wait another one?

Oh dear... This is exactly the same problem I had and I was sort of hoping it was a one off but it is obviously not. Unlike you (OP) I was under CAMHS (Child and adolescent yadayada) and when I turned 17 I officially 'dissapeared' according to both services. CAMHS said I was too old and the adult service said I was too young, to quote my first psychiatrist in the adult department: 'We only really cater for the over 40's'. My Mum, who was getting rather angry about the constant delays in treatment said, 'what about the 17 to 39 year olds? where do they go?' he shrugged his shoulders (professional... NOT). From day 1 we made it clear we needed psychology's involvement. No no no no no... All we ever heard. Reasons: 'they don't deal with people like you (me)', 'They've got a long waiting list'. EXCUSES EXCUSES!! ! So anyway, 4 excrutiating years later, my mental condition deteriorated and I ended up being hospitalised. Suddenly a psychologist just magically appeared out of nowhere... After three and a half weeks (felt more like a year!) in the hospital, I was moved into residential care where, suddenly, the psychologist, psychiatrist, head of mental health and even my so-called social worker all suddenly dissapeared...

Moral of the story: If you want help, go mad and stay mad, never DARE to present them with an ASD... (Pessimistic rant over).

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

Jellybean thats exactly the situation I am trying to stop myself getting into (sorry you had to go through that). It would cost the NHS in excess of £1000 PER DAY to keep me in hospital, so if it;s money they're thinking about, they're the ones needing the psychology!

Even if I 'went mad' for want of a better phrase, I would be detained in hospital for 72 hours, they'd find out I have an ASD, and I would be discharged with a bunch of leaflets about how to access 'support' & other total yadda.

Don't they realise what happens when you go to someone & explain what the problem is? Just the fact you're able to do that discredits you as genuine. They're used to dealing with people who show outward symptoms, are a threat to others or whatever, not someone with introverted problems like myself.

Mental health in the UK stinks of s**t, the services are really lacking and DO NOT come up trumps for those who really need them. A lot of seriously mentally ill people (including those with an ASD) are either left to fall into the criminal justice system (another passing of the buck), or they land up recluses living in filth, on the streets or in hostels. 90% of that could have been prevented with some ongoing support.

Ouch... I am fortunate to have had better (although not good) experience of NHS mental health care - they lost my referral, I was then referred to the wrong place (services for people with severe mental illness rather than the hospital psychology unit), I was then treated quite quickly by the wrong place, but it didn't help and I think it did more harm than good. I've now moved away from home to go to university, and have been referred to some mental health services here. With this service, everything is done over the phone (from my current understanding) and they will ring me to do an assessment about a month after the referral. I don't know what will happen after that.

My recommendation would be to go private. That's what I did, and it helped a lot. I don't know how you find a good private therapist... make sure they have qualifiations (perhaps try to research what qualifications they ought to have) and are registered with BACP. I don't really know how to advise you in finding a good therapist beyond that. The way I found a good therapist was a bit weird - two of my dad's customers were psychotherapists and the time I got ill, and he said one of them seemed a bit weird and new-age-y and one of them seemed very normal and friendly, so he asked the normal and friendly one how much she charged and if she had space in her timetable for me as a patient.
Have you tried any self-help stuff? That could also be useful. Also, support groups (online or irl) where you can find others with similar problems and find out how they overcame them.

I think people with autism are going to be neglected in mental health, sadly, as although it's extremely prevalent, very few people know sufficient information about it. Having said that, my psychotherapist didn't know much about ASDs, but admitted that, and looked some stuff up on the NAS website, and just listened when I tried to explain problems related to it and I felt this worked fine - but then I'm not certain I'm autistic and if I am I'm very mildly affected.
I don't think this poor treatment is limited to mental health - I have heard many people tell appalling stories about their physical healthcare.
The NHS is a good thing - I'm very glad we have it - but at the same time it's such a mess.