Can people understand when I say this?

Stefan, what happened?
We all get treated like dogs sometimes patted on the head, held on a leash. Is CMHT a mental health care team?
You have the agency to quit caring even about yourself. You are pretty strong though and getting stronger I suspect. I could cheer a big episode.

Yeah it is and tbh I felt humiliated cause the clinical nurse specialist didn’t care much about my mental health, she never introduced herself or her role or even tried to make me not anxious about anything

@stefanstarovoitov
I can empathize with you. I stopped caring about myself and my health/life in 2023. I felt like someone hijacked me and still struggling to find my former self (feel like I am functioning at 10% of my former self).

I think the medical profession and workers are not educated about mental health support beyond prescribing medication. Not many can empathize or fully understand unless they personally have experienced major anxiety/depression or they have a close family member or friend struggling with it. My experience has been that many medical professionals are ill equipped and uncomfortable dealing with significant mental health conditions. I switched medication management to a psychiatrist nurse practitioner who is more patient talking through symptoms and problems with medications and adjusting medications to get to a better combination that helps. It has been over 1.5 years trying different medications and a frustrating process. I need to function as a single parent for my teen son. I have no family and he depends on me. I am currently unemployed and disabled (have spine issues and chronic pain plus spinal cord injury and major depression so it is hard to do much).

It is very hard but we must advocate for ourselves to get the help we need to be able to function and improve our quality of life. Don’t give up on yourself. We can’t base our self care on others. I am trying really hard to slowly recover some of my former self now that my medication seems to be better managed. My son, dogs and cats need me. They need me to care for myself for them. It is hard every day but I am hanging on to hope for a better future than today.

Well I can seriously relate. Before I get started, I am not really familiar with the terminology and abbreviations. I am assuming it is something mental health therapist?

Well I really really have a huge complaint about this subject so much so I am leaning towards going to an attorney. I can make excuses all day long for them with a lot of them valid points however it does not change the facts. This person saw the job posting needed a
Job and must (hope) that they have at least some of the experience and education in the area, they completed and completed an application made it through to the interviewing stage and one of two things happened at this point . . Either the hiring person did not catch on as it is possible to exhibit a caring loving well rounded individual and got the job or the interviewer themselves had a bad day or did not care who the position wac filled by Judy so long as it was filled. I am more than sure both those individuals already know the hardships that come with mental health. Now we are stuck with a person who is just there for a paycheck or a
Person who really does not like their job. I suppose also it could be burn out as well. Which is entirely possible. Now I am as sympathetic as the next person but when it comes right down to it that job is a crucial position and carries enormous responsibility requiring a very lot out of and individual. That being said THIS IS STILL TOTALLY UNEXPECTABLE for any reason.

When a person is mentally fatigued and they have lost all hope or possibly in the mist of a manic crisis that requires the knowledgable caring patient assistance of a mental health expert at that time, and esp if your sitting in a clinic or hospital that is exactly what you should get from your health care provider. I do realize there is an epidemic of lack of qualified workers also. Anyway there is still a crisis and it needs to be addressed by someone qualified enough to talk to you enough and bring things into perspective for you or someone who could be caring and patient enough to be there with you while your going through it maybe even hope for the possibility that the person is capable of writing S prescription or ordering a medicine be administered right there and then.

I am a member of NAMI (National Association of Mental llness) as well as few others. I
Suffer from depression and anxiety also undiagnosed untreated for the most part ADHD or ADD. I have a niece currently and for the last at least 10-15 years suffered from a mental condition severely. I honestly can’t remember all her diagnosises. My son is currently going through IT also. He has ADHD since childhood and he is 33 now. He also is bipolar, depressed and had terrible anxiety. Mines husband has these things as well. My son actually had an auto accident in October that I now believe whole heartedly that he had suffered from a traumatic brain injury also. He had these fits of RAGE now also. It is undiagnosed.

When I say I understand believe me I may not be exactly in your shoes per se but I do try sadly have to say I understand. I am terribly sorry you experiencing this. Although funds have been being poured into this area I am not seeing any positive realistic outcome nor do nor can I tell that there is any extra monies for it. I have seen many times of the money being channeled this way from the government, donations and fundraising I’m not so sure. I especially want to see where and when it hits the law enforcement field. They are supposedly training individuals or police officers to learn to deal code or deescalate crisis situations. That is so sons very needed right now. I so wished I could help that area.

You know everyone suffers when one person suffers from mental health issues. I personally can feel your pain. Please please if there is an ounce of fight left in you don’t give up. Not now not ever but definitly not now. You offer so much to this world in ways you can not imagine. You’re unique and rare. You have a lot of potential hidden under your symptoms. If you could just try a little harder a little longer. The hours will turn to Days and the days to weeks. Do you the difference a day could make ? It can be the difference of a successful encounter like this one meaning the difference to a persons family and friends and it could very possibly be the day that a new medicine or technical is uncovered to treat you. I will not go on any on. I’m sure I e rattled on enough by now. Hang in there my dear friend help very possibly is around the next corner. Also try to
Find another doctor, therapist, medical person or even a confidante that will stick with you and help
You fight this battle. With your permission I will keep you in my prayers. Feel free to reach out at any time. I will say however that I am typically pretty busy and am not on that much lately but I will try harder. If I was allowed I would even give you my email address but can month now without permission.
My son with the TBI is why I am here this morning as o was searching for a group similar to that when I stumbled on your post and I felt so compelled to respond.

Good day my friend and keep your head up and chin & chest out, be strong be bold. If need be at times like the one your describing if possible you need to then or In The very near future speak to the administrator as to your horrible exsperience with the clinic, hospital or facility where you had the issues. They can not fix it or address it if you do not inform someone that there is a problem. Always always speak up cause you protecting yourselves and many other voiceless ppl as well. Whether at that moment In time or the next day after you’ve rested,

Good luck and stay blessed my dearest friend

Darla S

I’m really proud of you for keep going. Your a good person

Thank you so much and I’m proud of u for keeping going

I would agree there are some health providers that are uncomfortable with dealing with mental health issues. I saw a physician where my first visit he struggled to acknowledge I was taking an antidepressant...he was reading a list of medications I was taking and stopped cold when he got to Wellbutrin. He stammered to say it out loud, which part of me was somewhat amused by that.

One the second visit, he spent a lot of time telling me how good I was doing health wise based on the results of several tests that occurred since my first visit. He was quite cheerful. Then a couple of days later I go into my patient portal and see the notes from my visit and the code for depression screening was on my visit notes...he did not do a depression screening, it seemed like his screening was to cheer me up...hmm. The screening has no costs associated with it so the payment was the same whether he did it or not.

I think there is some truth that health care providers have different approaches to deal with patients who have mental health issues. Like the doctor above, some struggle to address it. Some providers are terse and stoic about it (I have had that one too) and you are just another patient on the assembly line. Finally, some of very compassionate, but that can lead to burnout which is a major issue in health care these days. I would also say that patients want to be approached in differing manners as well...some like a direct approach from their providers and some want a more subtle conversational approach. Whichever approach providers take, they all need to create a safe space where the patient needs to feel comfortable and will be heard.

Yeah just a shame really

Trying to talk about or explaining feelings is stressful and frustrating. Especially when no one gets it. How to convey YOUR feelings to a therapist can be complicated and not understood completely. Therapist try and determine each case individually. As each case is different. Guidelines on how to proceed for the benefit of the client is a gray area. No clear definition. What to do then about reaching out to be heard. Listening is not the same as understanding. For feelings are much more than words. Explaining emotions are by themselves complicated.
In my instance I go over today’s events either mentally or with a journal/diary. Highlight those emotions that are fresh that day. Triggers to be exposed. Things I had to deal with. Emotions or moods. Over the course of a week or whenever patterns develop. I am able to better pinpoint the issues that make me struggle so. So when it’s time for my therapy session I am equipped with some accuracy about what I am going through. Ways I dealt with it or couldn’t. Give examples helps immensely to be heard and for better understanding. The therapist is finally listening as well as understanding you. On your terms in your life.

Thank you, hopefully will work one day