Your advice taken

I think if you’d tried to keep that appointment your fear of locked doors may well have proved justified!!

how kind not to criticise me Iam, I am quite sure my method of recovery will help , no idea how much, a long way to go , but I do know crossing that bridge would have pushed me over the edge.

and actually, mental health services are far worse in Wales than in the rest of the UK, in fact, they are diabolical.
I know because a young friend has waited for so long to be seen that his parents have paid for him to go privately.

there are several consulting rooms which are used once a month , very close to to the two wards for the elderly
I can see no reason why you could not be seen in a consulting room and not the locked ward Anniebach - after all, it would probably be just a walk down a corridor for the consultant. I realise his time is precious Jane10, but, in fact, seeing patients in a consulting room rather than that type of ward would surely be beneficial to other patients, not just Anniebach.

Thank you Iam64. I truly am not prejudiced as I think Anniebach knows too. I've tried to be supportive to her over the years.

Can I say a word of gentle support for Jane 10's comments here. I'm not criticising Anniebach and sincerely hope her self help plans work for her. We are often our own best therapist. However, I don't see Jane10's comments as being prejudiced against Annie and I don't feel Jane10 has anything to be ashamed of.

Jane10, you should be ashamed of yourself. I hope you will just shut up now and not cause further distress to Annie. You are clearly prejudiced against her, and you are NOT helping.

Nfk ?

Maybe, maybe not

Many years ago, when a student, I accompanied a friend to see a psychiatrist. My friend suffered from anxiety/depression and , possibly, had agoraphobic tendencies (I have no medical qualifications!) as she rarely attended lectures as she could not go out without someone with her and certainly not use the tube. We had to travel from the Oval to Hampstead for her appointment. The psychiatrist was very abrupt when he saw me with my friend and asked why I had come with her. I have always remembered that.. but maybe it is a strategy to actually aid the person? As I say I am not an expert on mental health treatment so would not know. Maybe our 'common sense' is not alsways what is needed?

Depends on the gardener Annie

Hopefully the sun will shine for the next few days and you can sit out there every morning!

Way to go, annie!!

I did mean come and get the tea , nothing more

If Jane works or has worked in mental health she is aware of the underfunding and stress, possibly suffered from it or has colleagues who have. But I think the public speaking out too is important, we all agree how wonderful the NHS is but not everyone working in it is wonderful . I was shaken today when gosport was being discussed and it was said some files were missing, the police were informed of the deaths but did nothing, one big cover up. I too had to accept ‘files were missing’ the police were with my daughter at one in the morning but not allowed to know why , just ‘it was unrelated to her death’, it scratched wounds not yet even scarred,

But onward ,

my next step, if the volenteer gardeners come tomorrow I will ask them to bring my daughters rock rose nearer to the house but not to close, and if it isn’t raining i am going to sit out there and chat to them and take their tea out not call them to ‘come and get it ‘ ?

For someone in your situation, Annie, venting was perfectly in order. You have come up with your own strategy, in the absence of help, and I hope you make progress with it.

Jane was very thoughtless in the tone she used and seemed to give no thought to how it might be received, however I'm glad you were not upset by her posts.

I guess Annie has come onto this forum and shared and asked for help.People have come forward with suggestions.

Sadly MH problems are still regarded as something to be ignored and/or feared.

I often think of diabetes for example. There is no shame in taking medication or feeling unwell. I assume there is a reasonably robust system in place to help people.

If only we could move forward with our thinking about problems in our heads.

I am not affected by Jane’s opinion posters. She has given her views .

I've been well aware of Anniebach for years now. I'm fully acquainted with her situation. I was trying to provide the other side of the picture. Adult mental health services are very well known to be the cinderella of the NHS and the struggle of their stretched service to meet the demands of thousands of stressed and mentally unwell patients must be known to all but clearly are not well understood as to exactly how that impacts on real patient care and support.
Slagging off individuals and services helps no one except possibly the individual venting. It would be more useful to put this energy into lobbying for more funding for mental health services.

Jane, I did not say he is causing anyone to take their lives, this is a decision a person takes themselves, and I did not say all health boards cannot be trusted . You have defended all within the NHS I have said not all are angels without wings . I did not want sympathy from that doctor , I asked for help explained why and as I said earlier he said leaving your house, crossing the bridge coming to a ward which is locked will be an excellent start to your recovery.

If I could do those things I wouldn’t have asked for help to overcome my fear of them.

He may have excellent qualifications but certaintly not basic common sense. Sorry you are angry at criticism of one doctor , did you defend Shipman with such vigour and blame his patients? Not all doctors are angel of mercy, fact,

Sorry Jane10 very harsh. We are trying to support ab not make her feel worse, where is your compassion.

Jane10 you go to far! I have read about Annies horrendous times, have you? I dont think it is my place to tell you about this, but it is my place to defend a lady who has had a terrible tragedy in her life and was let down by the system and is still being let down. The majority of GNs are very supportive of her and if as you imply you work in the field of mental health shame on you.

Really Anniebach? The psychiatrist us causing an increase in suicides and health boards can't be trusted?!
Why does anyone bother to try to help!

Perhaps things have changed. It’s a while since I retired, but in Norfolk an agrophobic would be seen at home. How else? They can’t get out.

Nfk, I explained my fear of the bridge, I explained my fear of locked doors, I don’t lock my doors even at night, i asked if I could have a telephone consultation which is quite usual here with the surgery. He offers an appointment over the bridge to a ward which is locked, I know every room in that hospital , there are several consulting rooms which are used once a month , very close to to the two wards for the elderly . I accept patients have to fit in with doctors and consultants, but he asked too much of me, I think he knew this when he telephoned, little wonder the suicide rate has risen since he took charge . I expect the patients in Gosport thought that medical team were to be trusted too and the health board

You couldn't be referred on to a CPN without being seen. There are rules and a system to work through however irritating you find it. That referral would then be reviewed and prioritised (or not) by the community team and you'd be contacted by them in due course. Like it or not that doctor was trying to be helpful! His offer could have speeded up help getting to you.