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Pup review time

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2 years 2 months ago #266897 by TheHud
Replied by TheHud on topic Pup review time
Sorry to read you are so distressed. Our son is waiting for his decision/assessment for his PIP review we don't yet know what it will be. The application went in end November.

Like you, he has been under enormous mental strain this last 2 years in addition to his existing problems and under no circumstances would he be able to attend an assessment. Possibly not even one done at home like his last one, certainly a telephone one would not work either.

We included all dates and times, conversations, any emails, letters from or to mental health services and GP. Messed up medication, GP can't change or increase meds, his trick cyclist decides to pass him on with a different diagnosis to another system, so meds can't be upped, or changed at all etc. A sort of diary of disaster over the last two years. Also times he should have been seen by the crisis team, times waiting for call backs that never came, times we should have called back and called an ambulance, but had to wait until he was too far gone to know what we were going to do. But they would not come anyway, it was his choice apparently if he chose to, well I would rather not go there. We got print outs from the GP, very limited and they would not release records without an appointment which was 4 weeks later than the last date for the application. It was pointless, still nothing from GP.

Do your diary of events, let them know what it's really been like for you, everything, and if you can get others who have seen you struggling, to add to that account, do so but check you are happy with their account and it all matches. Try and let them be brutally honest about how they saw what you were going through it will be different to your perspective.

I wish you the very best of luck and remember, when going through this, try and get angry not sad it's a very hard process.. Also try and get someone to help you to order things, make notes, discuss events, timelines, collect info.
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2 years 2 months ago #266906 by pomaus
Replied by pomaus on topic Pup review time
I need to start with a trigger warning for sexual abuse and assault victims ***

What I find extremely difficult and distressing with the DWP.
I was the victim of the above and sustained severe mental and physical trauma for it.
I have an abundance of Psychological and Psychiatric evidence from multiple professionals ( Some of whom where court appointed)
In all of my Psychological reports it states that I suffer from permanent major depressive disorder that will never be resolved and has to be managed and will need extensive long term Psychological treatment which is near on impossible to receive on the NHS.
I was provided some funding by the court to cover these costs, but that money ran out years ago... Treatment at £120 an hour every week does not go very far.

Accessing Trauma focused Treatment on the NHS is near on impossible as they know my history and they know the amount of Psychological treatment I have had over the years and so they simply refuse to fund it because they believe it will not work...

All the NHS does now is appoint leadcare professionals and community Psychiatric Nurses from time to time when things are really bad for me, but then it is withdrawn again when I will not engage with things like "recovery college" as that involves me leaving the house and being around other people, something I simply cannot do,
So, I have to rely on Privately funding Trauma Therapy as and when I need it and can afford it.

It makes me angry that the DWP has all these medical reports over the years, but I am still put though this trauma repeatedly whenever I have a benefit come up for review, having to go through the same ordeal over and over again, explaining how and why my disabilities effects me.

I have had some shocking assessments carried out in the past by people who have zero understanding of people who have trauma induced mental health disabilities ...
Because I also suffer from Crohn's disease and rectal Bleeding anybody with half a brain or compassion would understand why this physical disability would have devastating consequences to the mental health disability, but the assessor got very frustrated and could not understand what one had to do the other and told me to stop talking about the mental health side of things whilst he was addressing the physical. Understandably I got really distressed and ended up a mess... That was another time my benefit situation ended up in the tribunal for appeal, which was won..

So given my past experiences with the DWP, I am absolutely terrified.
Especially since I recently moved areas and still waiting to be picked up by the new mental health team here.

I am stressed about the Gap in mental health services between me moving in April 21 and now..

Sorry again if I have upset anyone in my comments, that is never my intention..

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2 years 2 months ago #266943 by Angel
Replied by Angel on topic Pup review time
Hi. Me again. Specialised Survivor services are in short supply, especially for men. Trauma services generally do not seem to exist which is farcical. Group work with other Survivors will be useful for you. It tends to be user-led services that will give you the help you actually need. Tell your GP it is not good enough that you have to pay for your own help, and that they need to push.

In the meantime, these groups may be of help. Just reading their websites may help even if just a tiny bit. You may have been through all of this already. Sometimes reminding yourself you are not alone can be helpful. Ironic as that actually is. Take care.

www.rethink.org/
www.survivorsuk.org/
rapecrisis.org.uk/
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2 years 2 months ago #266977 by pomaus
Replied by pomaus on topic Pup review time
Thank you Angel that is appreciated. And the kind support is greatly received.

Unfortunately I don't really handle group therapy very well, to be honest, I hardly ever leave my house, only for medical appointments. I prefer the solitude of my little bungalow out in the middle of nowhere, with my dogs and try to keep away from people as much as possible.

But I will look at those resources that you sent, maybe they will have some kind of online group and try to ease myself into gently....

I am starting trauma therapy again in a couple of months to try and address some of the PTSD and self-harming as that has got out of control again....

But you are right there are not really any services out there for trauma victims and even more so for Men.

What angered me was the Courts had me go through a year of intense therapy and at the end it was suggested by the Psychologists that I went through some specialist program for people who suffer from complex-ptsd after multiple Trauma, it was a 3 year program at Addenbrookes Hospital....But the NHS absolutely refused to pay for it......
I could not afford it so just went to a Private Psychologists but at £120 an hr and £13000 later, the money I was allocated for therapy ran out years ago.

Now when I have bad relapse and my mental health deteriorates, Mental health services wont take me on for actually "treatment" as they say I have had so much over the years, even though they never bloody paid for it... They send me to a Psychiatrist, who always ends up upping my medications, that make me feel awful and unable to function properly, especially if I took the full dose they want me on... I end up slurring and cannot form my words at all. I can not read a book and just keep reading the same words over and over again, its a nightmare, This must be what they do to people they section as they just want them to be quiet and not have to deal with them. so I end up just laying on the couch comatose and suffering from sleep paralysis, its awful and scary, and thats the NHS answer to my problems, drug him up and he will be quiet.. They send a lead care professional round for a few weeks, try to talk me into recovery college, which wont go to,, then I am signed off the service and we start all over again....

Thats why I decide to pay privately as and when I can afford it because I do find the trauma focused treatment does work for a while and my symptomology calms down for a while and I get a bit of a break from it all. unfortunately it does keep coming back again, but those breaks are like gold dust for me....

Anyway, thank you again for those resources, I will have a look and see what they offer, much appreciated xx

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2 years 2 months ago #267045 by Angel
Replied by Angel on topic Pup review time
survivorswestyorkshire.org.uk/self-help/guides/

Morning. Don’t mean to overload, but these may be useful to download. You don’t need to read them now. Just know they are there. C-PTSD is a difficult one, and whoever is helping you, including your GP, needs to have knowledge of it.

I am glad you have some breaks at least. People have no idea for the most part, even supposed professionals. It took me 30 years to finally get a year of one to one. I have moved around a lot, and kept going onto different lists, and also had a long time when I was anti-psychiatry (R.D.Laing). A belief system I still have… our ‘behaviours and symptoms’ have a root, which we are fully aware of.. drugs help but are not the answer.

I digress. Reading worked for/ helped me. Also, smashing bottles and primal screaming will help. Just not on a self-harm day. You are precious. Look after yourself. Primal Scream (Janov) is well worth a look. Also C-PTSD: from Surviving to Thriving (Walker). Also Breaking Free: Help for Survivors of SA (Toon). Writing.. it ‘s a good way of getting everything out. Get some notebooks x
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2 years 2 months ago #267057 by denby
Replied by denby on topic Pup review time
Hi pomaus, just want to send sympathy and agreement about the medical misuse of drugs on mental health patients. My poor sister is on fluoxetine and though she can talk she goes round and round in circles or totally off at a tangent. She has so much trouble getting going on anything like tidying up, that her flat is utter chaos. This makes her depressed and more hopeless because she is ashamed of it but cannot help it. She also has a huge battle with herself to get to anything on time, unable to ever make a morning appointment even just to, say, have the gas meter read. I wonder how many more like her live in 'quiet misery' because on the drug she does not have frequent scenic crises, so does not get any useful help. [Eg an 'Emotional Regulation' course which did no good at all.]..At least she has got indefinite max PIP thank God.
So I think you are absolutely right in your opinion.
Best wishes,
Denby
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