Why are more and more people in mental health crisis being detained by police?
Some thoughts based on release today of national statistics showing another rise in the number of times section 136 of the Mental Health Act is used by police to detain people in mental health crisis....
View Article“History of mental health problems”
. Why do news reports continue to use “history of mental health problems” as if it’s a complete answer to the “why?” of violent crime? It isn’t. Some thoughts. . . .
View ArticleWomen and mental health
Here are some thoughts of mine and of the lovely twitter people on the topic of women and mental health. No editing, hoovered up all the tweets during a particular timeframe. Enjoy! On 9th June, I...
View Article#MHQT
Here are all the tweets on the hashtag #MHQT from the panel debate and discussion on women and mental health at UCL on Wednesday 5th June 2017. 1)...
View Article#StateofMH
. . On today’s report by the Care Quality Commission on the state of mental health care in the UK My tweets – my thoughts on two serious shortcomings in how today’s report deals with the issue of use...
View ArticleDear All Pharmacists – On privacy and trust
. . I was so upset yesterday about a breach of my privacy at a pharmacy (not the first one) that I ranted on twitter – and it seemed it struck a chord with other patients. Pharmacists who responded...
View ArticleStorify – Broken page links
. Please note that, throughout this blog, I make extensive use of twitter conversations saved on Storify – I used that site for years to help me collate my thoughts and save conversations with others....
View ArticleSocial prescribing is a lovely idea but it won’t make up for the care I’m not...
Social prescribing can only play a limited role in helping folks living with serious mental ill-health A news story on social prescribing boomed out of my radio on Monday morning – another jolly...
View ArticleThey got me.
The psychiatric system has beaten me. I’ve lost. I tried my best to get the help I need. But all that my efforts have done is show me there is no way to hold mental health professionals to account;...
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Assessed to death
Your periodic reminder that a mental health assessment is neither neutral nor is it help. Whilst carrying out an assessment may count as “contact” or “activity” for the purposes of a service’s...
View ArticleDustbin patient
Today in Nobody Will Take Me Seriously Till I’m Dead … There was never any need for me to become this unwell and, the more unwell I become, the more services – GP, mental health, social care –...
View ArticleAccept your fate
I am being buried alive by professionals. Each fresh attempt to get care, treatment & support for severe & enduring mental ill-health in the past 3 years since I was discharged from community...
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Staying for longer
I’m not sure whether I’ll swim through this winter. I’m not making any plans. But, whatever happens, swimming outdoors and my swimmy friends have meant that, for better or worse, I’ve stayed around...
View ArticleForgetting
Another year, and I am still here. I did not imagine I would be, but I seem to just limp on, unable to do anything decisive either way. A London friend just rang. I didn’t pick up. She leaves...
View ArticleI stopped
In June last year, after trying my hardest for several years to get access to NHS mental health services, I stopped. I stopped trying to access NHS mental health services.I live with severe &...
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