THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME, MUM
I know that Elizabeth misses home but home is in London and not a peaceful environment and Wales is beautiful however Elizabeth is in a private hospital where there is strict control even more so than anywhere else I have come across so far.
The Tribunal is coming up soon and the independent doctor will be visiting Elizabeth. It is so wrong that she is on a section and isolated hundreds of miles away from home, family and friends.
Whatever my views are there is nothing I can do about this situation right now and it is horrifying that not one single political party seems to care less. It is all very good speaking about this topic of mental health but if someone has the power to do something about it and does nothing then it is really shocking and inhumane. The current Health Secretary could not seem to care less about mental health. If this is something that does not interest him he should be answerable to the public as to how many vulnerable people like my daughter are trapped on never ending sections right now when they are no risk to the public. The fact is these victims of the pharmaceutical industry, ie many suffering from injury due to over-drugging and kept imprisoned because there is no decent care in the community and there should be more therapeutic communities/alternative choices. A hospital is just a place where they dish out drug after drug usually at high levels. Even if a patient is suffering severe side effects there is no hope of withdrawals as what they do is to raise the dosage and mix this with another drug in experimentation, at least that is our experience. The sad thing is that nothing is done to look into the underlying causes and withdrawal from drugs is not something the NHS encourages. What should be done is more pathological tests and the P450 liver enzyme tests.
It is the Bank Holiday weekend and Elizabeth is hundreds of miles away and we are not going down this weekend – However she did tell me that she was taken out with some other patients yesterday to a park where they had animals. I think that most of the time though she is cooped up on the ward that is controlled even stricter than a prison.
We will be going down next week to see Elizabeth and of course the Consultant Psychiatrist has allowed very limited time to spend with her and I now do not know where to book for accommodation/where to stay as the hospital’s suggested hotel sounded great but they simply will not take a booking for just 1 night. There is no assistance in paying towards the accommodation. Luckily I am working full time.
I have been told that this hospital (Cambian) like to hang on to people a very long time in fact for years on end. It will be interesting to see how the forthcoming Tribunal goes as a section can be renewed for up to 9 years and this shows what power these psychiatrists have. In fact some think they are above the law as who would ever listen to a patient because even the advocates appear to be working together with the team. I think that not only should a patient be able to choose a psychiatrist but also they should be able to choose an advocate completely independent and the best advocates would be patients themselves who fully understand what someone is going through and unless a psychiatrist has met the parents and has solid proof it is wrong that they should get away with writing nasty comments or even saying them behind your back. To anyone else this would be libel or slander but to a “professional” they are protected and are a law unto themselves.
The former patients below are arranging a protest which highlights the labelling of people with diagnoses in an ever increasing volume of the book DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) and this is version 5 and I am pleased that this has come under criticism from some professionals themselves. I believe the labelling of someone is very harmful – I believe when Elizabeth was labelled she lost hope to the point of almost giving up. I believe that in some cases people are being misdiagnosed, many have suffered severe abuse and need therapy but it seems to be only drugs on offer and other horrifying interventions such as ECT.
I think not only is it brave of a group of former patients to stand up and speak out against their treatment but informative and educational to the public to hear their most shocking account of experiences suffered- these people are human beings and have been treated in the most dreadful manner. I believe it is about time the press reported fairly on the subject of mental health. This unique group of former patients incorporating some carers try to educate the public as regards mental health and what goes on behind closed doors and the importance of change to a system that is inhumane.
It is very important to bring the subject of mental health care out into the open including the secret proceedings of a Tribunal as this is public money and openness and transparency is vital for justice.
Any shame and stigma should be directed at the Health Minister (Jeremy Hunt) who does not seem to care less and does nothing and what a waste of public money by these never ending sections and lack of suitable care such as therapeutic communities – I heard at the Chy Sawel Conference that it is difficult to acquire funding transferred from localised area to another which is all very wrong. If care is not working and someone wishes to move elsewhere then consideration needs to be granted. I am not against Elizabeth making a fresh start elsewhere but dislike the control and manner in which a team can exclude you just because you differ in opinion for instance if you have dared to challenge them in the slightest way. This is bullying in my opinion and I know I am not alone in experiencing this from a team who think they are well and truly above the law in terms of power.
Here is the link to the group I would recommend anyone attends to gain knowledge by speaking to former patients who have suffered no end. I as a mother and carer am proud to stand alongside them and voice my concerns about what is going on and the validity of all these diagnoses detailed in the ever increasing DSM.
Psychiatric Abuse UK 