This weekend I have taken Elizabeth out shopping together with someone we know from the Natural Health Centre.  I have never really stopped to consider reading the labels on food products but this was clearly an expert who is taking an interest in Elizabeth’s wellbeing in terms of diet.  I may feature this person as a guest blogger in the near future and who could write on health tips and food products.

The next day we were up bright and early as an important appointment was awaiting Elizabeth.   Since Elizabeth has come home from the care home nothing in care has been provided and  Elizabeth understandably does not wish to see certain team members and neither do my carers.   Elizabeth has now had extensive tests done on her physical health through a wonderful company who I will mention at a later stage.  In the meantime I am still awaiting news on the assessments for the other diagnoses mentioned in the files.   When you prescribe a powerful drug like Clozapine there should be regular reviews but there has been nothing apart from the provision of the chemical and the blood test.  We do not even know the name of the consultant psychiatrist.   Elizabeth accompanied me to a plush venue for the physical health tests but was advised not to eat beforehand.   Every time we go out Elizabeth gets herself worked up to a state where she is virtually physically sick.   Another awful thing is that whenever I take her out to eat she can end up choking and I have questioned if she has bulimia but of course she denies this.  It could just be anxiety that leads to her suffering like this after eating.   After the appointment I had taken Elizabeth to a vegetarian restaurant which made a very pleasant change.  I am still glad I do not dish out pills like sweets such as Lorazepam (as and when required) as I know that Elizabeth will eventually settle down and relax.

Today (Sunday) I wanted to escape my local area and we visited a country town and had lunch in a nice pub there.   The same signs of anxiety were apparent initially and then of course once out Elizabeth settles down so it is good to persevere and occasionally Elizabeth will grab your arm but nothing like when she came home from the care home where she was like an elderly person who needed support.  What should be provided is some kind of therapy to overcome her fears of going out but no one cares.

Today I have written to the Ombudsman in response to a complaint.  I feel I am very justified in complaining in this instance but it is not a matter of compensation that counts with me, it is a matter of principal and I would rather see a  proper investigation conducted and appropriate steps taken to ensure  that something does not occur to anyone else.   No-one wishes to take any kind of responsibility and it is easy to get away with matters under the mental health where you are dealing with vulnerable people, many of whom do not have the strength to stand up and challenge things and it is a good job that I do have plenty of strength to stand up for matters that I see as being very wrong.   Such matters need to be addressed to the very top in my opinion with everyone copied in so that a solution can be achieved and I hope to share more with you in due course.   This matter should be addressed at Government level.

I have not checked on the situation as regards strikes (two in one week proposed) and am bracing myself for difficulties this week.   I intend to go in as per usual no matter what.

Anyway I will keep you informed as to how things go with these tests and if anything serious is discovered how Elizabeth is treated and whether any kind of review of current treatment will be given and in the meantime I wonder how the Professor in Holland is getting on.  I will wait until I receive the extensive test results before contacting him and the other private doctor.   I propose to send a copy of the tests to the world’s leading expert and I am very happy that I have secured what should lead to the correct outcome that no one will be able to deny when proven by evidence.

Having seen the headlines of the Daily Mail “GPs face axe for handing out too many pills”   – Crackdown as 10m prescriptions dished out needlessly – this refers to antiibiotics and the article goes on to say that doctors who dole out too many antibiotics risk being struck off.

It is being recognised that prescriptions rates are spiralling dangerously out of control and now the Health Watchdog wishes pill happy GPs to be referred to the GMC (General Medical Council. In extreme cases the would case suspension but otherwise a course on correct practice would be recommended.

I must write to the Health Watchdog myself about this article.  The article centres on antibiotics and overuse means they are becoming powerless against lethal infections.

If I was writing this article about overprescribing I would centre on the most shocking cases I am in touch with and how young patients are written off and used like human guinea pigs and given enormous quantities of drugs.  Why just  mention antibiotics – why not mention ANTI-PSYCHOTICS AND ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.

The article goes on to say people are addicted to the idea of having antibiotics – well I am not!  I would not touch any poisonous chemicals and even if I have a headache I do not like taking a paracetamol.

The Health Correspondent who wrote this article should do another one and I would like her to feature the enormous quantities of drugs given to patients who are labelled under the MH for conditions that do not even exist.  Pity that NICE do not look into this and that the GMC does not look at every individual case of maximum drugging given to patients under the MH.

So it is noted “overprescribing of antibiotics risks the health of us all.

Well what about overprescribing of anti-psychotics without a proper assessment to check on diagnosis- huge levels of concomitantly prescribed  drugs given to the weak and vulnerable.

Perhaps the Daily Mail can do another article featuring this kind of overprescribing and the centre of attention should be psychiatrists.

Some very uncomplimentary things have been written in the files not only about myself but my carers (close friends and immediate family) who have given so much help and support when needed.   Elizabeth too has been written in a nasty way behind her back and this I object to – I could not care less what is written about me but I do care what is written about Elizabeth and my carers.  It is disturbing to think that these files are records you cannot erase and that the next team will look at these files and take them as being true.  A prisoner gets treated better than a patient under the MH.  The times I heard patients begging to go to prison instead.  It is important that I correct these files but this will take plenty of time as there are so many things wrong in them.

I know that if I did not have the support of close friends and family during that crucial time when Elizabeth first came home, Elizabeth may have been forced back into care and sectioned, contact with myself severed.  It is so good that Elizabeth felt able to confide in me in the way she did and I put two and two together to realise what was going on and I was 100% correct.  Whilst I was told there were no plans to get rid of me there was talk about her father being “next of kin” and of course if a section had been imposed, then he would have been regarded by the team as Nearest Relative and I would have been displaced.    All the time they made out they had no intention to displace me.  I am so glad Elizabeth did not go back to that care home rated as “good” by the CQC where there was suddenly a poor signal in her room.  She could have so easily become lost and trapped in the system whereas now she is doing well at home.  No-one should be lost or trapped in a situation of endless imprisonment but this is all happening in the UK and it is not true that many of these patients are a risk to society or to themselves.   The fact is they may not be able to manage in the community and support and help is not being provided as it should be.

since coming home a year and three months later, no problems whatsoever with Elizabeth but who could blame Elizabeth or my carers in light of all that has been written for not wishing to see the team. There is the matter of the missing files which I have had to apply for as a safeguarding exercise.  Not once has the new consultant psychiatrist been in touch to see how Elizabeth is or offer a reduction in these chemicals.  I see this as a sign that none of them could care less.   They only cared about dishing out dirt in any way they could to present to the court who they thought would favour the team.  In fact the Judge was standing next to Elizabeth and I when I was praising the Court of Protection for past help they had given me regarding my father with Alzheimers.  Anyway from what I  have read in the files the last consultant psychiatrist from my local area was more interested in the state of my house than Elizabeth’s health.  She slated my home which was being decorated when Elizabeth came home as I had an extension built which created a lot of work.  She should have been more concerned with Elizabeth’s health than my home and in contrast the Police commented on what a nice home I had.

I am still waiting to hear from the GP regarding those referrals but things are not looking that hopeful. I have mentioned I would like to know the names of the people concerned and once I took time off specially to go down to the commission office and this was a good move on my part.  These referrals cost nothing compared to what has been spent on private sector care and a “specialist” hospital.  I could see £2500 spent on court but I am certain that much much more must have been spent on this case and previous cases and now I am saving the NHS money but an article I saw today in the Metro speaks about diabetes and this is why minimal levels of these diabetes-causing drugs should be given.   To spend money on assessments which should have been given in the first instance is peanuts compared to what I see has been wasted.   I await the final decision with interest and will let you all know in due course.

I would like to share with you all an article I read today’s Metro.

“5m diabetes patients by 2025 ‘risks ruining NHS”   – The articles says this is going to bankrupt the NHS –   “a £10billion annual bill likely to spiral out of control” – well I would say things are already out of control in terms of spending other ways and I am not thinking of diabetes here and I thinking of vast sums of public money being wasted and not being spent as it should be.   There is talk of NHS priorities and these priorities should be – better care but in Elizabeth’s “special” case,  priority was not care or wellbeing  it was to dish out as much dirt as possible against me for court purposes and taking someone to court is expensive and sending someone to private sector care is also expensive. The article goes on to say –   “We need to prevent obesity in the first place”  –  I am disgusted by these comments as Elizabeth has gone from a size 10 to 16 and has little energy,  can hardly take part in the zumba class that we have just joined.   She used to enjoy sporting activities such as running and belonged to a running club and took part in charity runs.  Since coming out of the care system Elizabeth has developed Agoraphobia.  I have tried to get Elizabeth to walk halfway up the road by herself but she is too afraid.  Elizabeth has a personal trainer who comes twice a week who takes her out but apart from this nothing whatsoever has been provided but then Elizabeth does not want to see social services – who can blame her having read the files.  The Court case concluded without settlement of any expenses Elizabeth incurred for attendance such as fares and I think that is bad.   I think it is terrible how vulnerable people are treated in this Country.    As regards this article I would have written……………. How about the truth – diabetes Type II is caused by psychiatric drugs and professionals know all about this.  The full truth is not relayed to patients clearly and anyway Elizabeth, even if she had been presented with facts/ information to read, would not have been able to  focus on it as she was on such massive doses of mind altering drugs.  At the Bethlem they ignored her Advance Declaration to put her on Clozapine which from the start she made clear she did not want to take.

Thank God she is home – I could so easily have lost my daughter to this system and since coming home everyone has commented she not only looks better but is doing well.

Every night Elizabeth helps me clean the kitchen, wash up stack the dishwasher correctly, put away things in the correct place.  Yes I do have to repeat myself to her but she willingly does all of this and I wonder what she has been doing over the past years to end up as being so dependent on others. I am working on her now to become independent and also to encourage Elizabeth to speak up for herself.  It is wonderful to go to the conferences run by ISPS and confidence building.  At the ISPS conference she takes part in activities. I would like to take Elizabeth to some of their conferences abroad.

Also I am taking Elizabeth to help alongside me at homeless suppers.

So no news on any of the referrals and I will have to chase these up and I am still waiting for certain test results.

I have applied to be on a carers committee recently but I don’t know whether they would have me.  I have applied to another organisation once and was not accepted.  I would have plenty to say on the subject of care and treatment but doubt I will be considered “suitable”.

On a happier note looking back over the past two weekends, it has been wonderful to meet up with all my school friends, all of whom would know Elizabeth when she was very young.  It felt like being on holiday visiting one of them who has moved to a country town and we walked around and explored the area.  Elizabeth settled down as always after a while but sometimes she feels physically ill at the thought of going out.  It was a nice day out anyway.

The past weekend, Elizabeth spent time with the rest of the family whilst I met up with former patients.  Elizabeth will also be going to stay with the rest of the family August Bank Holiday.  If she had been with me I would have taken her again to Big Feastival and maybe camped there.  I thoroughly enjoyed going to this event last year.   I do not stand in the way of Elizabeth from seeing other family members- why on earth does this appear in the court papers – this is totally untrue along with many other things that are totally untrue.

I have hardly had any holiday this year and I am not sure what to do/where to go.  It will be wintery weather by the time I take my holiday and would be better to go abroad but would Elizabeth get on a plane – I wonder.   I wanted to take her to New York to the ISPS conference but I think at the moment a long plane journey would be too much for her.   I would like to go to Ireland or somewhere abroad not too long re travelling time.   It is really good to be able to share things with Elizabeth now she is home and wonderful to see her do so well and make an effort.

As I have previously mentioned, Elizabeth has more than one diagnosis and I believe that all of these diagnoses should be thoroughly checked out and I do not this has been done and that one label is recognised simply as a means of convenience.  Only an expert in the field of Aspergers can diagnose someone and the same goes for PTSD, both of which are mentioned in the files.  Why has Elizabeth not been referred to such specialists before being put on Clozapine which they say she has to take for the rest of her life.   I do not think it is right that these diagnoses should be dismissed especially as PTSD is evidence-backed and when someone has suffered trauma for instance and this can result in injury if the wrong treatment is given.  I have looked into all of this thoroughly and have research to prove it.  It is traumatic in itself to be on one of those acute wards and not everyone can adapt to this and in Elizabeth’s case and from what I have read  an acute ward was certainly the worst placement for Elizabeth and untherapeutic.  Now Elizabeth is in the right environment  – home and I have seen huge improvement especially now we are not being harassed any more for court purposes.   However I rely on close friends and family to help me, taking her to appointments, blood tests, collection the chemicals. Transfer of care has not gone ahead which means collection of blood packs is a fair distance away.   Whilst nothing is being provided – no assistance given whatsoever, the only thing given is the drugs.  There has been no review of these drugs in over a year, no therapeutic treatment given whatsoever but the care is integrated and stuck with the department that took me to court last year and that is most probably the reason – anyway Elizabeth does not wish to see anyone in this team as the comments in the files are very nasty and there is an enquiry going on right now. That is “secondary” care for you.  However if nothing is available under secondary care the one thing that should be provided to Elizabeth under primary care is an assessment for each of the other diagnoses.  The wrong treatment could result in physical health problems and I have already discovered some disturbing things.    If someone is sentenced for something they have not done in terms of crime and sent to prison for years there is public outrage if that person is sudden found innocent.  Under the mental health you are given a life sentence and treated rotten and that goes for any relatives too who dare to challenge such treatment and even if Professional members of a team have a conscience that something is being done wrong, it is more than their job is worth to challenge anything.-  I have challenged things and as a result you are treated like a leper and you are on the receiving end of bullying.  It is bad that there are all these safeguarding standards on the one hand by professionals when on the other hand, if there are serious incidents that have happened to that person whilst under care, safeguarding seems insignificant in comparison.  Safeguarding can be used against someone like a mother or carer if there are things to hide – this is when  serious allegations can be made and that person is made to look very bad in the files and, in order to obtain the files, confidentiality and capacity is played upon. Many people have little hope in seeing the files.  However whilst Elizabeth suffers from Agoraphobia and too afraid to go out alone, Elizabeth has capacity and has been telling me about her experiences whilst under the care system.   I don’t call it care at all when a professional member of staff uses Coercion to achieve outcomes – solicitors can be recommended by hospitals –  I am dubious about advocates who are supposed to be independent after Elizabeth’s experience at the Bethlem when they were supposed to attend meetings and did not turn up on more than one occasion.

Anyway, I received no news about the assessments and was chasing up any news on these and I have written a letter but her regular doctor was not there at the surgery.  I stated that I wanted to know if the assessments are refused, by whom and the reason for the refusal.  When a vulnerable patient is given a life sentence of drugging and not one single person in my local area seems concerned – when there are no “symptoms” whatsoever and physical deterioration is evident and I have private test results to prove all else – it is shameful if these assessments are refused by the NHS.   The NHS has spent a fortune on private sector care and “specialist” in patient care at a so called renowned hospital where I can see drugs were given at maximum levels contra indicated drugs which I have since challenged.  So much money has been spent on legal action to get rid of me but there have been severe failures in protecting Elizabeth whilst under their care so I can see.

Anyway, tonight I waited in the surgery for the opportunity to speak to a doctor as I have missed several calls whilst travelling home on various occasions but today I was supposed to receive a call at midday and did not so in the evening I decided to call at the surgery in person.  I was told that I was booked in for a phone call only and that no one would see me.   The Doctor knew I was in the surgery waiting room as I mentioned it but I had no choice but to have to speak in front of others in the waiting room – it was raining outside.  I had to explain my concerns regarding the assessments and one of the assessments had not been considered and I was told that it was NHS London? as I tried to find out who was looking into this.   An assessment costs between £500 and £600 each and I think that is a small price to pay when thousands are being saved right now – now that Elizabeth is home.    There have been previous assessments so I see from the files  – one assessment was to a Neurologist who recommended optimising the drugs.  Well whatever for!   In contrast the  other Neurologist has called me a very “good mother”  – well that makes a change from all the shocking things I have been called in the files.   I am not interested in being slated – my interests are the treatment of Elizabeth and I am astonished at the way a team of professionals can blatently ignore physical health and not properly look at the drugs being given and suggest optimising them knowing full well that they do more harm than good so I am quite right as a mother to look into matters further which I have done and to thoroughly read research papers.   So I was not impressed with the outcome of today’s phone call and felt it was undignified talking for five minutes in a waiting room in front of other people which I felt could have been better granted in private.  Everyone could hear what I was saying.    I asked the name of the person in charge of  referrals but was told that decisions would be decided by a panel .    At the end of the day someone is responsible and if it is a matter of funding then this really interests me a great deal having seen how much has been spent. I may be wrong but somehow it does not look hopeful that Elizabeth will get these referrals – I hope I am wrong here and I will certainly let you all know how I get on with this as a young person is condemned to a lifetime of having to take Clozapine for one of several diagnoses (some of which I have seen that NICE Guidelines do not recommend or the BNF. I would like to see 100% regard for physical health in this matter as I have really looked into things carefully.    We don’t even know the name of the consultant psychiatrist.   I think there needs to be choice for mental health patients as  Elizabeth and I have come across some very good, caring professionals through the conferences that we attend together, some of whom are consultant psychiatrists and I am most impressed that they are not like the usual consultant psychiatrists you would expect to come across.     It is the system itself that causes discrimination by labelling and stigma caused where patients are kept down and treated like rubbish.  I have really tried to get Elizabeth away from the MH system but on these drugs given at high level how can she get a job? how can she live a life of normality.  It simply is not encouraged as otherwise more support would be given on a one to one basis but trust can easily be lost when a team of professionals go against the family.  So Mr Cameron wishes MH patients to go out and get a job and if they do not engage in care activities go without benefits?  He really needs to look at every individual case – I would love this to be possible for Elizabeth.  There could be a very valid reasons why someone does not wish to engage in a care plan –  -when there are so many others involved in helping that feel the same way until certain things are clarified, it is very understandable.   I as a mother would love Elizabeth t have a normal life.   There is nothing being provided since she came home so she is not receiving any mental health care but then I have found it to be mainly “in-house” –  Elizabeth has benefitted from being outside of MH care and there have been no incidents or causes for concern whatsoever what is lacking is counselling or as recommended in one report trauma therapy as if Elizabeth is too afraid to go out even walk up the road, this is how she has come out of the care system but at home she manages within the house to do things.  I do not think Elizabeth was taken out that often whilst in hospital.   I am paying for a personal trainer who takes her out twice a week.  I take her out as much as possible at weekends and every night we go for a short walk but when someone has been in care for a long time, they lose all confidence and the effect of the drug Clozapine is dizziness Elizabeth is not on a Section but it is like a life sentence and it could take a long time to get over Agoraphobia and be able to have a normal life.   Mr Cameron should come and meet some mothers like myself and former patients to really gain an understanding before he threatens those with MH conditions and does not seem to have any understanding whatsoever.  If a patient is lucky enough to get out of some of these shocking prison-like institutions dependent on how long they have been incarcerated, they have huge problems in the community and become isolated and lack support but everyone is different and carers/parents should be included and assisted.  Instead they get next to nothing in carers benefit.   It is certainly not because someone is lazy that they do not work.   Elizabeth is on a very powerful drug which has made her disabled and and no review has been given for a year whilst on this drug – no one seems bothered about Elizabeth’s physical health and in the past private tests have been ignored that show decline.  The one thing that the team do care about is compliance – compliance with the drug Clozapine for a condition which is very much in question and it is not in the slightest bit unreasonable for me to request proper and thorough assessments by leading experts like I have done.  I am astonished at how doctors can ignore someone’s physical health for convenience when someone has been given a last resort drug to take for the rest of their lives with no question whatsoever whether this is right or wrong.

This evening we were most concerned for Elizabeth’s cat who was having difficulty in walking and I was worried that he had consumed pesticide poisonous chemicals – a bit like the poisonous chemicals that Elizabeth herself has to take or else he could have suffered injury by the way he was walking.    Elizabeth’s cat has become part of the family and we would all be devastated if we lost him.    So I had to arrange an appointment to the vets tonight and I do not have pet insurance so being out of hours I knew this would cost money.  However what is money as Elizabeth’s cat has proved a great comfort to her during the bad times and we are letting him go out now in the garden but the vet thought he may have suffered epilepsy.   I was quite relieved that the vet properly examined him and put my mind at rest and we think that all is well.  I have told Elizabeth tomorrow she must keep him under observation.   The money spent was money well spent for piece of mind.

To all consultant psychiatrists :  animals are more therapeutic than all the drugs in the world.

Tonight we have had a great time at neighbour’s party.  It was a fancy dress party – Elizabeth went as the Dalmation, her sister as Dorothy and myself as Cruella De Ville. Many others also thought of this too so there were many Dalmations and more than one Cruella De Ville at the party.  It was good to meet neighbours I had not met and spoken to before and good to be able to take Elizabeth to a happy occasion like this.  On the same day as the party, organisers of our new Zumba class went to the coast for the day – the events organised by the people there are very good and the people very nice who do a lot for charity and it is more of a social club.   Again this is a good opportunity for Elizabeth socialise with decent people.  The other group who have been very good and supportive since Elizabeth has come home from the care home have been Speak Out Against Psychiatry but I am conscious that this plus the party would have been too much for Elizabeth who gets tired and cannot cope with stress and rushing about trying to fit too much in for one day could be stressful for her.  Anyway  I telephoned one of the members of this group to keep them all informed of everything I am currently doing. Some of the people there have stepped in to help me when Elizabeth came home from the care home and I advised the group of my recent “safeguarding”.  Yes – I have had to do some safeguarding myself as there is something in the files that is disturbing and the particular file has so far been refused to me, the contents of which will not just be of interest to Elizabeth and myself but to my carers.  Anyway the files contain many things that are far from true and describe me as something worse than the character I went as today for the party!    There are so many mistakes it could take a long time to correct them but the trouble is I am so busy it is finding the time to go through everything properly but this is at the top of my Agenda when I get a chance to do so.  I try to take Elizabeth out with me as much as possible get her used to socialising with others as this is confidence building.  Before the party we went to a neighbouring borough for lunch and did some shopping.  Going back to Friday we had a visit from someone we met through one of the meetings held by the  Natural Health Group locally.  I was impressed the wonderful collection of videos that I viewed – so impressed that I may not only ask to feature some of these but to see if this person can help in improving my website so that it can go to even further depths, featuring not only abuse going on in psychiatry but other health related matters that could interest many more people.  One of my favourite videos was about Prozac and the FDA which I would very much like to feature.

So  tomorrow will be a quiet day for us and I will try my best to get Elizabeth to do household chores which are essential for her to be independent one day.  Far from coming out of the system equipped to look after herself, she has gone downhill and become dependent on others to an extent however I have seen signs of improvement since coming home and she is making great effort to do things and sometimes thinks of things herself without being told.   It does not help being on a high amount of Clozapine and not one person from the team has contacted us about a review of the current dosage.   This drug not only takes away thinking ability that the team put down to “illness” but it has made Elizabeth disabled as she feels dizzy, she feels out of breath and it causes anxiety but I do not dish out tablets like the hospitals such as Lorazepam which is highly addictive.  It is all wrong what is going on and it is about time proper monitoring was done as regards treatment of all patients under the mental health.  In an acute hospital where the main treatment is high levels of drugs to someone suffering psychosis, this kind of treatment stretches far beyond short term and to the point where someone becomes addicted and you are not properly informed of this.  This treatment leads to ongoing disabling and dependency as well as serious physical health problems if given long term.  There are more and more debates about this and we are going to one in September run by the CEP –  Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry and I wish something was done for people like my daughter but instead I am having to pay privately for certain tests.  Anyway, I am going to centre my campaign on those patients incarcerated  long term with their human rights stripped and the poor treatment given to them at huge cost to the public.    I am lucky to have got Elizabeth out of the care system as she was being considered for such a place that I can only describe as worse than prison.  Since coming home she continues to improve but her life has been ruined by these drugs which have been pushed at her and recommended by Doctors at high levels who do not consider physical health at all.  I would like to  highlight the problem in the UK.where patients are sectioned long term for convenience as they simply cannot manage in the community and need more one to one care.  A label can open the door for benefits but not everyone wishes to be labelled and besides, how accurate are these labels anyway.  I would certainly question the label given to Elizabeth by the bulk of the team as I have heard there is no such thing so the public are being misinformed.  It will be a long time before Elizabeth fully recovers because of the treatment she has received but unlike the team I am full of hope that this is possible and I would like her to have a normal life and mix with positive people as coming home has undoubtedly benefitted Elizabeth.  There are good things in the local area but I certainly could not say this about the mental health care based upon my own experience.   I see a lot of money is being wasted and if the drugs are doing no good it is not right that they should be continued and help should be given to patients if they develop physical health problems as a result of these drugs.

This week I have advised my carers of the current situation with regard to my enquiries. I have told them all I will be happy to reveal the outcome regarding allegations and “plans” mentioned in the files.   it is detailed that a CTO was being proposed for Elizabeth with restricted leave and there is a statement to the effect “with whom does she want contact” – what does that tell you for a start – well it does nothing to promote trust in professionals who are supposed to help.  I see this as being control, not help but there is no need in Elizabeth’s case to do this.  I wish to know more about their plans as I wish to reassure all of my carers.     I have another ongoing investigation and I am waiting to hear about this as I am not happy with the outcome of the court and we thought there would be another Hearing but everything was concluded and agreed without us being present and I do not believe it to be fair as I could not help but notice how the legal team representing Elizabeth were  more concerned about their own expenses and to offer Elizabeth £100 goodwill gesture is an insult so I see it.  I needed to take Elizabeth for therapy to get her in the lift up five floors of the Court of Protection building as well as pay for taxis.  Elizabeth had only just come home from the care home and was scared of heights, suffering from anxiety and could not at the time travel on public transport.  We did not ask to be taken to court but the costs of travelling and the therapy is the very least they could offer.  The firm of solicitors who I feel like naming withdrew the £100 offer when I suggested that this should be for the fares.  How can this be considered a goodwill gesture.  The Ombudsman are currently looking into my complaint where there are serious errors in a report which was prepared for court purposes and I noticed this error straight away and pointed it out and this was just dismissed so I would like this error amended and the solicitors have refused.  What are they talking about – more funding!  This is ridiculous as this report should be altered free of charge.   With all the money being spent on court and legal fees I think everything should be 100% correct and I do not like the way this has been dismissed.

I now wish to help others who are stuck in the system and will be happy to disclose  the results relating to what I am currently doing so that consultant psychiatrists of secure units all over the UK will be able to analyse these results and put them into practise so that patients can benefit from less drugs and wrong treatment will be exposed.  Doctors are supposed to do no harm and I as a mother can prove that they are in fact doing harm.

I have written to our GP this week as Elizabeth has more than one diagnosis and I am concerned that she is properly assessed by experts in the field of Aspergers and PTSD – the other diagnoses mentioned in the files.  If there is any question of diagnosis then this should not be ruled out by members of a team who are not experts in these conditions.  I hope there is going to be no problem in getting these assessments done – as I have already had to chase up the GP about this and she is not sure this will be allowed by the NHS due to funding – well I have seen that an assessment is around £5-£600 but  I can compare that keeping someone long term incarcerated in hospital costs astronomic amounts and I have the Freedom of Information requested to prove this.  Whilst nothing is being provided for Elizabeth a lot of money is being saved locally.    I have therefore told the GP that I wish to know the names of anyone involved in commissioning who refuses Elizabeth these assessments.  I feel the treatment she has had locally has been degrading and in breach of medical ethics and the law as in the first instance the case was brought about by Elizabeth due to the deprival of the drug Clozapine.  I can prove how her life was put at risk.  I can prove that this was being done for court purposes and when you deprive a drug like this this can not only lead to relapse but injury and Elizabeth is able to tell me how she felt on the verge of withdrawing from this powerful drug and then Elizabeth was put under pressure to have an immediate capacity assessment and she did not even wish to see her social worker who told me to leave the room so she could see Elizabeth alone.  Having bought a wonderful book on capacity that advises social workers I could see from the check lists everything I needed to know and I felt that an assessment should be done fairly and time given to Elizabeth as the titration of Clozapine was about to commence after four days. This was all done deliberately as the team were reporting back every word and making comments behind our backs.

I have marked on my calendar an upcoming event up where I can get up and speak held in my local area and meet those who are supposed to help residents of the local area but in this case they have chosen to avoid doing anything.  It will be good to go along to this with Elizabeth and it will be better than writing on my blog to speak in front of other people – I have found that is the best way as if you write a complaint letter it gets copied in with a lot of people and you get nowhere for the most part.

At the last meeting I went to at the Natural Health Centre, I heard that meditation classes were being held and this is something else that could benefit Elizabeth and hopefully I will take her to this as well.   Elizabeth does not even have a consultant psychiatrist in the local area – we do not even know the name of this doctor.  This doctor has had a year in which to contact Elizabeth to review the drugs being given but Elizabeth has not wanted to see certain other people in the team and who can blame her especially in light of all that has been written in the files behind our backs, some of it extremely nasty.  There seem to be others in the team standing in the way of Elizabeth seeing the consultant psychiatrist and the transfer of care has not gone ahead because Elizabeth refused to see the Enablement Team and as this is all to do with social services now that there are some serious allegations none of my carers wish to see them either until we get to hear more and see the missing files.  I don’t blame them one bit and now I have had to do a separate access request for this information as my previous request did not cover the care home.

I will end my blog to say that the system itself is responsible for causing stigma.  It is all about State control and this is not care and does not take into account trauma and other causes of emotional distress.  Some patients have suffered serious abuse or incidents of trauma but this is not being dealt with properly.  The drugs given that they call “medication” are no cure for people who have suffered in this way and go on to suffer great injustice by incarceration and they are the victims and there are the powers that profit from all of this who are well above the law. I think it is stigmatising to give someone a label – not every one wants to be labelled and there is no accuracy in these labels – everyone is different and some are happy to take “medication” – some are happy with a label but many are being deceived.  The treatment given can ruin lives and some say the drugs are life saving however I personally would disagree and say that they are life threatening and I have proof of this.   Last of all I have been told recently by a professional that Elizabeth is lucky to have a diagnosis –  this shows how wrong some people think.  Just by being amongst her family and close friends – people who really care there have been no signs of any so called symptoms and I am hearing more and more that some members of staff are not caring people and abusive but there is a culture of bullying and denial that this could go on but look at these comments “she would be happier amongst her own kind” – comments made by a previous social worker who has not got a clue in my opinion.

O

Today Elizabeth and I have been to a local Zumba class.  I am very happy that I have found this class just up the road from where I live, couldn’t be more convenient.  On the past two occasions I have had trouble persuading Elizabeth to come but I am trying to get her to socialise with other people and I could not have met a nicer crowd.  For the first time Elizabeth joined in the class and enjoyed it.  I deliberately did not give her the drugs first as these lead to her being totally incapable of doing anything but lying down and cause dizziness and many other terrible symptoms.  I am going to write to Novartis to complain about this chemical that is considered to be a wonder drug but it is far from this.  Every single pharmaceutical company needs to be doing something to help those who become injured as a result of their treatment or fail to benefit from it – but they are not interested when it comes to an individual. I intend to write to them all in due course and I will tell you how I get on as I feel these companies who make a huge profit out of the weak and vulnerable should be doing a heck of a lot more to help.  Elizabeth has gained weight on their dreadful chemicals and her face is full of scars – her body is full of scars and I want these scars rectified and I think that each and every one of these drugs companies should be helping Elizabeth and others. especially when their drugs do MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

So we had a great time at the Zumba class and later went for a coffee with other members of the class who spoke of pleasant topics like holidays and entertainment and this made a nice change to listen to others and their experience of their holidays.  The class is more than just a zumba class but one where people care about one another and do charity fundraising events and I wish I had found this sooner in my local area as I thought there was nothing.

Later today I went to buy food and nice things as a local church were holding a dinner for those who are homeless and I would like to say had more manners than most.  Elizabeth who once had a job and was doing well for herself helped served some of the people there and so did I.  The first thing I noticed was how appreciative people were for the efforts of those who really care, who are not funded to do this kind of thing but wish to do something however small, because they care.  It is a pity the Government does not care as I saw nothing but good manners and decent people that did not deserve to be on the streets. I would like something done about this problem, especially in light of how much money the Government waste and I can certainly prove this, and the fact that they award themselves a pay rise!  Well how about doing something for the people I have seen today and other such as Elizabeth who have been written off like rubbish.  I would like to feature this in detail in due course and I have not forgotten to feature the shocking effects of when Elizabeth was first put on Clozapine at the Bethlem.  I am going to look this out tomorrow to share with you all.

I cannot wait to share the results from Holland where the world’s leading expert is doing tests not available in the UK which could benefit everyone but first of all, I need to see these results but it could save money to the NHS who waste so much by giving the wrong drug treatment when they shoud be giving the correct assessments and checking these thoroughly.  If this leads to recommendations by a world leading expert of lower dosage of chemicals then I will be broadcasting this good news to everyone as this is something that the Government needs to take notice of.  Nothing is being done properly in the UK and I can prove how much money is being wasted on private sector care which is no better as it is all about huge dosage of drugs just like the NHS but I have had to turn to Holland for help.    The world can learn from top experts in Holland hopefully how to do proper tests so that patients are not on massive dosage of mind altering drugs and told to take them for the rest of their lives.  I have had to go to huge lengths to have these done and I want to see them available for everyone – the mere fact that Elizabeth can see that I as a mother listen to her is hope and that everyone can have hope and that mothers need to look much further than what a doctor has to say.  I have had to turn to the Professors and world leading experts for help as nothing is being done properly in the UK.

It was good for Elizabeth not only to join in the class today for Zumba but to come and help at the Homeless supper and I want everyone to stop and think that no one deserves to be abandoned on the streets and no one should just go ahead and judge these people as being worthless or having themselves to blame.  Everyone has a unique story and no one should be dismissed like rubbish.

Last week Elizabeth was away with the rest of the family by the coast which was nice for her whilst I, on the other hand was faced with travelling on crowded stifling hot trains and buses, due to tube strike action.    It should have been a peaceful week but it was not but never mind I am not going to let a strike prevent me from getting to places.   Not having Elizabeth last week was a  bit of a break for me.    I have to remind, encourage her and prompt her to do things.   Elizabeth gets very tired on the drug Clozapine which affects her motivation and at times thinking ability.  Sometimes Elizabeth will think of things herself,  there are good days and bad; it is not surprising as she has been  in hospital institutions and care for c 3 years.   I and I am lucky to have her out from the care system as once in it, a patient can easily become trapped and under never ending control and restrictions and this is especially easy for the team to do when sent a long distance from home.  When someone is drugged up enormously, this obviously affects their ability to speak up and request things and weakens them to the point they cannot face going through meetings or tribunals.  Solicitors do not act fairly if a patient is unable to contact them and deal with them effectively from what I have seen.  Patients can remain stuck in hospital or care institutions for many years/ a life sentence in some cases.   This affects their relatives/parents who become distressed at seeing their sons/daughters left under un-therapeutic establishments that  enforce unnecessarily in some cases such rigid control – all this allowed to go on in a system that disregards human rights and this is not being publicised in the press.  Luckily when I was regarded as Nearest Relative I had plenty of energy to challenge what I see is very wrong and was able overturn the section 3 which was entirely unnecessary and this can now be seen as  evidence to anyone who has seen/met Elizabeth since she decided to come home from the care home and this has been over a year now and now I would like to see other similar cases reviewed as I have met some very decent parents also affected.   I realise it will take a long while for Elizabeth to become fully independent as I would like to see but I do not see that this is impossible and neither is it impossible for others given the right kind of support to their families.   Elizabeth has lost confidence and fears going out alone but whilst she is no longer a prisoner to the system she is a prisoner of her mind as she was in a locked rehab institution sent miles away to Wales.  There should be more therapy available to such cases.   So in order to rectify the situation, I try to take her out as much as possible at the weekends and take her to my various groups and conferences run by ISPS which is a good way of encouraging Elizabeth to participate in workshops etc and speak up and join in discussions and mix in with very good and decent professionals/service users who are getting on well in their lives.   A good example of this is Rai Waddingham who is not on mind altering chemicals and has succeeded in freeing herself from this kind of “treatment”.   Of course going out at weekends means that it is not easy to get on with day to day chores at home but we somehow manage to get by and we have managed over the past year without any support whatsoever.  It was a year ago now when we were taken to court by professionals whose aim was to return Elizabeth to the care home hundreds of miles away from home, restrict visiting rights and put her on a CTO.  It was even being discussed in the files of placing her in  hospital where security was tight – more like a secure prison, which would have destroyed Elizabeth. I know of people being placed in such establishments because they are vulnerable, not a risk to society and for convenience as they cannot manage in the community.  The team’s main concern was compliance with the drug Clozapine from what I can see in the files and despite her request, no one in the team will consider reducing this chemical.  We do not even know the name of the consultant psychiatrist and the problem is that Elizabeth and my carers do not wish to see social services first and not once has the new consultant psychiatrist contacted us.  How can you trust such professionals who have spent a fortune on court instead of listening to Elizabeth’s wishes and also written some very nasty things in the files.    They see that this “wonder” drug should be taken for the rest of her life regardless of any physical health problems and I suppose this is why professionals like to keep someone locked away as if anything is wrong things can easily be covered up.  This drug is far from a “wonder drug” –  I can easily confirm this fact.   I wish to add to my previous blog about this when Elizabeth was at the Bethlem as there is something very interesting I wish to include but I need to look for this when I have time.  Anyway, parents and relatives are pushed aside and access to the patient can become impossible because of rigid security controls and a way of doing this is to ban you from visiting and take phones away.  Another way is by way of coercion to try and turn the patient against you.    When I look back on the contents of the files and previous court papers I see that the team do not consider me to be a fit mother because I have strong views against these drugs and they think that I am a risk to her in that I will just stop her on these drugs but it was the team who did this – they were the ones who made it impossible to get the drug Clozapine which was deprived locally in a bid to force return her back to the care home.    I have already documented all of this but a good way of ensuring that team members listen and force them to provide the chemical in order to avoid serious withdrawal effects and injury is to take individual court action against certain members of the team and then they will listen to you.  Non medical members of staff would not be understand how the drugs work or would think about what harm the drugs are doing to Elizabeth and they would therefore not understand the risks but I as a mother know full well that you cannot just come off these awful drugs as much as I would like this to be possible.  There is no help or support or facility when it comes to prescribed drugs and especially when you have been given a label and such a label, right of wrong, means drugs and it is convenient for a team to disregard other health issues and prescribe them for life when in actual fact someone could be completely misdiagnosed.   So risk to self and others does not take into account the risk to the patient and I therefore do not agree with the current system that allows this fact to be ignored.    A hospital/care environment does not suit everyone and neither does being labelled or taking the drugs and, far from making someone independent, it can have the opposite effect.  In some cases a patient can go downhill and just give up.  When Elizabeth was labelled (and she has plenty of different labels) this is what happened – the labelling is only to ensure benefit entitlement/access to the drug treatment that go with those labels.  However one of the labels is PTSD and I have looked this up to find Clozapine is not recommended for this condition.   Elizabeth’s lack of thinking ability is seen to be a symptom of illness rather than the effects of these extremely powerful drugs that make control of patients easy to a team of professionals.   The more drugs the better as I see from the files to my horror maximum amounts concomitantly prescribed were given to Elizabeth when admitted to hospital – these are supposed to be caring professionals but I can prove otherwise by the contents of the files.   Anyway, as Elizabeth has more than one diagnosis I have asked for assessments to be carried out by experts in the field of PTSD and Aspergers which are also diagnoses mentioned in the files which the team conveniently refuse to acknowledge yet they were given by other experienced professionals.     One assessment was given by an expert of their choice – a Neurologist based at Queen Square who saw Elizabeth for just a short visit yet comes to an agreement with the team on one diagnosis but how on earth can you count this as a valid assessment when this same professional who I am finding it very difficult not to name suggests optimising the drugs and Elizabeth was already on a high dosage.   How can you respect such an assessment and I believe every single diagnosis needs to be thoroughly assessed which I have requested from the GP.   If an assessment costs a mere £600 for instance as I told the GP, it should be borne in mind that £60000 a year is being saved by not providing anything in the way of care to Elizabeth.  These assessments are a small price to pay in my opinion and Elizabeth has the right to have them as it is like a lifetime of imprisonment of taking drugs that are ineffective when someone is treatment resistant or where diagnosis is in question.   I cannot accept any labels without scientific proof and need to see such proof of the diagnosis to ensure that the treatment is in accordance with the BNF and NICE Guidelines.

Anyway, this weekend I took Elizabeth to the Chilfest and we saw a variety of very good acts including Shakatak,  Odessey, Jocelyn Brown and Shalamar.   I took with me a close school friend and Elizabeth’s sister joined us later.  This was held in Tring and it was fabulous weather for this event.  Really enjoyed it.

Saturday, I was a bit concerned how I would encourage Elizabeth to get up in the morning after a late night  as I had booked for the ISPS
Conference called Walking Alongside.  After taking this powerful drug Clozapine Elizabeth has to lie down.   It causes dizziness, double vision, anxiety –  this is the effect of Clozapine and also she is very tired on this drug and it has caused huge weight gain   As always this was a very good event hosted by Rai Waddingham who is an example of someone completely off the drugs who now feels fit and well and I see her as an inspiration for Elizabeth and others.   Anyway there were various speakers, service users, carers and professionals taking part.   We were put into groups and later changed around slightly so we could take part in discussions with others I the room.  There was a very good attendance and quite a few consultant psychiatrists and other professionals.    On my table we had two consultant psychiatrists who had travelled from a very long distance away and I was very pleased to see that there were such professionals who cared about seeing changes to the current system and looked far beyond just check lists for instance.   Whilst we have had the very worst experience there were many interesting points of view to consider and looking beyond is not just a case of the labels given to patients or your perception of how someone should be but noting that is different.  It is easy to think all professionals are bad when you have had a bad experience yourself but, talking to those who attended this event made me realise that it would be possible to walk alongside – at least in some cases.  However I am afraid that this would only apply to the professionals who I met at this conference and spoke to as it is all about trust, openness, honesty and sharing whichs is why I am in favour of open diaglogue.

In order to walk alongside, you need to be able to trust professionals but I would need something in writing from the professionals in my local area worded to the effect that they would stop taking me to court time after time again before I could trust them especially having read the files.  If the court case had succeeded, I would have lost my daughter to the system and my family would have been destroyed. I am glad Elizabeth told me what she did and I put two and two together to realise what was being done behind our backs.  In contrast, I had faith in those professionals I met at the ISPS conference who spoke in a very honest way and I was impressed to hear that they looked far beyond just  medicating patients and my view of consultant psychiatrists in the main is that these are doctors who drug patients on enormous dosage of mind altering chemicals and that is their main form of treatment and so it was good for me to meet and Elizabeth to meet some professionals who had much greater insight and I would not have had trouble in “walking alongside” them.  I think the answer is definitely such courses provided by ISPS where professionals, service users and carers come together  and listen to one another and at this event I did not experience the feeling of “them and us” which made a pleasant change.

It is good for Elizabeth to attend such an event and to be encouraged to take part in discussions and activities with professionals and those who value the experience of someone with lived in experience and how they feel and good to see professionals who are willing to listen as this is a major problem with many of them.

Below are the details of this event we attended.

Walking Alongside?:

Navigating the tensions and opportunities for collaboration between lived and professional experience of psychosis

Saturday, July 11th 2015 @ Amnesty International, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA

A conference for people with lived experience of psychosis, family, friends, therapists, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, OTs, the voluntary sector and other supporters.

Contributors:

A mix of people with lived experience of psychosis, ‘carers’ and professionals who will speak from their own experience of these issues to stimulate frank, respectful and open discussion.

This event provides a safe and inclusive space where we can respectfully hear from many different voices.  Rather than filling the air with information, we want to create an opportunity for meaningful discussion stimulated by the input of people with varying types of experience.  We want to openly explore a) what gets in the way of walking alongside one another and b) how can we address this?

Issues explored will include: language; power; risk; participation; culture; beliefs; rights; respect.

Theme 1: ‘Us & Them’, or ‘Only Us

Theme 2: ‘Whose Journey Is It? – Care, Ownership & Control’

Theme 3: ‘How Can We Walk Alongside? – Examples from Real Life, Big & Small’

I will end my blog today by posting a link regarding the CEP (Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry) and I am so pleased to read this – at last recognition is given but when I hear comments like “slowly but surely – things take time to put in place – you cannot expect things to happen overnight”   I would say rubbish as I have read in the files on two occasions how action has been put in place immediately –  this is done when there is an emergency or when something goes wrong.  So in my view this is an emergency that the Government needs to address and to  act upon immediately and as a matter of urgency as some young people currently in the UK are being wrongly incarcerated long term in un-therapeutic institutions worse than any prison, where they are not allowed phones or family leave/contact – in these institutions patients are drugged enormously and written off like rubbish and I would like the Government to act on such cases immediately as a matter of urgency.   I would accuse the Government of breach of human rights as when a patient has not done anything seriously wrong why should they be locked away for so many years and deprived of leave and just left to go downhill.  How many such cases are there and how much is this costing the taxpayer?   Such cases are not publicised in the press and parents I am in touch with would be happy to give publicity if something could be done about their situation.   Elizabeth was written off like rubbish from what I can see from the files and now  look at her attending conferences etc –  this shows that anything is possible and there are some families who need support which would work out much cheaper than the cost of long term hospitalisation.    How much is a weekly stay at a hospital as opposed to raising carers allowance or giving direct payments to be spent on activities of the patient’s choice? –  I think direct payments is an excellent idea which could provide assistance to get Elizabeth out places during the week but I disagree with a social worker’s comments “she is happier with her own kind”  –   I cannot think of anything more stigmatizing coming from a professional  Direct payments would be cheaper than long term hospitalization where a patient comes out of the system disabled.

Here is the link below for the Council of Evidence Based Psychiatry:

CEP APPOINTED AS SECRETARIAT FOR ALL PARTY PARIAMENTARY GROUP FOR PRESCRIBED DRUG DEPENDENCE

http://t.co/s5K2bxFlq3

I have never come across a complaint that has been satisfactorily investigated as what a team does when faced with complaints is to investigate themselves.

When a complaint is not resolved satisfactorily you can go to the next stage ie., The relevant Ombudsman. They have 40 days to respond to you but have only ever partially upheld my complaint. In the case of records, the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) is responsible.  There are also various Professional Bodies for the Professionals, such as HCPC for instance.

Different agencies who are supposed to investigate different areas of complaints.

Take the ICO – If for instance you are deprived information requested in the files, ICO is meant to deal with this but also if you receive something that you should not have received. This is the Organisation to turn to, or rather should be ………….. An extract by way of example of such response you could expect to receive is as follows:

Based on the information provided it is our view that the Trust is unlikely to have complied with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) in this case. The Records Manager will meet with the records staff to remind them of the importance of cross checking data and will complete additional training if this has not already been undertaken. In view of the above we do not consider formal action necessary in this case. However we will keep the concerns raised on file. This will help us over time to build up a picture of the Trust’s information practices. I note you would like to know whether note relating to another individual have now been provided – unfortunately the DPA does not place any obligation upon the Trust to confirm this to you so we are unable to provide any further assistance.   Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

(“The ICO’s mission is to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.” )

A case can be split into two despite being similarly related and in the case of additional matters of a serious nature, you can find this is dealt with by yet another case officer.    Elizabeth has had so many decent people willing to get involved in helping her when she decided to come home, this is why they should be protected if there is seen to be cause to act this way. Safeguarding can be a two way matter and I am safeguarding all of my carers.

Some things are not a mistake but deliberate.   For example it was deliberate to deprive the drugs, deliberate in terms of the fact that titration would have to be done by scratch and access given to care teams in respect of this and it is stated in the files Elizabeth was without the drug Clozapine for 48 hrs but in fact it was only 26 so it was unnecessary to titrate from scratch.

It is particularly worrying solicitors can turn a blind eye when it suits them.   Care staff can also turn a blind eye when something serious happens under their care.

A culture of bullying is evident and as regards the files they are inaccurate and untrue, spiteful remarks written so I feel I should make necessary corrections especially in terms of family history which I can see is incorrect.

Every little thing is recorded in the files like parrot fashion and this is particularly evident leading up to court.

There are some very personal things written against you – nothing nice and certainly nothing complimentary. A favourite word is “aggressive”, but there is far worse than this.

One of Elizabeth’s diagnoses is Aspergers but no-one has ever thought to refer her to a specialist to check this out. She has another report stating PTSD and, considering what happened to her whilst under care, this seems accurate however I am now wishing for Elizabeth to see specialists in the field of PTSD and Aspergers. If some experts have based their reports on these diagnoses then I feel it is only right that Elizabeth has these properly checked out by specialists as I would hate to think of my daughter with a label that is now under considerable doubt ie Schizophrenia and drugged with Clozapine for the rest of her life.   Elizabeth continues to get on with everyone around her and I have had no problems with her since coming home.   I can see from the files how specialists can vary in their ideas as to Elizabeth’s condition.   The latest Neurologist calls me a good mother but I am not the only mother who will research things thoroughly, looking up the chemicals prescribed and conditions and I have acquired an extensive selection of very good books to educate myself on the matter.

There is mention of Elizabeth’s referral to the Bethlem and I would like to comment on that as Elizabeth said she was extremely ill at one point – shrouded in secrecy in this hospital where it is all about Clozapine, no one would have known but I found out and now can read some shocking things such as:

I will add to this in due course.

It is not right to state in the files she had a drug free period. I can see she was put on maximum amount of Olanzapine.   What do they expect – as Dr Ann Blake Tracy states any change in medication can cause someone to feel unstable and I think anyone in the world would feel that way if placed in an institution such as this.   They say the drug free period failed but what led to her being sectioned was when they mixed the drugs together. Yet another mistake I note when Elizabeth was moved from Cambian after I as Nearest Relative overturned the Section 3 and quite rightly so.   Like I say Elizabeth should never ever have been placed on a Section 3 in the first place.    At home, Elizabeth is doing her washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning but does have to be prompted. Going out is another matter as Elizabeth is petrified in going out.   Thanks to reading books such as Emotional Health by Dr Bob Johnson I have a very good understanding now.

It is stated that Elizabeth was transferred to a home in Wales – Oh no she was not! Elizabeth was transferred to a care home hundreds of miles away which was not her first choice.   How on earth can they call it “Clozapine therapy”.   This is ridiculous as on this mind altering chemical Elizabeth has become disabled to the extent she cannot walk without feeling dizzy, suffers double vision and after every meal has to go out and it is as though she is suffering from bulimia but it looks as though she cannot swallow that well.   This drug is no good but under the local area we do not even know the name of the psychiatrist.

It is a load of rubbish written in this report by the Associate Specialist Psychiatrist Dr A – the reason being that it was 26 hrs without the Clozapine, not 48 as mentioned – so it was entirely unnecessary to ttitrate from scratch. It was done deliberately so that the team had to have access into my home and were asking intrusive questions for the purpose of digging up any dirt possible for court purposes.   “report everything that mother says – this is a special case”

Thank God Elizabeth got through all of that and I also bought a book all about the law especially on capacity.

Now Elizabeth is talking freely, she feels comfortable being amongst my friends, some of whom have themselves been under the care system and have great understanding.

This week Elizabeth is away on holiday with the rest of the family.   If the team had succeeded in what they wanted to do, she would have restricted leave and they were even considering a unit where Elizabeth would have been desperately unhappy and it sounds worse than prison.   I wonder how much such a unit would cost and Elizabeth would just have gone downhill in there and it would have been difficult to get her out of the system.  Many become lost in the system and end up as prisoners in such institutions where enormous quantities of drugs are given to them.  I would like something done about this terrible situation as I am in touch with mothers who care and would like to see their sons/daughters released as they are not a danger to others as the public would think – terrible that such young people are just left to go downhill and highly drugged to the point they give up. If there was open dialogue and direct payments given to some of these families to provide more integrated care into the community, it would be a lot cheaper than these un-therapeutic institutions where many patients are left to go downhill.

Elizabeth is now telling me about her time in hospital and how she was treated.   Elizabeth has joined in well with my courses and conferences. Elizabeth is not well in terms of her physical health and feels dizzy, as though she is about to fall.   I put this down to the drug Clozapine and where does it say this drug should be given for a condition such as PTSD?

Every night Elizabeth and I go for walks.   I have seen a meditation class once a week where I will take her. We have joined a local Zumba class together.   Elizabeth has a trainer that comes to the house and takes her out.   It is better now she is at home as at the care home sometimes she would be sleeping at midday and be in bed at 6 pm.

I can hardly wait to tell you all the latest news but first of all want to see the results.

On Friday I am very excited at going to the Chilfest and I am taking one of my former school friends.

Not having Elizabeth this week has enabled me to write my blog as there is little time to do this now, and I wish I had time to reply to all the wonderful supporters I have right now.

I will continue to keep you all informed with all my latest news and the wonderful developments – Elizabeth will be home midday Friday just in time to go to The Chilfest.   Hope the weather is good for this event.