This message was sent by my daughter very recently and I got another one yesterday to say her Dad had visited with presents for her Birthday in February and that she had tidied her room.  Her sister has had trouble getting through as Elizabeth was in bed at midday but I have heard that Clozapine is such a strong drug that this is the effect you can expect from it.  What good is this – Elizabeth is young, only 25 and what effect is this drug and the 500 Metformine having on her – which is being given wrongly – it is not being given in accordance with FDA guidelines as it is meant for diabetes but is being given for weight loss.

I bet conditions in Wales are shocking because of the snow right now.  Apparently they get snowed in where Elizabeth is – nothing like London.  However, even where I work in Central London there was snow but unlike most places I worked up until the last minute and then to my surprise my wonderful gym was open!  I thought this would be shut and I am training to a swimathon right now for Marie Curie so it is useful to have the gym near to where I work.  Elizabeth would like the gym but would be terrified of all the stairs.  She feels dizzy all the time on these chemicals –  I have seen her on days out in London on the escalators and she is terrified she will fall.  She also does not like crowds.   

There are two good things about where she is – it is peaceful – the food is good. That is all – the care is completely wrong and I have said in my recent email that they should adopted the Open Dialogue Approach.  If they had this and holistic care then things woiuld be perfect but there is much wrong with Cambian Four Star Wards.

The worst thing about Cambian was the psychiatrist who clearly did not like me and it showed – but thankfully someone else has taken over temporarily who is much nicer and has bothered to contact me.   This new psychiatrist has not refused an assessment by Dr Walsh and that is remarkable. I have contact Dr Walsh as I am keen to have this carried out as soon as possible to discover which bio type of depression my daughter has.  It cant be undermethylated – according to the book Nutrient Power this condition can benefit from the drugs.  Well  my daughter has NOT benefited but without his tests this cannot be determined.  Once the tests are done then Dr Walsh can work with the new psychiatrist as regards the nutritional diet my daughter needs and I will be so happy.  I was so excited at reading his research that this needs to be looked into further that I contactedthe leaders in Parliament and what have I got to lose –  it could benefit my daughter and then I will be  happy to accept the diagnosis whereas I am not happy to accept it right now because nothing has been done properly.    I have ensured that David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Jeremy Hunt get letters regarding this and Nick Clegg as responded through his Correspondence Officer:

“The Deputy Prime Minister appreciates you sending him a copy of your letter to the Prime Minister”.   

This response does not satisfy me one bit.  It should have read that he will look into matters and discuss it in Parliament.  No mention of anything like this.  It looks like I will have to write another letter directly to Mr Clegg again but to be fair he is making himself accessible to the public through LBC – maybe it would be better if I contacted LBC to ensure that I get to speak to him directly.  It is all wrong – all these MPs should be more accessible to the public especially in light of these serious issues. 

So far I have heard nothing from Mr Cameron or Mr Hunt and I am waiting patiently for their replies.  I have also written to Baroness Meacher as I was not happy with her response to legalising illicit drugs.  What she should be concentrating on is improving mental health care as it is APALLING.   She should take an interest in the Open Dialogue Approach and the assessments and work of Dr William Walsh of the Walsh Institute.  I have told her all about his work and have offered to drop his book in so she could see for herself.  I suggested that both Dr Walsh and Dr Tracy be invited to the UK by the Government.  Whilst Chy Sawel are trying to edcuated the professionals/doctors I think it is the politicians themselves who need to be educated.

So far I  have only contacted one drugs company – I have many more to contact!   |I am not happy with any of these drugs companies because of the suffering my daughter has experienced from their drugs.  I believe they should be making up for this in some way.  I was even less  happy when I saw Johnson & Johnson plug how caring an organisation they were and how they  have come a log way on Twitter.  Well I could not resist replying to this – I told them I needed proof of this as both my daughters suffered shocking effects from the chemical they provide Rispiridal.  This should be banned in my opinion and I have told them it was their chance to show how caring they are by providing the funding I need to help my daughter get proper decent care with the Open Dialogue Approach.

This letter from Mr Clegg has made me all the more determined.  He will be hearing from me again you can be sure. 

I met with my new friends (former patients) from Speak Out Against Psychiatry.  If anyone knows what needs to be done in terms of reforms it is these friends of mine who have been of great support.  They have first-hand knowledge of what the care is like on the wards and should be listened to.

Anyway we met at some’s flat to look at interesting DVDs about the fabulous care on offer in Tornio, Finland.  Over there people are successfully being reduced and coming off the drugs because they are being listened to and what is more I think it is absolutely brilliant what is going on in Finland.  You have only got to look at the example of care I have documented to see what is wrong with everything.  The dvds contained interviews with all the professionals involved, including the psychiatrist who was brilliant and reminded me of the private Orthomolecular psychiatrist I had appointed.    Currently in the UK everything is done secretly, families are not included properly and there is such a big thing about confidentiality.  Teams have many meetings where there is discussion behind closed doors.  In Finland it is the complete opposite – there are many members of the team present at the same time and everyone is encouraged to voice their opinions, given the chance to speak and listen  and discuss the way forward.  Not only the patient but the families are listened to and this is where everything is going wrong with current care.  They have a very high success rate and this is because patients are treated in a humane manner.

The group discussed a wish to see this care up and running in the UK and I think that peer support is extremely important  having witnessed my daughter respond to a resident more than staff who were trying to push her to do things.  It is friendship and being listened to that counts for patients and I have listened to my daughter time and time again complaining of terrible side effects on these drugs.  If she has to remain on them then it is better to be on the minimal and the team in Finland offer a lot of support – unlike the current Crisis Team – hospital admissions are not needed –  this kind of care avoids distressing admissions – it is not just distressing to the patient but also to their families.

After watching the dvds the group got together and carried out some examples of role play and how the group could support some people in the community who are isolated and visit them in their homes.  When people become isolated, they become desperate and it is very sad that some end up time and time again on these wards when this can all be avoided.

Even some of the major drugs companies are interested in what is going on in Finland and I believe that things are moving forward for much needed change and reform and hope it will not be long before this is in place in the UK. 

I have been copying people in to some interesting developments I have just heard about which I will mention soon.  There are lots of mothers in despair like myself and I am introducing them as it is important to share information.

I have written to Dr Walsh and Dr Walsh has responded about the assessment and I have copied Mr Hunt in as well and hope this can be carried out very soon.

The evening last night ended with us all going out for an Indian meal.   Everyone in the group has positive ideas in the way forward and in my opinion Mr Hunt needs come and meet and discuss the way forward and the introduction of proper assessments and Open Dialogue as in Finland.

http://www.recoverywirral.com/2012/11/open-dialogue-alternative-care-for-psychosis-in-finland-developed-by-jaakko-seikkula-video/

I am going to a meeting about this with all the ex patients I am in touch with at the weekend.

I am looking forward to hearing about this as I was prepared to send my daughter to Finland for this care that is not available. Elizabeth spent some of her happiest time in Finland when she was studing at college and chosen to go out there.  She often talks about going back and there is nothing decent in the way of care over here unless the group of former patients can be allowed to establish such wonderful care and support.   If this figure is  the success rate then the Government should take notice of this in my opinion.    Soteria want to set up unique care of this nature and I wish to raise money for Soteria but think seeing as the care is not working for so many the Goverment should be looking at alternative care as I noticed the same patients time and time again returning to he acute wards and obviously the care is not working and having been to visit on these wards I can well see why this is the case.

I did not personally know Jean but as a well respected caring member of the group I go to, I am sad to hear of such loss and that she is no longer with us. 

All I wish to say is that there is a need for patients to be listened to by professionals and something done when a prescribed drug, care and treatment has such a devastating effect resulting in so much despair, when no hope is in sight – the end of the world for so many that they feel they cannot go on.   What tends to happen is patients are ignored and drugs increased, mind altering drugs that can render effective communication and cause so much pain and agony.  If only this could have been avoided.

Jean will be sadly missed not only by me but by everyone who knows her and in honour and recognition of the memory of such a wonderful person I can think of no better way to pay tribute to her talented work as featured above.

R.I.P Jean.

Elizabeth has told both myself and her sister she is happy in Wales, that the food is good and staff treat her well however that is just some of her comments.  I believe she is being discouraged from contact with me.  She is being torn away from her family by the team  who do not communicate properly and give you a valid reason and that is why the unique care system working in Finland called Open Dialogue is needed so badly in the UK – a system that includes the family not excludes them – Elizabeth had already said she wanted family inclusions yet that is not what is going on right now – the complete opposite.   Soteria and groups like Chy Sawel and Root and Branch should be given every assistance to be set up offering residential care and the avoidance of hospital admissions like at present which have a draining effect on the NHS with patients currently returning time and time again to the acute wards not getting any better and then more and more drug treatment costing a fortune to the public.

Equally, Elizabeth has said “you know how it is in these places – it is extremely strict here”.  “staff are watching me all the time – I am on 15 minute watch”  to which staff denied.  “whilst I like it here and it is peaceful, nothing beats home”.  “I miss you Mum and I miss my cat – please be strong “- this was one of the last messages sent to me.  The problem is that whilst Elizabeth is on a Community Treatment Order, she is trapped like so many others, stripped of her human rights and treated like a prisoner in an  inhumane care system that is all about control that could go on for years unless you take things to court.  This is costly too when patients are having to use legal aid to defend themselves in court at a Tribunal, even more so if you happen to own a property and have to pay for legal cases.  Much emphasis is being put on safety and protecting the public from violent psychiatric patients.   How untrue!  I would welcome showing and educating people as it is quite the opposite.  At many of these institutions patients are drugged up to their necks and can only lie down and sleep –  at the Bethlem patients were so drugged up they were walking around like zombies – young people victims of the pharmaceutical industry who do nothing to make up for the damage their drugs have done that have failed yet they make themselves out to be caring.  I shall be sending letters to all of them to ask for their contribution towards decent care for my daughter as they have a duty in my opinion to make amends for the fact their drugs have not worked and have caused so much pain to my daughter.   Anyway, the real reason and problem is when someone has been on all of these drugs and in hospital for such a long time, they cannot cope in the community and this is what is lacking in decent care for patients to remain on acute wards for 2 years or so only to be placed in housing where they simply cannot cope and staff are stretched with their time – one member amongst 30 residents for example and staff that sleep through the night and do not monitor who is coming in through the front door. These schemes can be beneficial to some but what of those like my daughter on high levels of drugs –  a project – one like Root and Branch would be beneficial in an area away from towns/cities in a peaceful location with peer support abundance, taking some of these patients off the benefits to provide a decent salary for their contribution in helping others get back on their feet.  Patients are often excluded in the current care system and not valued yet some are highly intelligent – every patient has something to offer and should be made to feel valued but are discarded and made to feel like rubbish by and because of public ignorance fueled by the press that patients are labelled as maniacs and violent I confronted the Sun Newspaper recently who put the phone down on me and I will never purchase this newspaper again.  It is newspapers such as this that breed ignorance amongst the public who think all mental health patients are like this but what they do not see is honest reporting such as the following:

Do the public see what is really going on behind closed doors at a leading worldwide renowned hospital – the answer is no because there are virtually no visitors  – see for yourself below and I can vouch for every word of this wonderful blog:

http://nationalpsychosisunitsurvivor.blogspot.co.uk/  – my daughter was on this shocking ward and this is not written by me but I agree fully with its contents having seen with my own eyes what goes on there.  I go on to include words from yet another patient of this hospital below.

Unless there is accurate and honest reporting ignorance and prejudice will prevail fueled by some celebrities who do not know what they are talking about such as Jeremy Clarkson and Janet Street Porter – when have they ever come to visit the patients under the Bethlem National Psychosis Unit?  When have they ever got involved to try and help in changing the current care system that keeps so many patients down.  These are the type of people who need to be educated in my opinion and I am endeavouring to to just that on this blog and have no end of recorded tapes of so called professionals, evidence to back my claims and contact with many patients and carers who are not from the kind of family backgrounds you would ever think possible.  I would welcome such people to contact me direct.

It is reading the books from the honest doctors who are speaking out that gives me hope such as Dr Ann Blake Tracy, Professor David Healy, Dr Candace Pert, Dr William Walsh, – there are many many others as well and in America there are Alternative Care Centres such as Earth House and Alternative to Meds where people can go in and have decent humane treatment.  Patients get a raw deal and are not treated well under the current system.  Whilst there may be some professionals who are good, the majority are having to go along with ruling from above or else they will be out of a job.  Bullying is rife and this should be looked into.

As a mother who has spoken out I have been bullied and harrassed and if I was to behave this way towards a member of the public then I would be arrested but yet it is allowed for the legal teams and so called professionals who have their name badge back to front for protection to either behave in a threatening manner or else constantly plague someone with phone calls during the day at work to force them to agree to Treatment Order and under this Treatment Order they can control, manipulate, tear familiies apart as many parents do not have the strength like I do to stand up to all of them and I would be more than happy to place myself in front of the whole world  – the more publicity the better as I want everyone to see what is going on and yes there may be some who may turn around and comment that I am no good as a mother, that the home and family are to blame.  The pharmaceutical industry and psychiatrists may also try and label me with one of the thousand or so diagnoses in the DSM 5 book and I would then ask for their scientific proof if they came up with any diagnosis for me.    Well I would welcome these people to come and meet me personally and see for themselves what is really going on.  I would also like to introduce such people to the wonderful group of patients who have helped me more than any of the funded groups who are often too scared to speak out because they would otherwise lose their funding such as Rethink attached to the Maudsley Hospital with psychiatrists on their Boards – where were Rethink at the meeting it was agreed they attend?  who manipulated Rethink – the consultant psychiatrist so I believe who played on the fact that every question I asked “Rethink have said Elizabeth does not want this disclosed”  Rethink have verified she does not want the family to see the files – Rethink all the time came up in the meetings and were denied doing their job properly and are closely tied to the Maudsley making them NOT independent advocates and NOT fairly representative towards the patients and who NEVER came to meetings where a patient was outnumbered 9 against 1.  Elizabeth dreaded going into such meetings and I found it an ordeal myself.   One last thing about Rethink – they should not have consultant psychiatrists on their Board in my opinion. 

So “no place beats home” as said by Elizabeth but if Elizabeth was to come home I would need someone to help me as I doubt she can do much for herself and in the community she was just left to go downhill by social services who did nothing.  If an empty flat was costing around £800 for example I could have provided more support like I did for my father if only I had been included but the team exclude you especially if they dislike you for speaking your mind.  With Direct Payments you can provide extra care and support but if the care is not working provided by such schemes then alternatives need to be found and that is where there are none and projects like Root and Branch may help some people where everything has failed like my daughter.  Where is the funding for patients who have been used for experimental purposes classed as treatment resistant.  This is failure in my opinion and I think funding should be provided by the drugs companies and this funding should be used to give the patients more choice and for complete change in the care like in Finland Tornio – Open Dialogue Technique and help in being reduced off the drugs if they cause terrible side effects in a proper safe environment – this is what the Drugs Companies should do alongside the Government who are responsible for imposing laws that are unjust and detrimental to the patient and forcing them to take drugs when they are suffering terribly from the side effects of these chemicals that are mind altering LSD like drugs and there is no help there at all and no thought or care in providing such help that Dr Ann Blake Tracy, Dr Walsh and other leading experts such as Professor Healy could be involved in.  

Richard Branson has posted a comment with words to the effect do not sit back and do nothing and expect a present to come to you.  Well I am not the kind of person to sit back and do nothing at all but this is a mammoth task to draw to the Government’s attention the need for such change backed by a group of patients who wish to be included not excluded and have suffered tremendously under current care, backed by other parents who would do anything to see their child who is trapped on Community Treatment Orders to get proper care in a safe environment and be treated like a human being and not discarded on the scrap heap.  First of all I would need the help to publicise this properly but even people like Max Clifford have not been brave enough to take on such a challenge.  The minute you mention mental health people want to run away instead of face up to such a challenge.  I await to see if Mr Branson can help me.   I am just a mother who works full time and I am going ahead with my auction even if I get nothing collectible I shall provide things myself but I am waiting to hear from my solicitors right now as to the date of the Tribunal which could take place soon hopefully.  Once I know about this then I shall go forward.  Mr Branson is correct in saying you should not just sit back and do nothing but it is hard for me as I have a full time job and this something that takes a lot of time and require funding and education of so many professionals who are happy to just plod on as long as it is easier that way – it is not such an easy thing to set up but I wish to be involved and would give my time for nothing and have many contacts who wish to see change who could also be involved in such reforms.

In the meantime, I present to you some comments written by a highly intelligent former patient, another one knowledgeable of SLaM and someone who would be greatly valued in involvement with peer support and being included in helping in alternative care to get others back on their feet and I am in touch with many who are now either on minimal drugs or off them altogther who can function, can work and live normal lives and some who have suffered swo much from physical illness as a result of taking the drugs for years who are unable to work for this reason yet at passionate about seeing change in the current system.  Then there are people like my daughter trapped in the system, fit for nothing thanks to the high level of drugs they are on.  The people labelled as mentally ill that I  have come across are the most caring people I have ever encountered.  They have helped me more than funded carers groups, have supported and helped others in hospital who have no visitors, have cared about others despite their own problems being therapeutic for them too but such a group should be encouraged to be involved in helping through these much needed alternative care centres if only they can be set up such as Soteria, Chy Sawel and Root and Branch Project.

HERE ARE THE COMMENTS BELOW:

“Speak Out Against Psychiatry can reliably report that the number of service users complaining about neglect, negligence, inconsideration, inhumanity and abuse is already at record levels, and that this a deplorable state of affairs set to get ever worse, with successful prosecutions and out-of-court settlements on the increase. ”  The article is yet another patient complaining about SLaM –  “ongoing complacency of the SLaM management team that we believe arises from apparent on-going denial that anything has ever been seriously wrong”.

“At Board level, SLaM Senior managers talk a great deal about key ingredients of an effective service – client- centred decision making, collaborative (shared) decision making, informed choice, informed consent, the undesirability of over-medication, the importance of focusing on well being and recovery, the establishment of fit-for-purpose care pathways and recovery pathways, the importance of making concessions to the service user points of view, the importance of placing more emphasis on client-centred care, the undesirability of over-control of behaviour (“over-policing”).    I am laughing whilst this and reminiscing about my daughter’s shocking care as well as my apalling treatment – what a waste of time to have meetings when none of the above is true! 

The former patient goes on to say “in the last public meeting prior to 2012, “good news” was conveyed “about how millions of pounds had been secured for research into “ever more powerful medications” with “hopefully” fewer side effects.  This begs the question: Is suppression of symptoms with mind-distorting chemicals the only option that SLaM feels confident enough in to invest and shout about”

The word “hope” is used a lot.  “SLaM staff seem to have believed for years now that with enough hope things will change for the  better “as if by magic” –  they stick with this belief despite nothing worth mentioning ever changing for the better .”SLaM management team seems never to take any of its critics seriously, SLaM is mostly doing all of the wrong things (sometimes with ever more resource)  and even when its projects are well-conceived, SLaM’s Project Leads routinely fail to deliver anything noteworthy.”   The former patient goes on to speak about a Croydon based group called “Hear Us”  “guess why! And the Hear Us newsletter is called “In Our Shoes” – guess why! ” Ever more service usersare calling themselves “Survivors” of mainstream psychiatry and guess why!”

A leading expert I am in touch with who is a professional within such a corrupt system goes on to say “I agree with your comments it is a “travesty – I have been trying to change the system for years”!

WHY IS NOONE LISTENING AND TAKING SERIOUSLY THE COMMENTS OF SUCH BRAVE AND WONDERFUL PATIENTS WHO HAVE A LOT TO OFFER AND COULD SAVE THE PUBLIC A FORTUNE AS I BELIEVE AS A MOTHER WHO BETTER TO OFFER THE SUPPORT AND BE FULLY INVOLVED BUT THE PATIENTS THEMSELVES WHO CAN OFFER FRIENDSHIP AND REACH OUT TO THOSE CURRENTLY SUFFERING WHO ARE NOT BEING LISTENED TO – WHO BETTER TO GET THROUGH TO THOSE THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAS FAILED LIKE MY DAUGHTER.  AT LEAST LETS TRY THIS WITH THE PATIENTS WHO ARE DEEMED AS BEING “TREATMENT RESISTANT” AND AT LEAST LETS GIVE THE CHOICE TO THE PATIENTS AS SOME MAY BE HAPPY AND GETTING ON WITH THE DRUGS OK BUT AS DR WALSH  HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR PROPER ASSESSMENT IN HIS BOOK NUTRIENT POWER THEN THIS RESEARCH SHOULD BE ADOPTED AND TRIED OUT RATHER THAN THE PUSHING OF ONE DRUG AFTER ANOTHER AND EXPERIMENTATION THAT IS ALLOWED TO GO ON AT THE MAUDSLEY.  

 BY THE WAY I HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE TO MY LETTER TO MR HEAFIELD AS YET.

At the National Psychosis Unit Bethlem Royal Hospital in Beckenham Kent this is what they do to get someone on enforced Community Treatment Orders that are tightly controlled by law. 

What is happening right now is that the team have all ganged up against me and taken my daughter miles away from home and family because the NHS care has failed and they have placed my daughter under the private sector which must be costing a fortune. 

I wanted her to go to Cambian Four Star Wards as I thought this priviate hospital had patient involvement and provided a unique type of care in nicer surroundings, peaceful countryside, decent food with pets and activities not included under the NHS acute ward.  Whilst the facilities are supposedly better and the food, the care is the most controlling I have ever seen on a par with the Bethlem.   The consultant psychiatrist who is temporarily not there right now has caused nothing but sadness amongst the family this Xmas and has torn this family apart and this is why I have written to the leaders of the Government and opposition.  Something needs to be done and a proper investigation made into what is going on in the case system to allow this sort of thing to happen.  Many mothers are afraid to stand up to all of these bullies but I am not – I believe it is the right thing to do if you want to see change and you get nothing by being silent.

Elizabeth had been getting worse and worse suffering from Akathisia “a feeling like she was crawling out of her skin”.  This is as a direct result of the drug Seroquel – she was on high dosage and suffering things like hallucinations and nightmares during the day.  She was never like this before these drugs that also cause someone to gain tremendous weight as they affect blood sugar levels leading to diabetes type II.     Once they take someone off a huge amount of drugs such as 150mg or else mix the drug with another as Dr Ann Blake Tracy correctly says “that is how they retain people for their establishments”  – she also went on to say “one thing they do know is that it will cause someone to become psychotic” –  this is drug induced psychosis and the minute I started to speak out about the care at the Bethlem and challenge the team, restrictions were imposed on me.  They even tried to label me as aggressive and threatening yet if you look at the letters, why copy in about 8 or nine people – they are obviously scared stiff as I am not the kind of person to sit back and do nothing like the consultant psychiatrist suggested.  The meetings at the Bethlem involved nearly 10 professionals and just me so I always took someone with me as a witness and did notes of the meeting as they never provide you with a copy of the minutes which I think is bad.  When asked the consultant psychiatrist said that he wanted to concentrate on the care!  I could see what was going on from the start and was horrified.  They take the weakest and most vulnerable patients whose parents think they are at a worldwide renowned hospital as I did when in fact this is a research  hospital where they can use the patients to their heart”s content as they do with animals to experiment on drugs, increase levels of these drugs to dangerous amounts and they get the funding from the drugs manufacturing companies. 

It is hard to believe such cruelty is going on in the UK behind the scenes from the spectacular shows and celebrations this Country provides to the rest of the world. The money is provided for such public displays that could be used to provide decent care.   Behind the scenes there is much misery being brought to patients and destruction to familiies yet noone is aware fully of what is going on and many people are silenced and too weak to do what I am doing right now. Tthe press concentrate on such incidents like the rcent shootings which convince people there is a need to forever keep someone on the psychiatric drugs.  This could not be farther from the truth – it is all a big money making venture with no scientific proof the diagnosis and you only have to see the files to see what I mean when there are multiple diagnoses mentioned.   In other words the public are being misinformed and I would welcome the opportunity to meet and show proof of the suffering going on to anyone who thinks along the lines of some celebrities who Ed Milliband pulled up such as Jeremy Clarkson and Janet Street Porter.  They do not help matters at all and most people would be extremely upset if they could see the suffering and young patients drugged up like zombies a bit like the Fright Nights at certain leading parks such as Thorpe Park.  Yes what is horrifying is there are such places and they are controlled in such a way that there are virtually no visitors to see what is really going on behind closed doors.

http://nationalpsychosisunitsurvivor.blogspot.co.uk/

I recommend you read the articles in this wonderful blog and I as a mother can verify that my daughter’s face was covered in bruises in this hospital and that she has been experimented on and suffered drug induced psychosis as a result of how they did the withdrawal deliberately so that she could be put on a Community Treatment Order. 

Now, the team can manipulate and control to their heart’s content but because there are many patients and mothers like myself so upset this could all come back on them and they will have to answer to what is going on  – that is how things should be but many of these patients do not have familiies behind them to speak up on their behalf – they are trapped in an inhumane care system, excluded from society, excluded from the outside world with laws that do not protect them.  The laws are supposed to protect the public but these patients are so drugged up they can barely walk, some of them.  My daughter asked me for a walking stick – I am naturally furious that this Government does not care and my letters have been either ignored or just a standard letter sent to me and I have once again written to complain about what has gone on at the Bethlem and currently under Cambian Four Star Wards who will not give a reason for banning me from contact with my daughter and have treated me like a criminal and excluded me from the beginning. If I was telling my daughter to stop taking the drugs they would have an excuse but I know very well having researched these drugs thoroughly that this is not possible.  I have also researched the care in this country to find that there is nothing decent set up at all for mental health care in terms of residential care. 

Having seen Elizabeth at the recent surprised party in front of neighbours and friends who have known her since a child, I can tell the world she is of no risk to anyone but has been made so dependant and is so drugged up that she would need to be looked after 24 hours and this is something the Local Authority do not wish to provide.  They have all failed, social services, NHS and Cambian to provide decent humane care yet Cambian are publicising a very different picture and I begged for her to go there instead.  Now I am finding that it is even worse in terms of control – a small visitors room with a member of staff standing over you listening to every word of conversation.  A total infringement of human rights because even in prison, patients can at least have a conversation with staff standing at a distance.  When I visited the last time Elizabeth was not allowed to go out for the day – the manager herself came with – I paid for a meal for everyone but what upset me was that when we approached the road where the hospital is situated and every minute of time is precious the Manager suggest my daughter got out and walked with her alone whilst m yself and other daughter drove to the hospital in the car the length of the road leading to it.  This conveyed to me what control is going on under this hospital.  More than one person wants answers from Cambian – not just me.  Why did they meddle with the previous solicitors and get rid of them?  Why did they not give the file to my solicitors for the Manager’s Hearing.  Why are Enfield Mental Health Trust trying to make out they do not know what is going on when if they are paying for a service they must know everything.  Why wont they at least give me a reason because I was extremely happy at first about the move to Cambian even though it is a long way away.  All I cared about was that Elizabeth would be in a peaceful environment away and safe but now having seen this I am so apalled that I cannot be happy unless of course she is given the opportunity to  have a proper assessment by Dr Walsh.    I believe my daughter will NEVER get better on the level of drugs she is on being pushed at her on a day to day basis which will lead to her life being halved.  They try to make out it is down to smoking but that is not true!   Professor David Healy is right about everything.  Dr Walsh is right and should carry out the research the Bethlem did not do properly and I am prepared to pay for this.  Dr Walsh has been called upon by Scotland Yard to do research and I want this more than anything.  If they determine my daughter has a condition it is so important that this is treated properly and that she be on the minimal of drugs – that is all I want as a mother fairness in her treatment and a proper look at whether she could be food intolerant.   I shall write about this now in a separate blog and include some of the patient’s views who I am in touch with.

I am attaching a letter to David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Jeremy Hunt.  I have written to all but have received only standard letters in respect referring me to the PHSO and when you have turned to them and the CQC and nothing is done or all you get is a standard letter and nothing much else who else do you turn to.  You should be able to turn to someone else if your local MP cannot help you on health matters and it is all wrong.  The system needs changing entirely as when you visit Parliament you can only see your MP and I wanted to see someone higher up as he could not help me.

Please also see the video on the recent Newtown shooting below:

http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html?/video/us/2012/12/18/gupta-ct-shooting-newtown-hindsight.cnn#/video/us/2012/12/18/gupta-ct-shooting-newtown-hindsight.cnn

I shall keep you informed as to whether I get a reply from Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg and Mr Hunt.

In the meantime I  have heard from Dr Tracy who is extremely busy and dedicated in her work to reveal the truth of what is really going on.  I hope to meet Dr Tracy personally in the near future and thank her for all the advice she has given me.  I was supicious as time went on about these drugs and could not believe the transformation in my daughter when on them. 

A recent response to something I wrote on Twitter was saying about someone’s husband coming off the drug and leading to him nearly dying as a result.  Well I am not advising anyone to come off the drugs at all.  This is something that has to be done with professional help but here in the UK withdrawal is not being done properly as I have seen at the Bethlem.  There is no way you should take yourself off a huge amount of drugs and it is in this respect that Dr Ann Blake Tracy could help the professionals in the UK and so could Dr William Walsh.  It is because things are not done properly and these drugs drain the body of vitamins and nutrients so diet has to go alongside any withdrawal and it would help if there was proper assessments but the minute someone complaints of feeling depressed the minute drugs are dished out and people just do not realise how dangerous they are.  Some may get along with them OK and have no problem but for those that do they are just left on the drugs and experimented on like human guinea pigs without a proper assessment in the first place or treatment.

Elizabeth has been in touch with her sister this weekend.  The conversation was brief and awkward unlike usual.  I am sure Elizabeth is being encouraged to sever ties with me and I am not being treated the same way as the rest of the family because I have been outspoken but I have not been rude or aggressive towards staff like they have portrayed me.  Why didnt they call the police – I would have welcomed the police coming down to the ward.  I had a valid complaint and I did not get a satisfactory answer and right now I am most upset at the way Cambian are treating me as they will not give me a reason to justify the actions for escorted leave and supervised phone calls except for the fact this is my daughter’s request.

This is what she said to her sister:

Are you happy at the hospital and being in Wales?   “well I like Wales but nothing beats home”  I have text messages to say she missed me and that she prayed that she would see me at Xmas.

Are the staff treating you well? to this  Elizabeth replied that they were but she had also said directly to me a few days ago when money was missing in a card given for Xmas that “you know how things are in here – it is very strict”. 

It is very sad and I hope that Mr Cameron and the rest of the Government do look at my letter and not just send a standard one out saying that I should contact the PHSO.  They are voted in as the Government and they should do something about the current system.

If “treatment resistant” patients who constantly return to the wards are blocking beds for others who need short term acute ward services then this is wrong.

It is wrong that patients are not treated nicely and listened to.  Patients become more damaged as a result of being ignored instead of being included.  They should be included as peer support and the funding provided to groups of ex patients that which to help such as Speak Out Against Psychiatry who are sometimes the only visitors to someone stuck on an acute ward isolated from the rest of the world.  If this group (which is not a militant group) have helped me and other mothers have turned to them then this group offers a great service of reaching out to people that are otherwise unreachable and have a complete understanding of what it is like to be on these wards greater than any professional.  The patients should be working alongside the professionals and made to feel useful and this is not happening under the current care system especially when these ex patients really care about other people and want to help.

I did not expect many people to turn up to the surprise party for Elizabeth but many did come, close friends and neighbours who have known her for years.  The atmosphere was good as well – I think if it had just been myself and my younger daughter and two escorts the atmosphere would have been awkward.  How can you have a conversation when someone is listening in on very word and reporting back to the psychiatrist and no doubt Enfield Mental Health who for all I know have imposed these rules.  I reckon that Enfield Mental Health know everything that is going on – this is a team who clearly do not like me at all otherwise they would not have tried to replace me as the Nearest Relative in such a way, giving me no time to get a solcitor to represent me in court let alone get the time off work to attend.  Enfield Mental Health must also have known and discussed about the move to Wales. It is a long way from home and probably they see it as the best thing – the further away the better from me, the mother they wish to replace and sever ties with.

If I was replaced as the Nearest Relative I would have no say whatsoever in the care but what this team has done is exclude me from the very beginning in such an obvious way.  They  have gone out of their way to invite Elizabeth’s father to come to the Tribunal.  They have gone out of their way to ensure that I do not have any sight of the files to cover up the fact that she is on 500mg Metformine or she could have diabetes.  Elizabeth would be blissfully unaware as she is so drugged up she cannot think straight and this team play on that, manipulating everything even the wording “you have upset the apple cart”!   Well that says it all.  

I had to speak to Elizabeth about the missing money for Xmas and she was so confused she did not know where the red envelope was and eventually staff had to help her – I was going to call the police but the staff got involved and I hope it is true that they found it like they claim to have.   Anyway I asked Elizabeth outright about certain things and got some very disturbing and contradictory answers.  I cannot share these at the moment. 

This team must be desperate if they do not give the file to my solicitors for the managers meeting and my solicitors had to complain as well as adjourn the meeting.  This has all contributed in holding up proceedings for the Tribunal which will be my tribunal  – that should have taken place before Xmas but there was some mix-up with the court and they thought it was my daughter’s Tribunal but this has already been unsuccessful.

By the way Elizabeth was absolutely fine when she came over.  She spoke to several friends who she knew really well – she seemed Ok to me as sometimes she would have reacted against crowds and when there was no reaction this made me think all the more that this team have DELIBERATELY prevented my daughter from spending Xmas with her family. 

Anyway I wish to share with everyone a link as I am not alone having a daughter trapped in a cruel abusive system that deprives a vulnerable patient of their human rights and what is more I am not the kind of person to sit back and do nothing about it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-111062/Psychiatric-patients-win-landmark-case.html

This article in the Daily Mail is extremely interesting.

Meanwhile Mr Milliband is coming to Enfield and I would personally like to meet him. 

Mental health care should be top of any agenda in my opinion as it affects so many and it is sad there is so much suffering going on and what a waste of public money.  If these tribunals are not being done properly then it can result in a waste of public money. 

The longer someone is kept trapped in a prison like atmosphere it is costing a huge amount of public money to do this as well as push psychiatric drugs that do not work. 

I would like to show Mr Milliband all the information I have on the schemes I would like set up in the UK.

The whole complaints system needs looking at – here is the last paragraph of the CQC’s letter to me:

“The PHSO is the final arbiter in any complaint matter and therefore the CQC cannot consider any request for investigation once jthe Ombudsman has either completed or declined an investigation into your complaints.”

I cannot even read the signature and there is no name on this standard letter and I feel that neither the CQC or PHSO have done their jobs properly in my daughter’s case.  I am far from happy with these complaints bodies that are supposed to look into cases of abuse and it is no wonder cases like Jimmy Saville relating to Broadmoor go ignored with their attitudes.  Something needs to be done that is for sure.

I am back at work now but thinking of the New Year and I have  had a terrible year.   I am determined that the New Year will bring about positive results and I intend to go to any lengths to get these results.

I have previously said that I am only allowed supervised phone calls and escorted leave and the Manager at Cambian says that the supervised phone calls are at my daughter’s request and will continue until further notice.

It is Xmas next week and normally I would have shared having Elizabeth between myself and the rest of the family.  There were never any arguments above this at all.  However this year is unique as I am not allowed to have my daughter – apparently she is supposed to be too ill but then what are the top people at Cambian and Enfield thinking of.   If someone is ill it is beneficial to be home amongst the family.  Both Cambian and Enfield Mental Health have shown an abnormal way of thinking however I think a lot of this had to do with the psychiatrist Dr A W who went off on maternity leave.  Perhaps now she will know how it feels to be a mother as her treatment of me has been absolutely apalling and not in line with the way the rest of the family are treated.  She has used her powers against me with the agreement of Enfield Mental Health no doubt and the rest of the team have no choice but to go along with this and this is where more investigation needs to be done at top level.  It is the people at the top who spoil everything and give everyone a bad name but I know only too well that this decision is coming from the top and I decided to make it as nice an occasion as possible for Elizabeth. 

I rushed out in the morning to do shopping and then cooked food for a buffet and did hot and cold food.  I enjoy doing this sort of thing as it is nice to see people.  Trouble is the pace of life around here in London makes it difficult and the fact I work full time.  So, I went to pick up the gift I got for Elizabeth in the town –  a while back I had photos taken of her and she looked very nice and I made some of these photos into a calendar.  I gave a cheque to Cambian so that they could take her out shopping which is something that I would have done and miss doing myself.

There was huge traffic on the roads and Elizbeth did not arrive until gone 2pm by which time most of my friends had arrived.  These are people that have known Elizabeth for a very long time, like when she was a little girl.  I noticed that Elizabeth had brought some things with her including a child’s toy car.  These mind altering drugs have the effect of making someone go back to childhood.  I did not comment because I have also seen that Elizabeth will buy babyish toys and nothing like what she would at once time have bought.  I did too much food and her younger sister put on some up to date music.  The staff were very very nice who bought her.  I do not have a problem with the nursing staff except of course some at the Bethlem who was very unprofessional in the way that they behaved.  These nurses clearly looked surprised and Elizabeth seemed to enjoy herself and was very pleased to see her pet kitten and has grown a lot.  All too soon the day had ended and at around 5 pm the nurses had to say it was time to leave but I could see the expression which was one of sympathy but what can you do when you have to deal with the heartless people at the very top. 

I am going to ask this same question to Mr Jeremy Hunt.  In fact they can all get a letter and a piece of my mind as I have listened to Mr Clegg – it is about time he listens to me and the others too.

I cannot believe I will not see Elizabeth for the first time ever on Xmas Day.  Xmas Day is on a Tuesday and this is a day I am not allowed to ring. 

People who have known me a long time and my daughters were very shocked at the way I have been treated.

I am not looking forward to Xmas Day without Elizabeth this year.

I had called in to Harrods in the hope they could provide me with something collectible to auction with regard to the alternative care centres that I would like to see set up in the UK to provide decent humane care not only for my daughter but for many others.  Many people are in despair with the current care available and acute wards are not good places to recover – they should only be used short term at the very least not for periods of up to 2 years or more.  It is no wonder patients do not get better and also to make it easier for the staff this is why they drug the patients up with chemicals and raise the dosage on admission.  The atmosphere can be tense and volatile and can be very disturbing for someone who is extremely vulnerable.  There are members of staff who are dismissive towards patients and sit in their office ignoring a patient who is knocking at the window for attention.  I do not think these wards are safe either especially if they are mixed wards.

Anyway, Harrods were helpful and I ended up doing some Xmas shopping there as well and then just down the road at the Ecuadorian Embassay there were huge crowds gathering and international press lined the road in expectation.  Mulled wine was being served and demonstrations were chanting in support.  I was not standing in the best location to see Julian Assange but he spoke loudly and clearly and the message of his speech was given with clarity and was most interesting to hear.  I listened to some of the conversation in the crowd – six months he has sought refuge at the Ecuadorian Embassy – he spoke of the importance of freedom of speaking out against injustice and mentioned specific cases.  I could not agree more that there is much injustice in the world and the press do not report things honestly at times. I admire someone who goes to lengths to fight for justice and reveals the truth about what is going on in the world.     Well, I can identify with that and I wanted to present to him a copy of my leaflet to show that there are many people under a life sentence with the shocking mental health care currently available and that does not just apply to the UK either.    What do you get when you speak out –  you get banned!  You get labelled and comments are written about you behind your back which I have seen in previous files.  I dread to think what the latest files contain.  What is even worse in my daughter’s case is that these drugs are harmful to her long term health and I would like these drugs to be reduced in a proper and decent manner.   I want a proper assessment done by Dr Walsh and the reduction done just like Dr Ann Blake Tracy instructs on her CD.  I am not expecting her to come off the drugs completely however nothing has been done properly –  I cannot accept a diagnosis when promised a drug free period of assessment and the reduction was 150mg off Seroquel then a mixture of Olanzapine introduced.  This whole hospital the Bethlem Royal Hospital has done things in a very deceitful manner and they get money from it.  Experimentation on weak and vulnerable patients and sanctions imposed when their reductions cause adverse behaviour – then of course it is law that they can force someone to take the drugs.  They should pay for people to be human guinea pigs and not use vulnerable patients in such a way.    I am waiting for an explanation as to why my daughter’s face was covered in bruises in that hospital.  It is not good enough to say “I am happy with that” or “what day did that occur”.  The latter I could answer exactly as I wrote about it on my blog and as for the lead nurse saying I am happy well I as a mother am far from happy.  There could have been an innocent explanation –  however at a hospital where they drug patients up like zombies to their hearts content I as the nearest relative that they tried to dismiss need answers to these questions.  I do not expect to know everything but it is ridiculous the way they try to cover up and all stick together and then they try to make out that I am aggressive and nasty.  What chance could I have against such a big team who copy in so many people in so many roles to my emails.  I am still waiting for a reply from Gus Heafield (CEO) to my recent email.   The only time you can get to speak to these people who hide behind their desks is if you go to the Annual General Meeting and this is worth going to.  Otherwise it is impossible to get to speak to any of these people.  I would personally like to speak to Dr James MacCabe and Professor Taylor about the shocking research papers I have seen.  The consultant psychiatrist said my daughter was in good hands and that I should sit back and let them get on with the care.  This is laughable.  I told him that I was not the type to sit back and do nothing and that I had done extensive research and had been in touch with experts.

Anyway, on Saturday my daughter is coming home – I am going to make it a pleasant occasion.  I will not be seeing her for the first time ever at Xmas.  I have not seen her for while either.  She is being brought down by two members of staff from Cambian and she has already been brought down to see her grandparents on a separate occasion.  It is a while since I have seen her as it is too far for me to go down at weekends as I work full time as well plus I have strict restrictions on how long I can see her and it has always been with a member of staff standing over and listening to every word, no doubt with orders to report back to the consultant psychiatrist who is probably looking for a reason to ban me altogether from contact.  When I ask what the reason is I never get a proper answer.

I have a missed call in my phone from my daughter recently but mainly I have text messages that she misses me, misses her cat, is looking forward to coming home – I had one that she prayed she would be allowed to see me over Xmas.  If someone is so ill they cannot come and stay because of this then why on earth bring her down and take her back in just one day – this is not fair treatment.  However Cambian have said she requests supervised calls for instance.   If my daughter has said these things, she has said them when she is drugged up to her neck on Clozapine which is notorious for sedation and can enhance confusion in patients. 

I can only think that they do not want me to see how she is when she has taken this drug along with the Metformine which is not being given as it is supposed to be given but off label for weight loss which Dr Ann Blake Tracy has told me – most likely being given to counteract diabetes.

If someone is treatment resistant then it means they have failed and if the care has failed then the least the drugs companies should do is to chip in and provide the likes of my daughter with a choice but there is no choice in the UK – whereas there are some places like Earth House in the States for alternative care and in Finland in Tornio where they have unique care.  I would love to send my daughter to these places – if only.  The care in the UK reminds me of the pushing of drugs given to Michael Jackson.  However, this is under the NHS and this does not make sense when they are short of money and yet waste it on all these drugs that do not even work and then it is a drain on resources when a patient ends up suffering from a serious condition as a result of these chemicals.  Cambian is continuing with all that and has not attempted to make the slightest bit of a reduction.  It would seem that all these experts do not have a clue how to do a reduction properly and at the Maudsley I made sure that I brought in all the information I could because I am a Gold Member of the International Drug Awareness Coalition governed by Dr Ann Blake Tracy who  has given me such wonderful advice and thanks to her I have been able to pass this advice on to other professionals although at the Bethlem this was not appreciated at all.     However, there is a new psychiatrist who has replaced one who clearly did not like me at Cambian and I have yet to see if things will improve.  He at least seemed to listen to me and did not turn around and say no when I mentioned about Dr Walsh and his assessment but it is too early to say for sure yet.  He even referred to “if I was paying for that – he could not see any problem or words to that effect”  – Lets see in the New Year what will happen and I hope and pray this new psychiatrist will be kinder and listen to my daughter and work with myself as Nearest Relative.  He did say that he was keen to liaise with family whereas the other one was dismissive and disliked me from the beginning.