Crazy as a Left Handed Computer

I run a Facebook page on their proprietary system, it can be accessed by visiting http://www.facebook.com/Bipolar.Affective.Disorder, and hopefully those on that page will join me here on this website and comment more about their experiences with mental health services.

I live in the UK and have found the mental health service completely useless and not worth the money we as tax payers pay them, all their interested in is pushing drugs! What have others found in the UK or other countries concerning mental health services?

I find the uk mental health services to be a mixed bag really, see my other posts. I do now have a very good Community Mental Health Nurse (Cpn). She visits me on a regular basis, when this is needed. She is there in times of crises, and often goes out of her way to be there for me. I have had her as my Cpn for over two years now. She also promotes my independence and we have a great working relationship .

My therapist is a specialist, and extremely patient and empathic with me. It's unusual for me to have had the same therapist for so long, seven years. Before this wonderful person stepped up to help me with issues from my past , I had eight therapists in less years. I think consistency is key, and helps you to learn to trust and open up in a way that can help.

My psychiatrist has known me since the age of seventeen, and am 31 at the end of the month. Our patient- doctor relationship has had it's ups and downs. She is reluctant to put me on mood stabilisers, which I feel would help as my mood cycles up and down so much, even in just a few minutes. Too scared to request the medication that may help me.

Inpatient hospital- saves my life by keeping me safe from myself in times of crises, but that is about all. It is hard to find understanding, or empathy.

Sorry have gabbled on so much, I have been in services from the age of four, so have a very varied and full experience. Would be interested in how others find the services that are meant to be helpful, and can be at times.

I currently have an occupational therapist as my care coordinator and they have asked me to comment on a recovery method that is new, but I hope it's not similar to the recovery star which is absolutely useless to me, it's probably useful to them in fulling out statistical information for their records and keeping them employed.

I've had numerous mental health nurses and psychiatrists since entering the system over 17 years previous, but none have cured me or provided anything useful beyond the expression "have you taken your medication", which seems the standard for the service as a whole.

Things have improved over the years as my knowledge of the subject matter has greatly increased, especially with reference to buying my own care support through the use of direct payments, and these funds are provided by my local council, which they didn't offer advice about until I'd done my own fishing for information.

My recommendation to anyone who has bipolar or another mental health illness is to research the subject themselves and attempt to help themselves to the care needs they need through that knowledge, as local services are unlikely to help unless you take these steps first.

I'd like to have direct payments, as I struggle at night times. The mental health matters number for out of ours is a waste of time because they never do anything to help. They don't tell your care coordinator that you have had contact, so there is no continuity of care.