General Chat

Kucinta - thank you for explaining why you've self-harmed in the past. It has helped those of us unaffected to understand.

If you have problems getting your meds, there might well be people on here who know their way around the system and can help you off-board to get what you need. <3

if they turn you down, which please God, they don't, we'll get Supercrutch on the case - she's like a dog with a bone - in the nicest possible way :-D :-D

I am heartened to see the GR community rally on these issues.
Our lovely members took the first steps to open up, discuss their problems and seek help.
Recovery is possible, and they deserve continued support, not only from the medical profession, but from us all.
Stay Strong Xxxx

I think eating disorders are a form of self-harming, as are drinking and drug taking..

Have never come across anybody who has cut themselves but I and somebody else I have met have been known to stick needles into our gums. Related to the eating maybe,I don't know.

In my experience, most forms of self harming or eating disorders that I have come across, stem from low self esteem. For some, SH or ED is about control.
In her mid teens my daughter required long term medication for an unrelated issue.
This problem was eventually sorted, but the meds had caused a massive weight gain but finally felt able to lose weight with a healthy diet and exercise.
Her progress was tremendous and she was delighted
Unfortunately, by the time she reached her target weight, it became apparent that there was a problem... she couldn't stop the continued weight loss and had developed anorexia. Her ideas relating to exercise and nutrition had become somewhat skewed
SHE asked for help and with continued support, she has never looked back.
Whilst in recovery, she was racked with guilt because, unlike many sufferers, other than a desire to get fit and healthy, she had no identifiable, personal or emotional issues to categorise as an underlying cause.
Anorexia is not about a desire to lose weight, but a fear of gaining it... control.

SH or ED can happen to anyone.

Thank you all :-)

I'm taking a copy of the last report from Clinic 7 to my GP, to the meeting. They stress how important it is for me to get the medication, and say it would be unethical to refuse me a treatment that has proved effective previously.

I'm hoping 'unethical' will prove a trigger word that might help them take notice.

The specialist also pointed out that the two drugs clinic 7 prescibed (my GP precribes the other two) cost approx £1500 per year, but the cost to society if I were unable to work would be so much more, apart from the actual personal mental/emotional cost to me. He also said that if the cost were an issue, they should be able to apply for specialist funding from the PCT.

I'm just not very good at being assertive. And so afraid they'll say no.

Getting back on thread, I do think Anne is right in saying SH is linked to low self esteem, and certainly in my case it often happened when I either felt powerless (ie had no control over a situation) or when I felt out of control, being unreasonably angry with either myself or others.

I don't feel I'd cut myself again, and I don't want to suicide, but as I said earlier, if I were on MAOIs, I'd think find i'd find it easy to put myself in jeopardy by eating foods that are dangerous in conjunction with MAOIs, if I were in difficult circumstances. Somehow the fact that I'd be 'only' using food as a weapon against myself makes it seem less of an issue? 'It's only food', even though the consequences could be dangerous or even fatal.

Thank you for all your kindness and support. I will update on this thread once I've had my appointment on Tuesday.

we look forward to a positive outcome for you <3 <3

Kucinta don't be afraid to come on here if you are down, somebody will always be here for you. Terrible that such important things as your clinic should suffer because of the cuts. There is a thread on here somewhere called anxieties and depressions that had a lot of support posts for people. Maybe somebody could nudge it up if I can't find it.

I've nudged it up for you Kucinta - many times as I had some problems with the site :-D :-D :-D :-D

Thanks Ann, I've added it to my watched threads so it's there if I need it. <3

and if you need to talk to someone, let me know and I'll give you my phone number and email addy - I'm a good talker me :-D

Saw the psychiatrist at the clinic today, and couldn't believe how sensible he was! :-D

He's agreed to carry on prescribing the Clinic 7 meds my GP isn't allowed to prescribe, in 3 month amounts. Said as It's working well for me, he wouldn't dream of refusing me the two extra 'difficult' drugs in question.

Because of their protocols/care pathways etc I will have to turn up and see him at least once every 6 months (bit of a pain as the clinic is half an hour's walk away from home and in completely the opposite direction to work), and he has agreed to make the appts early morning so I can then carry on into work, and not have to worry about taking too much time off.

He's said that at the 3 month point between visits, as long as I ring him up and tell him I'm fine, he'll send that prescription through the post.

He accepted I was just there for the medication, didn't want or need any other help at that time, and just got on with it.

I couldn't believe how painless it all was!

So BIG thanks to everyone on here, especially Ann C, for your support and kind wishes. <3

I know medication isn't the whole answer, but for me this particular combination has given me my life back, and the space to work on some of my 'issues'.

I bought a cream meringue on the way home to celebrate, so I'm off to put the kettle on! :-)

Wonderful Kucinta, so pleased for you. Good to hear of a member of the medical fraternity with some brains and compassion.
Hope you enjoyed the meringue. :-D

fantastic outcome - we are all so pleased with the result - andf don't be a stranger now :-D :-D

Yep, definitely enjoyed the meringue!

So pleased for you Kucinta.
Stay strong and positive.Xxx

Very pleased that you got a sympathetic and sensible psychiatrist and your meds have been continued. I hope you can carry on with your work and life now in the way you have managed so far, it's a big step to regain control of your life.

I wish the psychaitrist I asked to see in 1994 had been as good, that one targetted a result of my problem rather than the cause and went off half cocked sending someone to my house to tell me I needed a skip for my hoarding. That was not the way to go and he never came back or followed up my situation in any way. Years on I tried and tried to get help but despite attending groups and such at the local Mental Health offices, they never had anyone with knowledge of hoarding ocd who could help me so I was sent to counselling (non specific so helpful but not productive) and so on. At the mo I am still waiting after a year to see someone again, their lists were closed last Spring for three months and again no one followed it up to offer me an appointment.

Getting mental health aid is like banging your head against a wall, no wonder so many people have these different probelms when the help is so hard to get.

Such a shame there aren't more good people like the psychiatrist you saw Kucinta.

Well done to you for facing up to your fears and seeing the new chap, and hope life continues to be good to you

Lizx

What a great outcome for Kucinta, What a difference it must make for you to have somebody understanding and sensible to talk to at "the other end" .
As others have said now that you have found us here don´t be a stranger.

Liz in someways you have to laugh, All these adverts on TV about mental health issues and then we read what has happened to yourself ..it doesn´t make sense or more to the point it is 1 lot not listening to what the other hand is saying. Don´t give up there has to be good people out there ...somewhere.