General / Mental Health Support Thread

[Lauz9888]

I'm sadly on the blunt end of trying to get treatment on the NHS. I've been here before, experienced the frustration and wait, but this time I'm in constant pain.

I've torn the lining of my hip and some other stuff, 5 weeks ago, and as I can still physically walk (not far!) and I'm still able to sleep some hours at night, I'm not priority in any way.

Thing is, my referral is going to take 6 months and the required operation another 6, with 9 months recovery- even then i might get rejected by this particular consultant and have to start again!!

I'm in pain, all the time. I've gone from exercising 4 or 5 times a week to zero. I'm angry, frustrated, down, it's fucking mental how I might not even get required treatment for a year. I can't do this for a year. I might financially ruin myself and just do it privately.

How does the UK have a health system like this. How have we allowed it to come to this.

I'm so sorry that you're experiencing this. In my experience the NHS is great in a crisis but lack of resources means that unless your condition is going to kill you, you're going to be waiting a long time for treatment. Which is especially shit if the condition in question causes you a great deal of pain.

It's really frustrating but it might be worth researching the cost of a private consultation. You shouldn't have to, but equally you shouldn't have to spend a year in agony.

 

[mosssideblue]

I've just re read and it was colonoscopy. I had a gastroscopy without sedation and that was horrific.

I'm glad you've beaten cancer. That's amazing mate.

Hi. I’m due a Gastroscopy soon and bricking it so I’m going for as much sedation as possible as need to have it done as have melena, but don’t think I can manage it

 

[kaz7]

Hi. I’m due a Gastroscopy soon and bricking it so I’m going for as much sedation as possible as need to have it done as have melena, but don’t think I can manage it

I had both done recently with no sedation , gas and air for the bottom one and just the numbing throat spray for the top , it completely numbs your throat and i didnt even feel it going in or out , it was real!y easy and quick, if you have someone to drive you home then have the sedation but dont worry about it at all

 

[mosssideblue]

I had both done recently with no sedation , gas and air for the bottom one and just the numbing throat spray for the top , it completely numbs your throat and i didnt even feel it going in or out , it was real!y easy and quick , if yoy have someone to drive you home then have the sedation but dont worry about it at all

Just spent 6 days in hosp due to melena (Docs seemed convinced it's due to the blood thinning drugs they gave me as a result of a stroke last month). Needed a blood transfusion to raise red blood cells and after a few days monitoring, they were happy to let me out now but returning for the Gastroscopy in a week or two.

Due to disability, will have to arrive and return home on a stretcher, so happy to have sedation. Not sure how much sedation helps though. Got to say, having watched utube to see procedure, bricking it already

 

[kaz7]

Just spent 6 days in hosp due to melena (Docs seemed convinced it's due to the blood thinning drugs they gave me as a result of a stroke last month). Needed a blood transfusion to raise red blood cells and after a few days monitoring, they were happy to let me out now but returning for the Gastroscopy in a week or two.

Due to disability, will have to arrive and return home on a stretcher, so happy to have sedation. Not sure how much sedation helps though. Got to say, having watched utube to see procedure, bricking it already

You poor thing , you are having such a bad time, sending you a hug X . Really dont worry about it , it is not as bad as i expected , you can always ask for the numbing spray as well as sedation i expect but you have been through much worse lately

 

[PinkFinal]

I noticed there is a free 24 hour helpline for the Manchester area.

24/7 Mental Health Crisis Helpline

www.gmmh.nhs.uk

I've ordered an exercise bike. I've started hating going outside especially during daylight. I must have some way of losing weight and keeping mentally balanced.
If you aren't getting any exercise or physical exertion it can burden you with a terrifying fear that feels like it could stretch out to a full blown breakdown. I wouldn't wish this feeling on my worst enemy.
I actually had a very expensive exercise bike rotting in my yard for years but it went to scrap a few weeks ago. Typical.

 

[Lauz9888]

I'm struggling mental health-wise at the moment.

I got myself back in counselling, and re-joined the gym and have actually been going. I'm up to 4 days a week at work and looking to be back full-time next month. So really in a lot of ways everything's going well.

But I'm hardly sleeping, hardly eating, and feeling very low a lot of the time. Quickly running out of motivation.

 

[MCFC Wirral]

I'm struggling mental health-wise at the moment.

I got myself back in counselling, and re-joined the gym and have actually been going. I'm up to 4 days a week at work and looking to be back full-time next month. So really in a lot of ways everything's going well.

But I'm hardly sleeping, hardly eating, and feeling very low a lot of the time. Quickly running out of motivation.

Have they prescribed you with any medication? I’ve been on 20mg of Citalopram (it’s an antidepressant) daily since March 2020 and taking it each morning is as ordinary as putting the kettle on.

If you’re not eating and sleeping then you will feel low. Scrambled egg or soups go down very well if you’re not wanting to have too much.

You’ve got through the worst of everything. You can rebuild your life.

 

[Lauz9888]

Have they prescribed you with any medication? I’ve been on 20mg of Citalopram (it’s an antidepressant) daily since March 2020 and taking it each morning is as ordinary as putting the kettle on.

If you’re not eating and sleeping then you will feel low. Scrambled egg or soups go down very well if you’re not wanting to have too much.

You’ve got through the worst of everything. You can rebuild your life.

Thank you. I've been taking sertraline for the past couple of years on and off, admittedly I'm not always the best at taking it unfortunately (not side effects or anything, I just get carried away with thinking that feeling well means I never needed it to start with...I'm aware how stupid that is). But I'm taking it now and if I don't level out I guess I'll speak to my GP.

The time of year doesn't help, either, and as winter approaches I tend to struggle more. I will get back on the vitamin D and dig out my light therapy lamp. I'm not sure how much they help - some years are better than others.

I feel like I haven't really got my head around everything that's happened. I think it's my brain protecting me, letting me tell stupid jokes about "remember when I nearly died ha ha" because I can't let myself feel the enormity of it all of the time. But then I feel that ignoring it all the time is bad in the long-run. I'm kind of having flashbacks. It's hard to talk about. Some of them are vivid memories of things that actually happened, just normal scary hospital stuff. But an awful lot of it is flashbacks of hallucinations I had and I don't know how to get my head around feeling so messed up about things that never even actually happened.

 

[Bigga]

I found this quite profound.

It's not going to be for everyone, but you'll know if it resonates with you:




I think it links very well with some of the depressive traits some may have; being nice and taken advantage of and losing that sense of self.

Life is short, don't waste all of it on others that don't return the same kindness.