>> Someday, we'll live in a world where the answer to "someone has a debilitating health condition" isn't "fix it yourself." <<
So mote it be.
I'd be happy if we could just drag the mental health industry out of the "virtuous pus" stage and get them to help people before it's a catastrophic emergency.
You know, at this point I'd settle for actually helping people in crisis. The number of people I know who got out of hospital and ended up on 8 month waiting lists. Or no list at all. And that was in Canada, where we supposedly have government funded health care.
I'm impressed with the UK, in that the services are still dramatically underfunded and require a mentally ill person to navigate a complex web of administrative systems, but at least "learning basic CBT" only had a two week waiting list. And was free.
>> You know, at this point I'd settle for actually helping people in crisis. The number of people I know who got out of hospital and ended up on 8 month waiting lists. Or no list at all. And that was in Canada, where we supposedly have government funded health care. <<
Yeah, here the waiting lists are months or years long, where we supposedly have care you can buy at will. If you can afford it. But it doesn't matter how much money you have, if the demand greatly exceeds the supply. >_<
>> I'm impressed with the UK, in that the services are still dramatically underfunded and require a mentally ill person to navigate a complex web of administrative systems, but at least "learning basic CBT" only had a two week waiting list. And was free.<<
Two weeks is the outside acceptable timing for all care that doesn't come as part of a time-dependent stack (e.g. making several appointments each two weeks apart). That's because it's the longest most people can go without forgetting the damn appointment. After that, the rate of mishaps -- from forgetting to booking another practitioner to not showing up because the problem went away -- just skyrockets. That's bad for the providers as well as the poor bastard who's left with an untreated problem to get worse.
I'm not saying that two weeks is particularly good. It's just the best I've seen or heard of for anything other than suicide watch. We live in a broken world.
Sadly so. But I'll call two weeks tolerable for something that isn't an emergency.
As for suicide watch, quite a lot of people commit suicide while waiting for care. The watch isn't there to protect them. It's to make money, or cover someone else's ass, because without those motivators it simply doesn't happen.
And when it does happen, it routinely does more harm than good. It's literally locking someone in a room so they can't escape their tormentors. Because what clearer way is there to tell society "I don't want to be with you anymore" than that? To which society's reply is, "Bitch, you don't leave me! I'll lock your ass up!" Just like any abusive boyfriend. >_
Most people I know who were in suicide watch were self admitted. They needed a place where they were watched and kept safe. I'm not saying it's good, but they're alive.
The UK strategy seems to be that, in the absence of proper funding, devote resources to short waiting periods for people with easier problems who can get the most out of the minimum amount of therapy. It's a reverse triage situation. It's a theory, at least. (I mean, could be different than that in other cities in the UK than the one I live in. I have only my own experience to go on.)
-As a self-care tool. One of the things I've learned to do when I'm really out of sorts and all I've got with me is my phone is to go somewhere quiet-ish and look at nature, ocean, or starscape pictures until I've had a chance to calm down some. This is one of the boards where I've collected ones I especially like: https://www.pinterest.com/calloffaerie/its-full-of-stars/
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dancing_serpent
(no subject)
Date: 2018-11-12 10:26 am (UTC)Until that day, these are good resources.
Thoughts
Date: 2018-11-12 10:36 am (UTC)So mote it be.
I'd be happy if we could just drag the mental health industry out of the "virtuous pus" stage and get them to help people before it's a catastrophic emergency.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-11-12 11:22 am (UTC)I'm impressed with the UK, in that the services are still dramatically underfunded and require a mentally ill person to navigate a complex web of administrative systems, but at least "learning basic CBT" only had a two week waiting list. And was free.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-11-12 12:10 pm (UTC)Yeah, here the waiting lists are months or years long, where we supposedly have care you can buy at will. If you can afford it. But it doesn't matter how much money you have, if the demand greatly exceeds the supply. >_<
>> I'm impressed with the UK, in that the services are still dramatically underfunded and require a mentally ill person to navigate a complex web of administrative systems, but at least "learning basic CBT" only had a two week waiting list. And was free.<<
Two weeks is the outside acceptable timing for all care that doesn't come as part of a time-dependent stack (e.g. making several appointments each two weeks apart). That's because it's the longest most people can go without forgetting the damn appointment. After that, the rate of mishaps -- from forgetting to booking another practitioner to not showing up because the problem went away -- just skyrockets. That's bad for the providers as well as the poor bastard who's left with an untreated problem to get worse.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-11-12 12:16 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-11-12 12:23 pm (UTC)As for suicide watch, quite a lot of people commit suicide while waiting for care. The watch isn't there to protect them. It's to make money, or cover someone else's ass, because without those motivators it simply doesn't happen.
And when it does happen, it routinely does more harm than good. It's literally locking someone in a room so they can't escape their tormentors. Because what clearer way is there to tell society "I don't want to be with you anymore" than that? To which society's reply is, "Bitch, you don't leave me! I'll lock your ass up!" Just like any abusive boyfriend. >_
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2018-11-12 12:33 pm (UTC)The UK strategy seems to be that, in the absence of proper funding, devote resources to short waiting periods for people with easier problems who can get the most out of the minimum amount of therapy. It's a reverse triage situation. It's a theory, at least. (I mean, could be different than that in other cities in the UK than the one I live in. I have only my own experience to go on.)
(no subject)
Date: 2018-11-12 12:27 pm (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2018-11-12 12:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-11-12 07:28 pm (UTC)-To collect worksheets and info sheets - some of my favorites are here: https://www.pinterest.com/calloffaerie/emotional-toolbox/
-As a self-care tool. One of the things I've learned to do when I'm really out of sorts and all I've got with me is my phone is to go somewhere quiet-ish and look at nature, ocean, or starscape pictures until I've had a chance to calm down some. This is one of the boards where I've collected ones I especially like:
https://www.pinterest.com/calloffaerie/its-full-of-stars/