This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Stigma in Mental Health Services

Posted By MHPatient

"Stigma in Mental Health Services"

About: New Craigs Hospital / Mental Health Services

(as a service user),

A couple of years ago I was referred to the mental health assessment service team by my CPN as I was in crisis. 

The nurse I spoke to on the phone knew me as I had attended a STEPPS group run by them previously. When I told them that I was actively suicidal, they were very dismissive. They didn't to do anything further, offer me an appointment, medication, extra phone support or anything.

I feel they based the outcome of my crisis purely on knowing I had Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder. No matter what I said or how much risk I was in, they knew my diagnosis and made up their mind about what kind of help I needed before even listening to what had been happening.

I left the phone call feeling like I was almost being dared to act on my urges. Luckily a good friend stepped in to help me, as I don't know if I would be here otherwise. I am aware that people with my diagnosis, including myself, can experience crisis regularly and often don't need outside help to get through them, but at this point I had followed my NHS agreed crisis plan and my CPN had made the referral based on my safety. 

More recently I was on the waiting list for EMDR and was unfortunately allocated this same nurse. I felt really uncomfortable about speaking to them again. When I explained that I had been doing really well but had had a dip recently, they immediately suggested that I was feeling that was just a way to hold on to mental health services. I had already explained that I had been tapering off my medication at my own request and that I had expressed to my CPN that I wished to be discharged soon.

The nurse continued to say that this was my way of holding on to support. Did not consider even for a second that my medication would have anything to do with it, I feel that they have a set belief about what people with personality disorders act like. I had actually been going through a dip because of burn out from work, but they didn't seem to care about any of that. 

This might seem very mild - and it is compared to some people - but if a person trained in mental health can't see past a diagnosis and treat someone as a human, how can the rest of the population? 

I decided I couldn't work on trauma with someone who continued to invalidate me and as a result, I appear to be at the bottom of a waiting list again after making it the top previously. How was I supposed to feel safe disclosing abuse to someone determined to believe I am manipulating a system I am desperately trying to heal from? I have no idea why they felt the need to interpret my situation this way.

I feel, because of my personality disorder diagnosis I have been treated abhorrently by health professionals. This isn't my first negative experience with mental health services in Highland. I just want to be treated like a person, not a diagnosis. 

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Neil McNamara, Clinical Director - Mental Health Services, NHS Highland last week
Neil McNamara
Clinical Director - Mental Health Services,
NHS Highland

Submitted on 16/04/2024 at 13:25
Published on Care Opinion at 13:30

Thank you for taking the time to describe so clearly and thoughtfully your experience of contact with the different parts of our service designed to provide treatment and support to people affected by personality disorder on a background of trauma. It is helpful to raise issues around the connections between a number of elements including STEPPS groups, Community Mental Health Teams, Mental Health Assessment Unit and the potential for EMDR and what this can all be like for someone trying to follow an agreed pathway.

We are sorry that at points you were unhappy with the way your diagnosis and what that means for treatment recommendations was weighed against what was happening for you as a person at that time.

I would agree that what you have touched on here is not "mild" but a really important point about how we interact with each other sensitively and objectively and without pre-judgement. It is obviously difficult to say more than that without the balancing perspective of the clinician involved but I wanted to make it clear that it is certainly our expectation that all our staff embody these principles.

We would always remind people that it is open to raise such issues formally with our feedback team (nhshighland.feedback@nhs.scot) and this can often be helpful in enabling us to look a bit more into the specific circumstances and any wider learning points.

We also work closely in partnership with SPIRIT Advocacy (hug@spiritadvocacy.org.uk), our local network group to represent the needs of those who have experienced mental ill health. We have developed our guiding mental health strategy together and are always keen to learn from people's experiences to continue to improve services.

Thank you once again for your efforts in raising awareness of this issue and please feel free to get in touch using either of the above routes if you would like to develop these ideas a little further.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k