My son has been self-harming for the last 3 days. On Sunday night he self-harmed so I took him Monday morning to the minor injuries unit in Exmouth. On Monday night he self-harmed again and was taken to RD&E. He was seen (eventually) by the Psychiatric Liaison Team who discharged him with a leaflet containing numbers of agencies to call. We got home and son went to sleep. My sister came down from where she lives to support me. She left at about 4pm. My son woke up soon after.
He watched a bit of TV. Got agitated during the evening and ended up self-harming again. Ambulance called and he was taken up to RD&E again about midnight. I followed up a little later. When I arrived (about an hour later) a member of the nursing staff was with him. He'd been seen by the Mental health team and deemed that he was OK to go home as he was presenting the same as previously. (I was quite shocked by this - I had expected things to have been taken more seriously.) When I tried to explain to the nurse that I didn't feel I could keep him safe at home my son became more agitated and flounced out of the department without his phone and saying he would walk home. I stayed behind and asked to see someone as I was concerned about my son's mental state and felt he could do himself harm. If he did get home I wasn't sure how I was going to support him. I felt we were both very isolated and vulnerable.
I was able to speak with two members of staff - I should have got their names but didn't. They explained to me that the department had done what they could for my son. I said he was clearly asking for help, and that I am fearful that he will escalate his self-harm to get more direct help. I said there is a chasm between need and support and that there is very little to access during the hours when need is greatest - during the night when he is alone and dealing with dark thoughts and most people are asleep. He did call 111 option 2 last night and was told to use a breathing technique.. While I accept this does have some value in reducing anxiety, I don't feel this is likely to offer much succour to someone in the sort of dire straits that leads to self-harming.
In the space of 5 years we have lost 2 family members and some family members have moved out, it's just me and youngest at home now. I don't want to lose anyone else and can't help but feel that Mental Health services are woefully inadequate. It's no wonder to me that as a society we are losing so many young people to suicide..
As a side note I'd just mention that my son was referred to a mental health support as he experiences stress seizures.. He was directed to Talkworks who met with him twice to evaluate what support needs he has. They then decided no service was required and passed him back to the care of his GP.
It feels to me like the system is failing and needs to be improved. It feels that at present it equates to turning up at hospital with a broken arm and being given a shopping list and directed on how to set and plaster it yourself.
"Poor mental health service"
About: Devon Partnership NHS Trust / Liaison psychiatry Devon Partnership NHS Trust Liaison psychiatry EX2 5AF Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) / Accident and emergency Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) Accident and emergency Exeter EX2 5DW
Posted by Tolechna (as ),
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