I was referred to the Crisis Team by my Psychiatrist as I'm struggling to cope with my Bipolar diagnosis and have been signed off work for 2 months. I had an initial assessment with the crisis team and felt like I was being told things rather than it being a discussion. She was quite insistent on giving me more medication but after I was reluctant she agreed to discuss with my psychiatrist and we'd discuss the next day. They wanted contact every day and agreed that this could be a mixture of phone calls and in person. I came out of the hour long assessment feeling very overwhelmed, I'd signed things I didn't really know what, and called my partner in tears and having a panic attack.
About 20:30 pm that night I received a phone call from a new person at the crisis team telling me my prescription was ready. This is not what I'd agreed to at all and in fact was the first time I was told what the drug was that they wanted me to take. I explained my confusion to the lady on the phone and she agreed that I could discuss it during the phone call the next day. I was clearly upset on the phone and she apologised for the confusion.
The next day I waiting for a phone call from them. The lady I spoke with said she'd call in the afternoon so from 12:00 pm I waited. By 18:00 pm I still hadn't heard anything and couldn't do anything in case I missed the call so I called the crisis team number I had to find out what was happening and was told by the man on the other end that he would call them and get them to call me.
Eventually I had the phone call at 20:45 pm and by that time I was incredibly anxious and on edge. I had to repeat myself at least 10 times that I had found the whole process so far too intense, overwhelming and stressful. She agreed that I could remove myself from their care and would consult my psychiatrist the next day and let me know what happens next.
Now I had authorised the crisis team to speak to my mother and my partner so my mother called up the next day so she could understand what was actually going on and what other options there were.
I haven't heard anything else from anyone of the crisis team - no update on the outcome of the meeting with my psychiatrist. My mother has however, had 2 voice mails which we presume are meant for me. One of them says that I have been handed over to another team but that's all the information I have.
I am incredibly frustrated and upset that a team called the crisis team have given me an unbearable week and caused more problems.
"Bad experience of Crisis Team"
About: Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust / Crisis resolution Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Crisis resolution RG12 1LD
Posted by cosima (as ),
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Update posted by cosima (the patient) 8 years ago