"Honest review of CAMHS"

Please don't censor me. This is for the goodness of CAMHS and to hopefully provide areas of improvement to look into.

I have already gone through PALS about this, and deciding to make this a review. Positive and negative reviews should be published, otherwise it isn't a fair balance.

I feel some professionals at CAMHS needs to improve on their ability to compromise with their patient's family. Family are around their children 24/7 and know what they're struggling from, so they may have a good idea on what treatment may benefit their child based on their unique emotional needs.

I feel some professionals at CAMHS spends far too much time working through the textbooks, instead of seeing their patients as individuals. One size never fits all, when it comes to mental health. It may work this way for physical ailments, but CAMHS needs to look into that person's environment, how their environment affects them, and recognise that depression/anxiety can be symptoms of a main issue. Not always chemical imbalance.

This is what would've helped me, when those who worked with me at CAMHS failed to recognise my childhood trauma while under their services. I was under their service from 2012, and not once was my C-PTSD picked up on.

I feel some professionals at CAMHS needs to stop dishing out medication, and allow patients the choice between medication or therapy. Whereas a patient like me didn't have a choice, and was instead given the impression that medication was the only thing that could cure me.

I would've benefitted more from specialised trauma therapy, instead of being medicated.

4 years I was under their service, and even now I'm still scared of leaving the house, have no proper independence, deal with flashbacks and intense dissociation - which means the professionals I was under at CAMHS didn't do what they should have done, help.

I feel some professionals at CAMHS needs to allow patients to explore diagnosis and rule them out. Just because a child hasn't finished growing, doesn't mean they can't have PTSD or schizophrenia. It would be good to explore diagnosis, instead of deny that your child is struggling. This way, once ruled out, CAMHS and yourself can move forwards.

I feel in general CAMHS needs to understand autism better, as some issues such as eating disorders can be related to sensory issues in autism.

I feel some professionals at CAMHS needs to realise that children don't just "grow out of mental illness", and can turn into mentally ill adults which require more support.

I feel some professionals at CAMHS needs to understand that CBT and breathing exercises can't magically cure mental illness, either. And to allow patients to express when some treatments don't provide any benefit.

Complex mental health needs must be better understood.