"They simply refuse to help"

After dealing with this service for the last few months it seems to me that they have absolutely no interest at all in trying to help anyone (or certainly not me anyway), and are far more focused on trying to do as little as possible whilst keeping up the appearance that they are helping. I honestly can't see how this service benefits the community or their patients at all - all they have done is make my condition worse and get me addicted to damaging medications.

I have tried to be nothing but polite and understanding with this service and the people I deal with there, but they continue to lie to me and offer treatment that is never forthcoming. Some of them are lovely people, but they offer help that it seems its not in their power to give.

I was first referred to the service with a case of severe generalized anxiety and panic disorder. It is so bad that I cannot leave my home without suffering so intensely that I feel like I'm going to die. At first I was told by the service that they would provide me with help and that a therapist would come to my home to begin treatment. They told me that it was ok for me to use regular doses of an addictive medication in order to control my condition in the mean time because, although its not recommended to take this medication for that long a period, someone would help me to get off of it again once treatment began.

This promise was soon yanked away as the therapist suddenly became unavailable and I was then told that no home visits were possible and I had to come to the hospital for treatment - something which is extremely difficult and scary for me to do! Eventually they convinced me to agree to their terms and I went to my first appointment and met a very lovely psychologist who said she was going to help me. Seeing how much I was struggling with the office visit she offered me some home visits again in order to ease my transition. I was very happy with this arrangement.

However, I was then told the following day that I could not have the promised home visits after all (presumably her offer was vetoed by higher ups) and furthermore that the therapist would only see me for 3 sessions, after which I'd be passed on to another second-rate service that has already rejected me twice in the past!!

I am now left with a serious addiction to a medication that they actively encouraged and no-one is going to help me get off of after all (despite their promises), my condition is worse, and all help from the mental health services is about to cease.

All I can say is - if you're referred to this service Beware!!