What do CMHT do?
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi everyone, I only joined this site recently with the hope that there would be someone who could help me with my concerns and that I could help others with theirs.
I have an appointment with a community mental health nurse from CMHT soon, can anyone tell me what to expect? My GP referred me to them for depression and anxiety. It was not really explained to me other than it was like counselling. I have never had any kind of counselling or therapy before so I am unsure of what to expect and how long the appointment is going to last etc.
I am quite reluctant about seeing doctors, taking medication and receiving counselling.
I will be pleased to hear anyone's experiences.
0 likes, 21 replies
howie74276
Posted
genziana
Posted
I never liked the initial procedures with appointments paper signing etc but pushed myself to go again as for me it was a way to get away from my loneliness and it was good to talk to someone from time to time. Each one of us has different reason for being depressed so I can only talk for myself and how I coped without GPs or therapists. During my depressed melancholic states I used to write a lot mostly in poetic form and also I expressed myself by painting (I am not a painter neither a writer) when I was in the depth of depression I just slept or cried my eyes out. Never ever took any medication because I don' t believe in it.
With time and some powerful social experiences I had away from our western culture I came out of my depressive shell.
sunset17
Posted
Much to my disappoinment I gave in to taking anti-depressants at the beginning of november, but after 8 weeks of taking citalopram I found that it wasn't really working for me so this week GP has prescribed mirtazepine instead. If given the option I think I would have preferred to try counselling first before anti-depressants, unfortunately it was a 2months waiting list for counselling and was too desperate for help that I couldn't wait that long.
Genziana, it is strange that you say that you wrote poems, I have found that writing poems has been helpful to me aswell, and I am not a poet at all!! It's not about my poems being good though, it's just a way to write down how I feel and like you said express myself. I do normally like art, drawing and painting, but I have found that it hasn't helped me as much as writing.
I do feel that talking to someone about how I feel will be helpful to me, just very anxious about it.
sanderella
Posted
itssofluffy, You certainly don't want to hear the experience I had with my Community Mental Health and I don't want to taint you're experience with them either. Hopefully they will help you but they may not. If they want to put you on all kinds of medications and they will, please don't readily accept what they tell you regarding the label they will put on you following all kinds of drugs. My friend who also attends the same Mental Health facility is on 14 different psychiatric medications including a very nasty addiction to Klonopin in which she's going through hell from our shrink decreasing her daily dose in HALF. That is not a taper but a forced withdrawal giving her no support or information what so ever concerning the withdrawal symptoms she not only may but WILL experience from that drastic of a reduction. And please do you're homework on every single drug you ingest from them especially concerning the withdrawals if you ever decide to try to get off them. Mental Health told me it was perfectly 'fine' to just stop my Klonopin 'cold turkey' after being addicted to them for over 8 years, so I did. This is where I do not want to share my story with you because of the horror. I can't stress enough after going through what I did that you find someone, anyone who will listen to you, take you serious when you start exhibiting side effects and I can't stress this enough - Prepare yourself for any kind of withdrawal on down the road. I sadly didn't even question my mental health workers but I paid the price dearly. I know now after doing extensive research on Benzodiazepines, how they work and how to withdrawal - properly and it is NOT 'cold turkey'. I almost died.
So go in there confident that you know what and how you want them to treat you and don't let them railroad you into a bunch of drugs you may not even need or want. They ALL have side effects and even anti-depressants are hard to come off of, I'm going through Effexor & Trazodone withdrawal right now and have been for a week. Not pleasant at all but no where near what my Klonopin withdrawal was like. I wish I could attend your appointment with you just for support. I am currently getting my friend who's on 14 meds out of our Mental Health system before they kill her.
sunset17
Posted
I am currently taking 30mg mirtazepine and I understand that there can be undesirable withdrawal symptoms with it, this does worry me but I guess I will have to see what happens when it comes to it.
sanderella
Posted
Take care.....Be happy
sanderella
Posted
If you don't mind keep me posted how Mental Health is going for you. It's such a process too, nothing will happen overnight. Take care.....Now I want to look up what 'really' is in the fine print as far as withdrawals go. No, I'm not going to share with you what I find cuz it sounds like you already know.
sunset17
Posted
sanderella
Posted
sunset17
Posted
I'm not sure as though it is an MAOI. I believe it's called a NaSSA (noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant) but can also be classed as a tetracyclic antidepressant (TeCA) in terms of structure. There are drug interactions though.
I think my GP takes me pretty seriously when I go to see them because I very rarely go, only when I feel it is absolutely necessary (this is mostly due to an intense fear of going to the doctors), so any problems I might have from the mirtazapine I hope would be taken seriously by my GP.
Zora.
Posted
sunset17
Posted
Zora.
Posted
Mine already knew my history so I didn't have to her anything, Maybe he/she will ask you questions and what your struggles are? Do you see a Pdoc? If not the nurse could refer you to one if needed and also therapy, I find mind useful and she is the one I call if I am struggling.
Hope it goes well. x
Zora.
Posted
sunset17
Posted