What Do You Want From The Crisis Team?

[toaster]

I know I used to call them a lot and felt horribly let down by them. But when I think about it now I ask myself 'what did I want from them?'

I wanted them to call me in and hospitalise me and they never did.

Other than that, what else can they do?

Just wondering - what would you like the crisis team to do for you?

:)

[Lily-Bee]

Good question,I guess often we want something they simply cant do;fix everything.

Ive never called crisis,come close though,I would want I think a chat,some advise,some care and extra meds to get through the hard time.

[toaster]

Thank you for replying Lily - I know this may be a bit of a controversial topic and difficult for people to answer. This is more about others than myself. I see so many people upset and angry because the crisis team haven't pulled their finger out. I guess where I am coming from is that the crisis team aren't a counselling service and I don't even know if they can prescribe medication here in the UK?

Even when the team did talk to me, I was never happy. I WANTED to be in hospital - to be looked after and no responsibility. But they can't take suicidal feelings away can they? If anything, I always felt worse afterwards! Was that their fault? Hmm.

Actually, am just thinking of something. I can't say too much but I recently said to someone, 'what is it you would like me to do?'. I can't believe I said that actually! I used to HATE that question! But now I understand it. It starts with us, right? If we don't know what we want why should we expect others to know?

I do hope more people reply to this. I haven't posted to be inflammatory, just merely curious and maybe some people will get some help through this post.

xx

[Rob88]

I want to feel like I can breathe. R

[emmie18]

Hey toaster,

I think your spot on about us wanting them to do something but it never being good enough, if that makes sense. With me, anything they suggest my answer is " well that's not going to help is it?" - so i've stopped ringing.

It's difficult because when you feel extremely unwell, suicidal etc you want someone to help, just anyone, and when you have someone on the phone saying, " take a bath" "go to sleep, try and rest" - it feels like they are useless. In my mind they are meant to know what they are doing, and help.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is, in hindsight and when you're feeling okay, you can see that in reality they can offer you a comforting conversation but not really any more than that. But when you are ill and wanting something, maybe to go into hospital, it feels like nobody can help and everyone is useless, but when you're ill the reasoning I have now of " well maybe they are doing all they can" doesn't quite wash.

Interesting topic toast,

Emmie x

[pepsimeg]

I think u ring them cos u want.some care and compasion on the other end as yes wen they say have a nice hot drink or bath u want to scream at them cos thise simple things wont take the pain and miseey away but im guessing they advise that to distract yourself.

I never ring them cos i know they cant do anything

Tbh ive never rung them e.ven tho ive had crisises

i wud go.and.c my dr or ring samaritans

[bibiddi]

I used to hate the suggestion of making a cup of tea. However, recently, I bought a teapot and a nice china mug, and I can really see how it can help.

It slows everything down, and it feels like a nice thing to do.

God, I hate them being right!

[donnam]

i too, wanted them to hospitalise me, or at least show compassion, validate my feelings as been real (more they invalidated me the more i escalated), see i was sick, and try to help. i have given mine things that can help, like distraction games, and some sayings/phrases not to say as feel invalidated and will escalate me

[Christine001]

I dont want anything from the crisis team, i would never let them in the house as they are full of crap. some empathy is often all people want and in my experience most of them are incapable of even that.

[bena.baby]

I guess what I wanted when I used to call them was some compassion and empathy. I totally understand there's nothing much they can do - but for example, had they come round and said to me "why don't we have a nice cup of tea together? I'll make it" that would have been 100 times nicer than "drink a cup of tea, see you later". Or on the phone, just to say "it's awful that you feel so bad, you must feel so sad". But most of the time they couldn't even do that.

I always felt like I was being a massive pain in the arse, and I really feel like if someone had stepped in earlier, I'd have got better sooner.

Interesting topic, Tooooast x

[piuma]

Hey

I have only used the crisis team twice ever. My social worker told me right from the beginning that crisis teams are not for long term problems and symptoms, it is usually for psychotic episodes, manic, and other mental illness. She said they cannot stop suicide and they cant sort depression in the short time they have, so they usually do not know how to respond to someone in emotional turmoil. They are almost not trained for it, and she said that cpn's should not be encouraging patients to phone crisis teams.

I called once and i was out down by the staights, with pills and booze, lady told me to go get a hot drink and go to sleep, so i hung up and text her saying in all your years of training thats the best you can come up with lol....was fuming at the time, but i understand now, I wanted to be put in hospital, but it had already been made clear, hossie was not where i needed to be.

I would be indenial at the time, saying stuff like, i dont wanna be in hossie, if you put me in i will discharge meself, playing games, but really i wanted nothing more.

For me now, it makes me think, if i really want someone to listen i can call Samaritans, if i wont call them, i have to question why? and what i really want as an outcome. if that makes sense.

[Lily-Bee]

In Holland they can give meds toast.

I did talk in crisis once to someone from Dutch nhs but it wasnt crisis service, I remember she couldnt do much but her kindness and empathy did help me to hang on.

I think in many cases for our own good they do not commit us or come by. A lot of us would become too dependent.

Wed end up clinging to them non stop. We need (with help)to learn to help ourselves. Thats what I believe anyway.

I know distraction is such a cliche but it works!

[toaster]

Hey esme,

that would be nice if they did that but am not sure it's in their job description?! Like pie says, they are for things like psychosis, mania etc AND cpn's shouldn't be telling emotionally unstable people to call them. My old therapist made it clear to us that we shouldn't be calling them.

I, like you, always felt like a pain in the arse. It would take me ages to pick up the phone and dial the number - probably doing that in itself just made me feel worse, actually

And like pie, I would always say I didn't want to be in hospital but when really I did.

[Lily-Bee]

I understand from your posts its different in holland you can call them for emotional distress as well................

[piuma]

some cpn's and social workers tell people here in the uk to call crisis teams, but the thing is they can't usually help, and often make things worse. I guess there will be the odd person on duty who might be of help to someone in emotional distress, but most of the time its not the case, not saying its right, or helpful, but its how it is. Very frustrating for the person in crisis.

[Lily-Bee]

Indeed and Im also thinking;whats someone meant to do then in crisis,who can they contact then?

[piuma]

and here in lies the problem...

Samaritans, c.a.l.l., and other helplines will listen, if thats what you want, but if you are looking for an immediate fix to a problem, which there usually isnt, then you dont have many options left.

NHS direct can be very good, but usually they will say you need to speak to the out of hours doctor, which again can just make things worse when you see the doctor and there is nothing they can do.

I think what would really help is if the patient could identify what exactly they want, then they stand a better chance of getting it. But of course that is very often not the case, I certainly could never say, what i wanted, cos i knew i wouldnt get it.

Difficult situation for many sadly

[Lily-Bee]

Crisis plans are good that way,when your mind is clear write down what in crisis would/could help you so you can refer to it when you need to and share it with docs etc

[Villan]

Crisis plans are good that way,when your mind is clear write down what in crisis would/could help you so you can refer to it when you need to and share it with docs etc

like what we used to have here with a link in our sigs... but that went away... i found it very helpful indeed esp when someone here needed help, it was easy to "look them up" and find out how best to help them...

any chance of bringing them back at all... ?

[carlylight1]

to be totally honest i need attention, someone to listen, hear my pain and remind me there is a different perspective (because i honestly can't find that in my own head or it only sounds real if someone else says it). i know this isn't great and maybe its wrong and i'm mis-using them or it runs the risk of becoming dependent, etc. but i don't have other help available to me so don't know what else to do.

in fact, feeling sui now but for some reason can't call them, head is saying to do so would be wrong (i don't know why). so am just trying to ignore urges.

85% of the time i have had VERY good experiences with crisis team. they have spent a lot of time with me on the phone in the past listening and talking through things. i don't know why this is maybe because i call in the middle of the night when they aren't making home visits and so haven't got other things to be doing. but they've always been understanding and non-judgemental. if i don't feel better they suggest me going down there to see them, but i haven't had to do that yet.

[Anabas]

Good question! ... A question that used to infuriate me when they asked me. I felt they as the professionals should have been able to help in some way. In reality as many have already said, they can't stop the suicidal feelings or make anything "better" in the small window of time they have.

When in crisis all I ever wanted was for the feelings to stop and the mere suggestion of distraction sent me into turmoil, I always felt the question was pointless. If distraction would have worked then I wouldn't have rang them, they were my absolute last port of call.

I have learnt that because I know these questions aggrevate me I simply don't ring them. Although I had to a couple of weeks ago but that was just to tell them I wanted to use my 72 hour crisis admission to the hospital (this is part of my care plan).

A couple of you mentioned how you used to oppose hosptial admission when really that is all you ever wanted - I can totally relate to this. Even when I use my 72 crisis admission I still get cold feet and have feelings of wanting to leave no sooner than I arrive. I think this for me personally is because I feel trapped, especially when the doors lock at 8pm and I know I will not be allowed to leave. I have on numerous occassions kicked through the fire door in a bid for freedom...one doctor recently admitted to me that they no longer chase me as they recognise this is something I cannot control (impulsivity) and I have all this adrenaline to burn. By allowing me to run until I run out of breath allows me to burn this negative energy.(I never get too far. Lol) I was taken aback by this comment... this was something I had not recognised myself. I can now see this and totally agree because when I stop and the adrenaline ends I don't know what to do with myself.

Anyway, kind of went off subject there. Back to the original question... I don't feel the crisis team can do anything for me but I would like to think that some people could find some comfort from their service. I unfortunately find them patronising and unhelpful.

xx

[OrangeLamp]

All I wanted was them to treat me with a bit of compassion, I had been in hospital 12 hours after my episode. I was freaking out and still...they asked stupid questions a monkey could do their job.

I expected way too much of them, but still I just wanted someone to just be nice.

Someone to validate my problem, I felt so let down.

GP seemed to be the way for me these days, she's sorting everything out which is good, and admits crisis team is a load of shit.

[toaster]

I guess we don't know how the crisis team work with people who are psychotic/schizophrenic etc. The crisis team can't make us not feel suicidal I guess.

Sorry so many feel they have had bad experiences xx

[bena.baby]

Maybe it's not in their job description toast, but maybe it should be? I mean, their job is to help people in crisis and that's what would help me. Just to have some space, feel looked after and feel like someone cares a little bit.

[fedup!]

I'd honestly never heard of anything called a Crisis Team until I joined here.

I used to turn up at A&E a lot when I had terrible panic attacks and have to sit in the waiting room, riding it out. Overall the doctors were very kind to me and would gently send me on my way whilst they dealt with people who really needed them.

I did join an anxiety group and their newsletters included numbers you could call - I did that a lot too and people on the other end of the phone would talk me through the awful symptoms. I always, always felt like I was about to die a terrifying death.

In those 'crisis' situations, I wanted people to, like Toast says, put me into bed and take respnsibility for me. I simply could not deal with myself, it was horribly, horrendously difficult. I wanted to be on some sort of ward, in a bed with clean sheets and just....lie there. In silence. With no pressure on me.

Somehow I got through those situations. It was a truly awful time xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx